Transforming Lending into Transparent, Informed, & Fiscally Responsible Experiences
OppFi delivers accessible financial solutions to underserved, credit-challenged consumers, with its core offering (OppLoans) being a high-interest installment loan. As the first UX professional within the organization, I led the design vision and strategy to transform the online loan application and servicing experience. Advocating for proactive customer-centricity, I helped established a user-centered practice of qualitative research that combined qualitative insights with quantitative data, uncovering the financial motivations and behaviors of credit-challenged borrowers. This approach directly informed product innovations, resulting in more transparent, responsible lending solutions that empowered users to make informed financial decisions. Through close collaboration with cross-functional teams, I balanced user and business needs, driving impactful changes to increase customer trust and customer engagement.
OppFi, January 2020 - Sept 2021
Designing User Experiences
& Defining Product Strategies
Enhancing Customer Autonomy with Self-Service of Loan Terms
To give customers more control over their desired loan size directly within the loan application funnel while making the associated loan terms more transparent, I designed and rapidly tested the ideal interface to balance user autonomy with key business metrics. Balancing a user-friendly approach for autonomy with
sustained business impact allowed us to increase contracts signed rate, lower loan cancellations, and improve trust in OppLoans as a lender.
Demystifying Financial Triggers of Serial Refinance Customers
Through an inaugural voice of the customer initiative aimed to empower credit-challenged consumers with long-term financial recovery and resilience, I led an exploratory research study to capture the financial backgrounds, behaviors, needs, and challenges of customers who were reborrowing high-interest loans more frequently than most. The transformative insights from this study led to a deeper understanding of our customer base and still continue to inform product strategy for responsible lending.
Simplifying the Digital Loan Application Experience
In order to modernize and streamline the online sub-prime loan application experience, I led a cross-functional and user-centered redesign of the application funnel, creating a mobile-first, accessible, and transparent process tailored to new, reloan, and refinance customers. Enhancing the user journey across applicant registration, verification, and approval reduced form frustration and improved accuracy of user input, resulting in increased conversion rates and reduced support call volumes.
UX DESIGN
PROTOTYPING
I crafted both mobile and desktop experiences, carefully considering the distinct task flows for different customer types. Through iterative design and testing, I ensured each interaction was intuitive, using design principles and persona behaviors to guide the final layouts and functionalities.
STAKEHOLDER
MANAGEMENT
Collaborating with departments like Marketing, Credit, Business Operations, Tech, Legal, and Compliance, I navigated divergent goals and constraints. My role involved synthesizing these varied perspectives into a cohesive strategy that balanced user needs with regulatory and business requirements.
QUAL & QUANT
UXR
By extending my research beyond direct competitors to sectors like HR, automotive sales, and insurance, I incorporated broader design innovations. This approach provided fresh insights that were instrumental in setting a new standard for user experience in financial services.
SELF
DIRECTION
As the first UX role in the organization, I autonomously identified and acted on opportunities for significant improvements. My efforts in promoting user-centered design and strategic storytelling have established a robust foundation for OppLoans' ongoing digital transformation.
