The Journey
The first step in building out and designing this new concept would be finding the right location. NewGround’s Strategy Team began to work on finding a location in the area with a good demographic fit, plenty of potential for new growth, and an area where they could meet with new and old members alike. After conducting an intensive study, we found that this particular county was one of the fastest-growing counties in the country, perfect for Corning Credit Union’s goals.
Once the sites were determined, NewGround began to design the spaces. NewGround began developing a new “relationship space” as opposed to a traditional transactional one based on Corning Credit Union’s goals. These designs included open waiting spaces for members with comfortable furniture and individual privacy rooms for members and employees to meet one on one. Furthermore, these individual rooms were equipped with height-adjustable desks so that both employees and members could sit or stand comfortably depending on their preferences.
NewGround understands the importance of growth and change within branch locations. Since this location was a new prototype of a relationship-driven space, NewGround wanted to ensure the location was still future-proofed. This meant integrating space and technology capabilities into the center of the room in case a traditional teller station needs to be installed. In the event that the growth of the Corning Credit Union West Lake Branch reached a point where more transactional interactions are normal, the branch will be well-equipped to adapt and handle the change.
