The Problem

The challenge was not that traders lacked control over their orders, but that they had no simple way to temporarily suspend execution when market conditions suddenly changed. Working orders and automated strategies are often designed to remain active for long periods, meaning they can continue executing even when an unexpected economic or political event creates abnormal volatility.
Cancelling these orders is not always an option, as rebuilding a complex trading strategy can be time-consuming and risky. Traders therefore needed a way to temporarily step back from the market without losing the work they had already configured.

The Goal

The goal was to give traders greater control over their exposure during periods of unexpected or high market volatility, without forcing them to cancel and rebuild their existing strategies.
The solution needed to provide a simple and immediate way to pause all working orders and automated trading activity, while preserving their existing configuration so trading could be safely resumed when market conditions returned to normal.
The main objective was to give traders a simple way to take control when the market suddenly becomes too volatile. Instead of cancelling orders and having to rebuild complex strategies later, they could simply pause all trading activity with a single action, keep everything safely in place, and resume when they felt the market was ready. The idea was to make the whole process quick, clear and predictable, giving traders confidence that nothing would be lost while trading was temporarily on hold.

The results

The new Blackout functionality gave traders a much more controlled way of managing risk around unpredictable market events. Instead of cancelling working orders and rebuilding complex strategies, they could prepare Blackout periods in advance and temporarily pause trading activity when needed. The ability to configure recurring events, switch individual Blackouts on or off, and resume trading when conditions stabilised made the process simple and predictable. More importantly, it gave traders greater confidence that they could react quickly to market volatility without losing the strategies they had already built.

The Key Learning

The key learning was that risk management is not always about stopping something completely; sometimes it is about giving users the ability to pause, assess and continue. In a trading environment, where timing and control are critical, a simple mechanism can have a significant impact. We learned that designing for exceptional moments is just as important as designing for the normal workflow. The best solution was not to make traders change their strategy, but to give them a safety mechanism that worked around the way they already trade.

The Problem

The challenge was balancing the flexibility of mobile trading with the risks associated with executing trades on the go. Mobile devices introduce additional variables that are less relevant in a dedicated desktop environment: smaller screens, unstable connectivity, distractions and a higher potential for accidental actions or “fat finger” errors. At the same time, traders were asking for more than simply the ability to cancel existing orders. They wanted to monitor the same currency pairs they followed on their desktop and have access to the full trading functionality when an opportunity required immediate action.

The Goal

The goal was to give traders the freedom to monitor and execute trades from anywhere, without compromising the control and precision expected from a professional FX trading environment. The mobile experience needed to synchronise with the desktop MultiFX watchlist, allowing traders to see their familiar currency pairs and market information while providing a safe and efficient way to place and manage real trades. The challenge was to bring the essential capabilities of the desktop FX ticket into a much smaller and less controlled environment without simply shrinking the desktop experience.

The Results

What started as a mobile solution primarily focused on monitoring and cancelling orders evolved into something much more valuable for traders: a genuine extension of their desktop trading environment. Users could now leave their desk without losing visibility of the markets they were following and, when necessary, move from monitoring directly to execution. Synchronising the desktop watchlist created a familiar starting point, while the mobile FX ticket gave traders the flexibility to act immediately rather than waiting until they returned to their workstation. The solution ultimately gave traders greater freedom without removing the control and structure expected from a professional trading application.

The Key learning

The biggest learning was that users often understand the potential of a product better than the assumptions we make about how they will use it. We initially saw mobile as a safer monitoring and risk-management tool because of the inherent risks of trading on a small, mobile device. Our users saw it differently: they wanted continuity, freedom and the ability to act when an opportunity appeared.

The lesson was not simply “put trading on mobile.” It was to understand why traders wanted it and then design the experience around the risks and behaviours of that context. When users are asking for more capability, the role of UX is not necessarily to restrict them—it is to provide the right controls, hierarchy and safeguards so they can use that capability confidently.