What Was Broken
(And What People Really Needed)
We talked to real mortgage users—seasoned savers, anxious borrowers, first-time goal-setters.
And the theme was loud and clear:
“I made a bucket, but nothing changed on my screen. Did it work?”
“It’s not clear what I’m supposed to do.”
Users couldn’t trust their money math.
There were no clear updates, and the interface left too much to guesswork.
What Was Broken
(And What People Really Needed)
We talked to real mortgage users—seasoned savers, anxious borrowers, first-time goal-setters.
And the theme was loud and clear:
“I made a bucket, but nothing changed on my screen. Did it work?”
“It’s not clear what I’m supposed to do.”
Users couldn’t trust their money math.
There were no clear updates, and the interface left too much to guesswork.
The Glow-Up
Show me the money!
Confusing UI to Clean Visual Layout
No Feedback to Confirmations & Animations
Cold Tone to Friendly & Helpful guidance
Generic Setup to Personalized, Goal-Based Buckets
The Glow-Up
Show me the money!
Confusing UI to Clean Visual Layout
No Feedback to Confirmations & Animations
Cold Tone to Friendly & Helpful guidance
Generic Setup to Personalized, Goal-Based
Buckets
From Scribbles to Something Solid
We prototyped fast, tested often, and stayed close to users throughout.
A major red flag?
Users didn’t trust silent balance changes.
So we built:
• Pending states for transparency
• “You did it!” messages for instant feedback
• Gentle nudges to keep users moving forward
From Scribbles to Something Solid
We prototyped fast, tested often, and stayed close to users throughout.
A major red flag?
Users didn’t trust silent balance changes.
So we built:
• Pending states for transparency
• “You did it!” messages for instant feedback
• Gentle nudges to keep users moving forward
Due to confidentiality agreements, the specifics of this project are under wraps, and the visuals have been given a creative twist.
Due to confidentiality agreements, the specifics of this project are under wraps, and the visuals have been given a creative twist.
Our users were really frustrated!
Our users were really frustrated!
Was using the new ‘Create Image’ feature in Chat GPT -> Described this amazing Crew -> Magic
Was using the new ‘Create Image’ feature in Chat GPT -> Described this amazing Crew -> Magic
Every Great Quest Needs a Crew
“If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
My partners in this quest:
• A thoughtful Product Manager who balanced ambition and scope
• A sharp UX Researcher who asked all the right questions
• A small but mighty Dev team who brought everything to life
• And a rotating cast of stakeholders with ever-shifting priorities (and strong opinions)
Every Great Quest Needs a Crew
“If you want to go far, go together.” – African Proverb
My partners in this quest:
• A thoughtful Product Manager who balanced ambition and scope
• A sharp UX Researcher who asked all the right questions
• A small but mighty Dev team who brought everything to life
• And a rotating cast of stakeholders with ever-shifting priorities (and strong opinions)
The Role I Played
Spoiler: It Was a Big One
As the Senior UX Designer, I wore all the hats (except maybe the developer one—thankfully we had help there).
I led:
• The design strategy and UX direction
• Research analysis, stakeholder workshops, and team rituals
• Wireframes, prototypes, and final polished UI
• Endless Teams threads titled “Quick Q” that were never that quick
My goal: make this feature so clear and helpful that users wouldn’t need a manual (or a support call).
The Role I Played
Spoiler: It Was a Big One
As the Senior UX Designer, I wore all the hats (except maybe the developer one—thankfully we had help there).
I led:
• The design strategy and UX direction
• Research analysis, stakeholder workshops, and team rituals
• Wireframes, prototypes, and final polished UI
• Endless Teams threads titled “Quick Q” that were never that quick
My goal: make this feature so clear and helpful that users wouldn’t need a manual (or a support call).
It Started With a Bucket…
Well, not a real bucket. A Money Bucket—a virtual space where users could sort their finances, set goals, and feel a little more in control.
Except… they didn’t. Because the money math just wasn’t mathing.
Users weren’t sure what was happening when they moved money. There were no confirmations. No visual progress. No feeling of “Ah, yes—I’m on track.”
So we fixed it.
It Started With a Bucket…
Well, not a real bucket. A Money Bucket—a virtual space where users could sort their finances, set goals, and feel a little more in control.
Except… they didn’t. Because the money math just wasn’t mathing.
Users weren’t sure what was happening when they moved money. There were no confirmations. No visual progress. No feeling of “Ah, yes—I’m on track.”
So we fixed it.
We also studied Google Pay, Splitwise, and other tools. They looked good—but lacked the deep integration we could offer inside the mortgage ecosystem. That was our edge.
We also studied Google Pay, Splitwise, and other tools. They looked good—but lacked the deep integration we could offer inside the mortgage ecosystem. That was our edge.
The Bucket List
We wanted to turn confusing money math into something visual, helpful, and human.
So we designed for:
• Guided setup — clear, step-by-step
• Visual progress — see how close you are to your goals
• Real-time feedback — no more “Did that go through?”
• A single dashboard — savings and borrowing in one view
The Bucket List
We wanted to turn confusing money math into something visual, helpful, and human.
So we designed for:
• Guided setup — clear, step-by-step
• Visual progress — see how close you are to
your goals
• Real-time feedback — no more “Did that go
through?”
• A single dashboard — savings and borrowing
in one view
We tested this Quick Prototype with 10 users.
We tested this Quick Prototype with 10 users.
We worked our magic in the tough parts of the road.
We worked our magic in the tough parts of the road.
Did It Work? Heck Yes.
Steve Jobs once said,
“Design is not just what it looks like… it’s how it works.”
Turns out, when you fix the money math, people start using the tool.
Here’s what changed:
+35% increase in daily active users
60% of users said they felt more in control
4.7/5 average satisfaction score post-launch
Did It Work? Heck Yes.
Steve Jobs once said,
“Design is not just what it looks like… it’s how it works.”
Turns out, when you fix the money math, people start using the tool.
Here’s what changed:
+35% increase in daily active users
60% of users said they felt more in control
4.7/5 average satisfaction score post-launch
What I took Away
(Besides 57 Versions of the Same Flow)
• In money tools, confidence > features
• Clarity builds trust, especially around numbers
• Tiny UX details (tooltips, states, confirmations) = huge emotional wins
Also: Good cross-team collaboration is just as powerful as any design system.
What I took Away
(Besides 57 Versions of the Same Flow)
• In money tools, confidence > features
• Clarity builds trust, especially around
numbers
• Tiny UX details (tooltips, states,
confirmations) = huge emotional wins
Also: Good cross-team collaboration is just as powerful as any design system.
The Sequel
Money Buckets was just the start. Here’s what I’d love to see next:
• Smart reminders when users fall behind
• Small celebrations when they hit goals
• Deeper integration with the rest of the mortgage journey
The Sequel
Money Buckets was just the start. Here’s what I’d love to see next:
• Smart reminders when users fall behind
• Small celebrations when they hit goals
• Deeper integration with the rest of the
mortgage journey
Are you a person who keeps those initial sketches?
Are you a person who keeps those initial sketches?
The old guy looked something like this.
The old guy looked something like this.
How we turned a 20-year-old mortgage app into a tool people actually wanted to use
— one Money Bucket at a time.
How we turned a 20-year-old mortgage app into a tool people actually wanted to use
— one Money Bucket at a time.
Money Buckets
Money Buckets
UI/UX
UI/UX
From ‘Confusing UI’ & ‘No Feedback’ to this, we came a long-long way.
From ‘Confusing UI’ & ‘No Feedback’ to this, we came a long-long way.
Things were personal now.
Things were personal now.
Well, no design is final but this was our Finalest-Final screens in Figma.
Well, no design is final but this was our Finalest-Final screens in Figma.
Got a product with money math that’s not quite mathing?
I love untangling complexity and making it beautifully simple.
Got a product with money math that’s not quite mathing?
I love untangling complexity and making it beautifully simple.