Nova Finance
Reimagining personal finance through a simpler digital banking experience.
01 — Overview
Project overview
Nova Finance needed a digital banking product that felt calm, trustworthy, and approachable—without sacrificing the depth expected from a modern financial platform. The engagement covered end-to-end product design, from discovery through a production-ready design system.
- Client
- Nova Finance
- Industry
- Fintech
- Role
- Lead Product Designer
- Timeline
- 5 months
- Services
- UX Strategy, Interface Design, Design System, Prototyping
02 — Challenge
The challenge
Existing banking apps were either overly complex or overly simplified. Users struggled to understand balances, transfers, and money goals at a glance, while the business needed a product that could scale into new markets.
- High cognitive load around everyday money tasks
- Inconsistent visual language across mobile and web
- Onboarding drop-off during account setup
- Need for a flexible system to support future product lines
03 — Research
Discovery & insights
We interviewed 18 users across early-career professionals and freelancers, audited competitor flows, and mapped friction points across account creation, transfers, and budgeting.
Insight 01
Users wanted reassurance more than feature density
Insight 02
Status and confirmation language reduced anxiety during money movement
Insight 03
A single 'money overview' screen outperformed multi-tab dashboards in testing
Insight 04
Trust cues mattered most in the first 60 seconds of onboarding
04 — Strategy
Strategic direction
The product direction centered on clarity, quiet confidence, and progressive disclosure—surface essentials first, reveal depth when needed.
- 01Establish a primary overview that answers: how much, what's next, what's changing
- 02Reduce onboarding to essential trust-building steps
- 03Create a modular component system for rapid product iteration
- 04Design for accessibility and calm visual hierarchy from the start
05 — Exploration
Design exploration
Early concepts, wireframes, and visual explorations that shaped the final direction.
06 — Visual System
Visual foundations
A restrained palette of deep teal and soft neutrals paired with precise typography creates a sense of financial calm without feeling clinical.
Principles
- Clarity before decoration
- Hierarchy that guides action
- Soft surfaces with decisive contrast
- Consistent feedback for money states
Palette
Typography
- Editorial display for moments of focus
- Clean sans for product UI
07 — Final Designs
The finished work
08 — Solution
How it came together
We designed a streamlined mobile-first banking experience with a clear money overview, guided transfers, goal-based saving, and a cohesive design system that supports web and future product expansion.
09 — Outcome
Results & impact
The redesigned experience improved task clarity and reduced friction during onboarding and transfers. Sample metrics below reflect prototype and early release testing.
Sample metrics for demonstration
+42%
task completion
-31%
onboarding drop-off
2.4x
conversion improvement
10 — Reflection
Looking back
What worked
Anchoring the product around a single clear overview screen created immediate orientation for users and a strong north star for the team.
What was learned
In fintech, emotional design is as critical as functional design—microcopy and confirmation states carry disproportionate trust weight.
What would improve
With more time, deeper personalization around spending patterns would make the overview feel even more relevant to each user.
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