Trust and the Design of Bank Branches

At a living history museum in Massachusetts, you can visit a bank built in 1835. That bank has sturdy fluted pillars, a design element that has wordlessly spelled out "bank," "security," and "safety" for at least 200 years. A 19th-century bank building in my hometown, now a shoe store, has not only the pillars but also an imposing pediment.

I've blogged about trust as an amorphous concept, driven by feeling and past experiences-nothing you can see, smell, or hold on to. Trust also can be firmly grounded in design decisions and the physical world, as a recent report from the Filene Research Institute points out. Aesthetics matter for trust, the report states. "The basis for a trusting relationship is built, or broken, from the moment a person begins interacting with a financial institution." That could mean the experience of walking across a parking lot, glancing through a window, or examining the attire of staff members.

Even in the digital age, real experiences remain important. The Filene report, based on surveys and interviews, reminds us that "people still want to be helped by people when it comes to financial matters." In 2021, 15 percent of US households used a bank teller as their primary method of bank account access, according to the FDIC. Postpandemic, use of a bank teller "remained prevalent among certain segments of the population, including lower-income households, less-educated households, older households, and households that did not live in a metropolitan area."

Within a 10-minute walk of my apartment are 10 bank branches and one credit union where people can be helped by people. Each sends a different message with design: the presence or absence of rugs, artwork, upholstered seating, promotional signs on the windows, drapes at the windows. In a blink, I can identify which institution is calling out to college students, which to price-conscious commuters, which to wealthy retirees. All, however, display a sign that deposits are insured.

While design choices can differentiate service offerings and bring people through the door, trust (not pillars) keeps customer coming back. For keeping customers, the Filene report advises that age-old concepts prevail: competence, commitment, and consistency. Follow-through and prompt responses, whether in person or digitally, remain critical for establishing trust with all kinds of customers. As the song says, "The fundamental things apply/As time goes by."