Experian, a leading American credit bureau with over 220M U.S. consumers, set out to expand its services by launching a digital banking app.
At Experian, I contributed by designing the Onboarding and Direct Deposit flows and supporting the Design System.
Role
Design system
Prototyping
Interaction Design
Developer handoff
Timeline
Team
6 designers
1 project manager
Platform
Heat map testing to inform design decisions
User journey mapping across the Experian Banking experience
Early wireframe creation for our main pages
Final designs
New flows, one connected ecosystem
The onboarding experience walks first-time users through several screens without feeling like a slog, using small, playful design choices to keep them engaged along the way. Direct deposit features highlight tangible rewards and explore third-party integrations that cut down friction and help drive adoption.
Across both, we also grew the design system itself, adding new components suited to our specific use cases while keeping them consistent with the existing framework across platforms.
An onboarding experience seamlessly connecting to Experian’s pre-exiting ecosystem
I crafted an onboarding experience that guides users through multiple screens without feeling overwhelming, using playful and strategic design choices to keep them engaged.
Incentivizing direct deposit and exploring integration with third party applications
I designed features that encourage users to set up direct deposit by highlighting tangible benefits and rewards, while also exploring ways to integrate with third-party applications for a smoother, more connected experience. This approach aimed to drive adoption, reduce friction, and make financial management more seamless for users.
Building on and enhancing the design system to optimize for future capabilities
I helped grow Experian’s design system by introducing new components suited to our use cases, while keeping them consistent with the existing framework across platforms. This taught me how to balance leveraging a strong foundation with adding thoughtful extensions to address evolving needs.
Illustrations made for usage across the app
Bill pay flow designed
impact
Making headlines
Since launch, Experian Smart Money has gotten a lot of media attention from outlets like CNBC, Yahoo Finance, and Finder.
Overall, the coverage has been positive, with reviewers pointing to the no-fee structure and credit-building features as real differentiators from traditional banks.
Within the first year of launch in 2023:
added in annual revenue within the first year of the apps introduction
of Experian's 220 million U.S. customers have transitioned to using Smart Money, in less than two years
users already using Experian Boost since launch
Travis Kelce promoting the Experian Smart Money card
Reflection
My takeaways
Navigating edge cases 🧭
Early identification and addressing of edge cases were crucial, revealing unexpected user behaviors and scenarios that significantly impacted the overall product experience.
Adapting to changing requirements 📝
Working with evolving requirements, especially under tight deadlines, underscored the importance of flexibility. Close collaboration between design and development was essential to rapidly adapt designs as new requirements emerged.
Working with design restrictions ↔️
Experian's established design system provided a robust framework. I learned to effectively balance the use of existing components with the strategic proposal of new ones that maintained alignment with the overall system across multiple platforms.
Ensuring scalability 📈
Designing for both app and desktop illuminated the distinct requirements of each platform. I gained valuable insight into how features scale, ensuring a consistent user experience despite varying technical constraints.