Morningstar's Analysis Component
Morningstar’s Signature Asset Library, the company’s primary digital reporting solution, struggled to meet users’ demands for quick, digestible insights and independent investment ratings in the flagship Analysis section. The interface also required a redesign to improve information clarity, enhance user understanding, and better reflect the needs of modern investors.
Morningstar
Signature Asset Library
8 weeks
29
62,000
3.9M
Challenge
Users struggled to identify financial ratings and analyst commentary in the company’s flagship component. This lack of clarity hindered their ability to assess key investment details, navigate critical information, and make confident decisions.
Methods
Conducted user tests, interviews, and analyzed Tableau data and time-on-page metrics to evaluate usability across devices and product lines.
Results
A clean, editorial-style layout highlights key headlines, making it easier for users to engage with and understand ratings. A new data comparison tool enables users to benchmark investments against similar options. Updated historical ratings and archived content offer quick snapshots with seamless navigation to in-depth material. These enhancements doubled the time users spent in the section per visit.
Legacy Approach
The existing design for the long-form analysis could benefit from clearer guidance to help users access key insights, with more streamlined elements and the inclusion of historical and AI-driven analysis. Enhancing visual appeal and interactivity would improve user engagement and facilitate deeper exploration of valuable data.
The existing design for the ratings could be improved with clearer context, defined authorship, and dynamic charts. Key elements like the Category Medalist and Historical Ratings Archive would benefit from more complete data to support users in analyzing ratings effectively and gaining valuable insights.
Refined Solution
Conclusion
50% increase in time spent on the Analysis section, improved content discoverability and usability, and strong stakeholder support for future, research driven innovations in data presentation. The company’s commitment to long form content, known for its detailed nature, has always been paramount to its success, making it a well respected source of coverage. This approach continues to be a cornerstone of the strategy, with no sign of wavering.