Ariad × Belfius: Designing a seamless digital experience for millions of Belgians

Client challenge
Finding rare hybrid profiles (designer + front-end developer) to build a design system unifying the digital experience for millions of users.

Ariad’s solution
Fast identification of specialised UX profiles, with candidates presenting portfolios that streamlined the selection process.

Result
Several designers placed by Ariad became key members of the Belfius UX team, improving the digital experience for one in three Belgians.

Belfius wanted to raise the bar on digital banking and improve the user experience of millions of Belgians. 

Building a design system to bridge designers and developers was critical. Finding the rare hybrid profiles to make it happen was the real challenge. Ariad delivered.

As a 100% Belgian bank and insurance company, Belfius serves one in three Belgians across retail, SME, and corporate markets. 

Ensuring a consistently high-quality digital experience across all platforms is a core priority — one that falls squarely on the shoulders of the Belfius UX team.

A design system that changed everything

To improve its mobile and online platforms, Belfius developed a design system: a toolbox of reusable UI/UX building blocks that creates a common language between designers and developers. The impact was immediate. 

"Briefing developers used to involve reinventing the wheel each time. A developer now saves half an hour per week for every other team member — a significant cost reduction in total," says UX lead Katsuyuki Nagatani. 

The system also freed the team to focus on innovation: "We can now raise the bar on user experience and shorten time to market."

Where Ariad made the difference

This transformation required a specific hybrid profile (part designer, part front-end developer) that didn't previously exist at Belfius. Finding it in a competitive market is no small feat. 

Specialising in digital talent placement, Ariad identified the right profiles quickly and efficiently. 

"What our UX team does is niche, but Ariad succeeds in finding truly specialised design professionals. Their CVs always include previous work, making selection far more convenient," says Katsuyuki. 

Several design profiles placed by Ariad are now key members of the Belfius UX team.

The result? A team with the right talent to build digital experiences millions of Belgians rely on and a recruitment partner to count on for what comes next.