Following a brand relaunch, Oldenburgische LandesBank (OLB) has completely revamped its digital presence. The existing websites for the two brands, OLB and Bankhaus Neelmeyer, as well as the partnership portals for Württembergische and Wüstenrot, were running on an outdated, monolithic Sitecore system that could neither reflect the new brand design nor meet modern UX standards. At the same time, the requirements of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and BITV 2.0 had to be integrated.
OLB’s digital team sought a partner capable of simultaneously rebuilding all four websites on a new foundation: visually consistent, regulatory compliant, editorially efficient and offering users a noticeably better experience.
In addition to the technical complexity, the greatest challenge lay in the interplay of competing requirements. Compliance requirements dictated the design possibilities. Branding standards had to be combined with accessibility standards. Business departments brought in specific requirements that were not always compatible with a streamlined user experience. And above all, there was the demand that users should not be aware of this complexity.
iteratec treated compliance, branding, accessibility and UX not as sequential work packages, but as concurrent design dimensions of every single decision. This required continuous coordination between design, development, specialist departments and compliance, as well as the ability to find viable compromises that all stakeholders could support.
This process gave rise to a technical and design solution that takes concrete form in five areas:
A decoupled application: a headless CMS for all four websites and modern front-ends with fast loading times, operated on OLB’s Kubernetes infrastructure. This decoupling specifically reduces the attack surface – attacks on the user interface do not reach the data storage.
Independent threat analysis and implementation of protective mechanisms in collaboration with OLB’s infrastructure team. DORA compliance requirements were integrated directly into the development process rather than being implemented as an afterthought.
Visual consistency across all platforms through flexible content modules that give editors creative freedom whilst keeping them within defined boundaries.
Every component was tested for screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, contrast ratios and labelling. Where brand guidelines did not meet WCAG standards, they were jointly refined.
The entire user experience – for end users and for the editorial teams who work with the system on a daily basis.
iteratec delivered the project in ten months, within the planned timeframe and budget. Already, 83 per cent of editors are working more efficiently than before. And the project will continue to deliver long-term benefits, as the architecture supports new digital initiatives without the need to alter the underlying structure.
Since the launch, iteratec has been responsible for application operations and continues to develop the platform in collaboration with OLB.
If you have any concerns or questions regarding a project for your company, please send us an enquiry and we will get back to you.
