BankSpaces: Cool Sh*t Banks Can't Do: 4 Concepts That Could Change Everything

When EJ Kritz, Chief Experience Officer at DBSI, took the stage at BankSpaces, his mission was clear: push the boundaries of what's possible in financial services design. 

Drawing inspiration from sources outside of banking, Kritz presented four provocative concepts that challenge conventional branch thinking—from elevated drive-thrus inspired by Taco Bell to cruise ship-inspired HQs that redefine workplace culture.

The Problem: Banks Look Exactly Like...Banks

Kritz opened with a sobering demonstration, showing images generated by ChatGPT when asked to create "a typical bank branch in the United States." The AI produced exactly what you’d expect: sterile, uninspiring spaces that "don't look good and don't smell good," he said. 

These generic branches exist because the industry has been designing in an echo chamber, he added, borrowing ideas only from other financial institutions.

"I'd like you to open your eyes to the possibility that maybe there's some crazy stuff out there in the world," he said. "If we looked outside of our little bubble called financial services, maybe some other industries are doing some cool sh*t that we could steal."

Read the full article featuring DBSI's CXO, EJ Kritz, on BankSpaces.com