wamu
Washington Mutual understood the important of design in reaching out to its customer base. We won’t see these kind of graphics in a Chase branch office.
I went into my WaMu branch this afternoon to make a deposit and found that all was business as usual. As I stood in the surprisingly short teller line, I looked around at the decor, the brochures, posters, forms, banners, signs, etc. And my first thought was, “All that design work down the drain. All those brochures tossed in the recycling bin.” And my next thought was, “I wonder if JPMorgan Chase will have coffee and cookies put out every day for their customers? What does JPMorgan Chase look like?” And then I remembered the Chase logo – blue, faceted, no nonsense, business-like.
WaMu put in a ton of effort on their collateral and their environmental graphics in recent years. Their branch offices were welcoming, warm and modern, with an open floor plan. My branch featured a kids play area. The wall graphics were richly-colored and textural. The environment had the flavor of a popular coffee shop. It was relaxing, really. And once you got through the line you found yourself up close and personal with the teller, standing next to rather than across from them. The online banking site was easy to navigate and sensible. It was visually uncluttered, the design enabling rather than hindering its function.
How will it be when the new owner moves in? For a preview, take a field trip to a Chase branch office. Looks like a bank, doesn’t it?
Things will change. JPMorgan Chase has a different mission and focus, which is evident in the Chase Logo. It’s corporately geometric and aloof in comparison to WaMu’s friendly blue monogram on a yellow field. WaMu’s cozy brand will quickly give way and disappear altogether as the influence of the new owner takes over.
I’ll miss WaMu. What do I do with my Whoo Hoo! bumper sticker now?
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