FOR

Fortune 500 Financial Client 

When

July 2021

SKILLS

Auditing

Research

Testing

Prototyping

Strategy/ Analysis

Optimizing Debt Consolidation Through User-Centered Design

How might we improve a system for managing home loan debt online to better match user needs and expectations?

ROLE

In the summer of 2021, I was tasked with validating a Fortune 500 financial company’s debt consolidation and document submission feature.

Over the course of around eight weeks, I was the lead designer and worked with a UX Researcher to discover, evaluate, and measure a newly designed debt consolidation portal.

We reported to the client’s internal design team, and the VP in charge of the project.

The OBJECTIVE

Designing for Trust, Clarity, and Control

The assignment was to validate and improve a Fortune 500 financial company’s digital Debt Consolidation experience by identifying usability challenges and surfacing opportunities to build user trust, clarity, and autonomy—particularly around selecting and confirming accounts within the Home Equity Loan flow.

This involved:

  • Understanding how users interact with the current feature

  • Identifying friction points in selecting and confirming accounts/payoffs

  • Determining if users can confidently complete the process on their own

  • Exploring whether users prefer mobile or desktop

  • Recommending UX/UI changes based on research insights

The Process

Asking the Right Questions, The Right Way

After aligning on project goals, my research partner and I developed a test plan focused on areas where users might experience friction—

Then we …..

  • Designed test scenarios and flows for remote user interviews

  • I created interactive prototypes and supporting materials for usability testing

  • Went through 10 rounds of testing for 2 features across 2 devices.

  • Observed and documented friction points across platforms

  • Synthesized the research and Identified patterns around confusion, trust, and need for reassurance

  • Delivered a comprehensive readout with prioritized UX recommendations

Key Findings

Confirmations and Confusing Language

  • Users were unclear that accounts were pulled from credit reports, leading to mistrust

  • Many found the “Select Payoffs” step confusing due to vague labeling

  • Users wanted clearer, more recognizable account details

  • Mobile users had better step-by-step comprehension but struggled with screen space

  • Desktop users preferred the format but overlooked key context due to layout

IMPACT

  • Recommendations were adopted for redesigning key steps like “Select Payoffs” and account confirmation

  • Proposed contextual guidance (tooltips, helper text, live chat) to improve user confidence

  • Helped inform the next round of iterative design updates and testing

  • Reinforced the value of user-driven improvements in financial tools