JODIE ZHANG

Jodie’s work at Fidelity Investments centers on bringing sophisticated investment tools to users with clarity and speed. Her work on the flagship mobile app includes: a redesigned Option Chain & Trade experience that combines user-friendly, data-driven design with powerful functionality, a new Equity Trade flow that helps investors stay confident and connected in every market moment, and a net new Auto Invest capability that makes recurring investing available to customers at all stages of their investing journey. Finally, Brokerage Quote delivers a consistent approach to quote displays across the app.

Design, in its various forms, can make its way into many pockets of daily life. In Museum Mobile, a mobile-first strategy extends the museum experience beyond its walls. In a variation on the theme, Salad Solutions considers the effects of digital interventions on a downtown salad bar. In a more playful turn, Knobs documents the process of creating an identity system around found objects, applying assorted visual techniques to uncover its hidden story. Transbay Block 9 takes part in a larger urban development whose goal is to transform the area into a transit-friendly, high-density mixed-use neighborhood. Contemporary Art Institute tests the boundary between the building as a sensory vs formal experience. Making Models looks at physical model-making as a means for communicating design intent. In Motion highlights ways in which movement can an enrich digital storytelling.

About
2020–, Principal UX Designer, Fidelity Investments, New York, NY
2022, Freelance Designer, Cottage, San Francisco, CA
2019, UX Designer, Harvard Business Review, Boston, MA
2018, UX Design Intern, Depict, San Francisco, CA
2016, Designer, Fougeron Architecture, San Francisco, CA
2015, Designer, Swatt Miers Architects, Emeryville, CA
2013, Design Intern, Trace Architecture Office, Beijing, China
2012, Design Intern, Slab Architecture, Brooklyn, NY
2012, Staff, GSAPP Exhibitions, New York, NY
2011, Design Intern, Sou Fujimoto Architects, Tokyo, Japan
2010, Design Intern, Buro Ole Scheeren, Beijing, China
2010, Participant, GSAPP China Lab, Beijing, China

Columbia University GSAPP, Master of Architecture
Middlebury College, Bachelor of Arts
Contact
Projects
Option Chain & TradeFidelity InvestmentsProduct Design2025
01



Problem
The existing options experience is a one-way flow from Chain to Trade. Users have to go through the chain to get to the trade ticket. They start by selecting a row in the chain, then pick call or put, and then a quantity and action, before getting the rest of the options trade page.



Solution


The new options experience decouples the chain from trade, allowing more user flexibility. Users have the ability to toggle between the two views without losing input data. This design accommodates the range of use cases we’ve identified, which range from users who prefer to start their trade from the chain,  those who want to enter trade inputs directly, or those who might want to toggle between the two views. 



What’s new

One of our main goals was the reduce clicks to complete a trade. In the existing flow, users proceed through a series of screens to fill in the ticket. In the new experience, users can select a bid or ask from the chain that directly cedes into the ticket, which prefills Strategy, Action, Expiration, and Strike. Users then only have to fill in a quantity, and a bid/ mid/ ask (we default to limit/ day/ margin). In a few steps, the trade is ready for Preview.




Equity TradeFidelity Investments Product Design2025
02




ProblemThe existing trade experience on the app offers two ways to trade: “simplified” and “advanced”. Based on VOC feedback we know that complex trade types (stop loss, specific share, sell, etc..) are difficult to find in the current trade ticket. Can we present additional trade type options to customers (ie stop loss, specific share, sell all, etc.) without impacting the efficiency of basic order types? 




Solution
The new trade flow features a redesign of every page in the trade flow. The new design makes it easier for customers to complete complex trade types without negatively impacting the efficiency of placing basic/ more common trades. 



What’s new
(Slides 1-4) A new data-rich search page shows more symbol information and entry points to popular destinations, such as recurring investments and open orders.The trade page combines the previous dual-ticket system into a single screen. Finally, the preview and confirm pages are also streamlined to create a unified experience, collating disparate preview and confirm screens from across the app. 



Trade screen updates
 (Slides 1-6) The diagrams below highlight key pain points we addressed in the redesign, including fractional shares, advanced order types, sell all, sell specific shares, extended hours trading, and cancel & replace.



Impact

 With the implementation of Modernized Trade, we’ve not only standardized customer-facing pages, but also reduced maintenance and future development effort on the back end. A single equity trade page, along with a common preview and confirm for all trade types, creates a more streamlined trade experience for users, while also minimizing tech debt.




Auto Invest Fidelity InvestmentsProduct Design2024
03 With Adalynn Geer & Mike Aiello



Problem

 Before we launched the new recurring investments experience in Nov 2023, there was no way to automatically invest stocks, etfs, or unowned mutual funds. How might we resolve structural issues within our existing offerings, and launch a net new product that benefits our users and business goals? 





Solution

 The new recurring investments experience includes new trade types: stocks/ etfs, mutual funds, and Fidfolios baskets. It also provides a common hub from which to track all forms of recurring activity, bifurcating investments from cash transfers for easier management. Users can add multiple symbols (up to 10) in a single recurring trade. 



What’s new
The existing “Scheduled transfers & investments” experience offers automatic cash transfers into Fidelity investment accounts. However, there is no way to invest into stocks, etfs, or mutual funds on a recurring basis.

With the launch of Recurring Investments, customers can now automate stock, mutual fund, ETF, and basket trades. Users can also manage active all recurring plans - investments and cash transfers - in one place. Customer response has been very positive, with metrics that attest to its product fit spanning novice to advanced traders. 




Brokerage Quote Fidelity InvestmentsProduct Design2024
04




Problem
Before we created this reusable component, there were many ways of displaying quote information across the app, without a consistent approach or visual identity. This approach prevented learned patterns and resulted in repeated development work. 




Solution
In response, we created a component that is supported by business logic, allowing it to cover various feature views with a single base component, while addressing an app-wide need for consistency and reusability. The component can scale across feature views without without teams doing duplicate work.



Museum Mobile Case Study Product Design
2019
05



Problem
We visit museums to get away from our phones and screens, so why conflate the two? How might we create a digital experience that enhances the in-person museum experience, while also engaging users online before and after their visits?



Solution
A user-friendly SFMOMA mobile site can help bridge the gap between visitors’ in-person and online experiences. Rather than creating a separate native app, the mobile site is a great way for users to explore the site before their visit, and offers a more fluid experience for the casual visitor.








Research
(Slides 1-3) The museum is a container for multiple experiences. In addition to the ticketed gallery experience, visitors have access to free public spaces, including a vast lobby, a restaurant, and the museum store. Beyond the public and gallery spaces, a third layer of experience, usually reserved for researchers and education purposes, can be accessed by appointment. The research process uses methods including user-centered practices and business-centered analysis. The following slides detail the process and results of four research methodologies: card sort, user research, business outline, and website tree test.

Salad Solutions Case Study Product Design
2018
06



Problem
It’s Wednesday 12:30pm. You’re in the mood for a healthy salad bowl from Greens & Things, but the long line you’re anticipating already puts you off the task. How might we shorten lines and make ordering salads easier? The Greens & Things app, website, and self ordering kiosks are able to meet a wider range of user needs. With their implementation, we can ease in-store congestion by opening up customer flow through the physical space.


Original video courtesy of Business Insider
Solution
With multi-channel digital solutions, the brick & mortar becomes less dependent on a single-queue flow. By giving users different ordering, pickup, and delivery options through the app and website, Greens & Things customers can navigate the lunch rush with a bit more ease.

In a common scenario, three friends working in separate downtown offices arrange a lunch hour meetup. The Greens & Things mobile app and self ordering kiosks are able to meet a wider range of user needs, making coordination more seamless.






Finding conjestion relief
With on-the-spot salad customization, a long line forms quickly during rush periods, at times even extending beyond shop doors. The ensuing bottleneck is shown in the top image.

By implementing digital solutions, customers use the Greens & Things app for asynchronous ordering. With their implementation, we can ease in-store congestion by opening up the flow through the physical space.





App design
The Greens & Things app imagines an easy way to order off the menu or make your salad just how you like it. The user flow follows a two-tab structure that defaults to the house menu, drawing on a mental model that eases users into further decision-making. A la carte menu items may then prompt users build their own salads. The checkout process is familiar and designed to feel as frictionless as possible.





Knobs Case Study Visual Identity2017
07




Design task
Imagine you are curating an exhibition at SFMOMA, which will center around an 80-piece collection of an artifact of your choosing. How might you create an identity system around this collection? Deliver the following assets: 

  • Typography system, 
  • Logo lockup, 
  • Stationery system, 
  • Promotional poster, 
  • Video asset                                        



The object
A knob is a simple object. It is typically circular, though not always. It is kinetic - its range of motion is limited by the hand that turns it. It is an intuitive interface that hides webs of complexity. Sourced from vintage radios and TV sets, this collection, aptly named Knob Knob, showcases 80 of these commonplace, yet important, objects. 

My collection of 80 knobs, amassed from old radios, appliances, and Ebay


Playful, circular, intuitive, tactile, kinetic

Guided by five descriptors of the object’s key qualities, the following design assets use the knob as muse. The solution identifies and interprets the essence of the object, and creates an identity system around it in preparation for a gallery exhibition.

Creating a set of visual assets of my collection


Typography design

The collection’s logo lockup uses a typeface I designed on the font-building tool Fontstruct. The full typeface, which I named Mazurka after the Polish folk dance, features both capital and lowercase characters. For Knob Knob, the whimsical look of the lowercase characters suit the project’s irreverent nature. Mazurka’s lowercase “o” is a perfect vessel to contain the 80 knob variations within its thin outline. Accents on letters such as the insect-like “k” creates visual impact, drawing viewers into the quirky world of knobs.            





Stationery system

The stationery system uses a Bauhaus-inspired palette of black, white, and red - a tribute to the midcentury origins of the knobs collection. Line drawings are used to express the knobs themselves; thin lines detail the textured ridges of the artifacts. A circle cutout on the envelope creates a playful relationship between the envelope and its contents. The brochure is a set of staggered leaflets that highlight the personalities of individual knobs.                        






Creating brand awareness

An important part of branding is creating awareness through advertising the exhibition. Promotional posters at the bus stop piques the user’s interest. Intrigued, she checks out the website and buys a ticket. Another promotional opportunity happens inside the museum. Before entering the exhibtion, attendees take a moment to snap a photo for their social media.


Ads with QR code in waiting spacesAds with QR code in waiting spaces

In-museum experience

The entrance/ exit to the exhibit presents visitors with photo opportunities, whether they came for Knob Knob, or are just passing through. Inside the exhibition, visitors stop to watch a mezmerizing video of looping knobs. Using key descriptors as inspiration (playful, circular, kinetic), the motion plays on the idea of the circle as an endless surface.



Transbay 9 Fougeron ArchitectureArchitecture2016
08


Image courtesy of 500folsom.com Site
Transbay Block 9 is a 600,000 sq ft multi-use development in downtown San Francisco. Fougeron Architecture was commissioned to design the podium (levels 1-8), and SOM took on the tower (levels 1-24). The site model below shows the building’s location next to the highway offramp into downtown SF, and marks its place amongst other Transbay development projects.

Model courtesy of SOM
BIM Collaboration
Revit allows cross-functional partners to collaborate in a single builing model. This workflow was an important aspect of our day to day work on Transbay Block 9 because architects from Fougeron Architects and SOM, as well as civil, structural, and MEP engineers, could all access the latest building information from a single source. 

(Slides 1-3) My part in the process was to help bring designs from 50% DD to 100% CD. My main responsibilities included plans, RCPs, interior elevations, and iterative studies of HVAC design in units. Work samples below from Fougeron Architecture in collaboration with SOM for Transbay Block 9.


Revit drawings: Plans, RCPs, & Elevations
Facade studies: North, West, South, East

In Motion Animated ProjectsMotion Graphics2016-2018                        
11


In-app animations
Illustrator, After Effects
Depict, 2018
Depict is a startup that curates and broadcasts artwork onto its 4k quality frame. These loading animations are concepts created for the native app, to be displayed as the app loads its content, and as users connect to wifi.




City scene
Rhino, Illustrator, After Effects
2016
The scene below is a part of a larger cityscape animation created using combined 2D, 3D, and motion graphics techniques.



Ad spot
Rhino, Illustrator, After Effects
2016The animation below is a class project inspired by the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics. The assignment is to create an ad spot for the local TV station, IDTV. The swimmers are found footage from a swimming website. The rest of the animation is created through combined 2D, 3D, and motion graphic techniques.