RiseCred
Project Type: Exploration UX Design Project - Credit Management App
Timeline: 7 months
Role: UX Researcher & Designer
Overview
RiseCred is a concept app designed to demonstrate my skills in user research, UX design, and the end-to-end design process. This idea was inspired by conversations with friends, family, and survey participants who revealed that many people avoid checking their credit scores due to feelings of overwhelm, uncertainty, and frustration over seemingly insignificant score fluctuations.
RiseCred aims to bridge that gap by creating a credit management tool that is approachable, simple, and actionable.
" Credit made clear. Progress made possible."
Problem Statement
Many people want to improve their credit, but most apps fail to provide clear, actionable guidance. Instead, users are left feeling overwhelmed and disengaged by vague information and confusing score fluctuations. Without clarity, it’s hard to make meaningful progress.
Goal
Design a personalized, user-friendly credit management tool that empowers users to take control of their credit health.
By prioritizing simplicity and inclusivity, the app aims to reduce overwhelm and deliver the clarity and guidance users need to make confident, informed financial decisions.
Target Audience
While the app was initially focused on young millennials, the target audience expanded to include users aged 18–65—from students and recent grads to those preparing for major financial milestones like buying a home or car.
This broader focus ensures RiseCred is accessible, inclusive, and useful to a diverse range of users with varying financial backgrounds and goals
Personas
Goal-Oriented Striver
Erica Johnson
Status: Young professional, newly engaged, preparing for a major financial goal.
Life Stage: Actively Managing Finances to achieve specific milestones
Emotional State: Motivated and goal-driven, but frustrated by lack of personalization
The Overwhelmed Learner
Sarah Doe
Status: New Professional, recently single/divorced
Life Stage: Navigating financial independence, managing debt, and understanding credit for the first time.
Emotional State: Overwhelmed and uncertain.
The Strategic Minimalist
James Robinson
Status: Experienced professional
Life Stage: Stable financially, occasionally checks for major financial decisions (e.g., mortgages, investments)
Emotional State: Pragmatic and detached
Key Pain Points
Actionable Guidance
Users want to understand why their score changes and how to improve it, not just be told it change.
Proactive Alerts
Alerts should offer helpful next steps, not just highlight fluctuations in credit scores.
Bank-Linked Credibility
Apps connected to banks are seen as more secure, credible, and trustworthy than third-party apps.
Clarity & Simplicity
Credit-related terms and recommendations should be clear, free of industry jargon, and easy to find.
Design Approach
My design approach follows a human-centered process, starting with user research, moving to ideation, and progressing through low-fidelity wireframing and prototyping. This iterative process ensures that user insights directly inform each design decision, creating an experience that aligns with user needs and expectations.
Development
User Research
Design
Ideation
Continuous iterations throughout the entire process.
Erica Johnson, 27
"I really did have to turn off notifications at one point… getting notifications for when it drops a point, like does a point truly matter for me to be getting a notification like, essentially feeling bad about it."
Sarah Doe, 31
“An app that emphasizes more on like, tools that help you learn more about your credit… how to build the credit and offering more resources.”
James Robinson, 43
"It took me longer than I would have liked to see that maybe there’s like a pull-through story of what to do next."
Research Approach
To gain a deeper understanding of user pain points, I conducted a screener survey with 50+ responses and follow-up interviews with three participants.
Competitor Analysis
As part of the research phase, I analyzed three major players in the credit monitoring and financial wellness space:
Each offers free credit scores and monitoring but consistently fell short in providing clear, personalized guidance—something that emerged as a top priority for users during interviews and surveys.
Most competitors rely on static dashboards, generalized advice, and credit simulators that assume users already know what actions to take. While these tools serve a purpose, they often fail to reduce the feelings of overwhelm and confusion many users expressed. Additionally, the design and tone of these platforms can come off as overly complex or sales-driven, further distancing users who need reassurance, education, and step-by-step support.
RiseCred was designed to directly address these gaps by offering a clean, approachable experience focused on transparency, user understanding, and progress that feels achievable.
Feature | Chase Credit Journey | Capital One CreditWise | Credit Karma | RiseCred (Concept) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free Credit Score | ✅ (VantageScore 3.0 – Experian) | ✅ (VantageScore 3.0 – TransUnion) | ✅ | ✅ |
Score Simulator | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | Planned |
Identity Protection | ✅ (Dark web, alerts, theft insurance) | ✅ | ✅ | Planned |
Educational Tools | ✅ (Articles/Videos) | ✅ (Khan Academy – external) | ✅ | ✅ (Contextual tips within dashboard) |
Goal-Based Planning | ✅ (Improvement Plan) | ❌ | Limited | ✅ |
Credit Building Tools | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ (Credit Builder w/ bank partner) | ✅ (Guided action cards) |
Personalized Guidance | ❌ | ❌ | Limited | ✅ |
Clarity & Visual Simplicity | Moderate | Basic | Cluttered | ✅ |
Ideation & Design
After synthesizing user insights, I identified 3 core user needs:
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Users want a simple way to understand what’s impacting their credit score.
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Users want a way to visualize how small actions can lead to big changes.
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Users want a trusted, bank-level experience.
Sketching the User Flow
To begin visualizing the user experience, I sketched out key screens to map the core journey from login to dashboard. This step allowed me to quickly test layout ideas and identify how users would move through the app without getting caught up in visual polish too early.
My focus was on simplicity, trust, and clarity; three things users consistently emphasized in interviews. I explored different ways to structure the login process, welcome messaging, and dashboard content, while also sketching UI elements like credit score cards, educational tips, and quick access tools.
These early sketches served as a guide for translating the experience into mid-fidelity wireframes.
I want this journey to be engaging, simple, and inviting to the user.
Work smarter not harder - Thinking about the familiar layouts and experiences we have that work and can be incorporated for ease of use no matter the user.
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
With the core journey mapped out in sketches, I moved into Figma to bring those ideas into a more structured layout. This step helped shape how the experience would actually function, focusing on clear hierarchy, thoughtful spacing, and a natural flow between screens.
What's Next
RiseCred is still evolving, but I'd like to continue developing a clickable prototype and eventually build out a visual identity that brings the brand to life. For now, this case study reflects the full UX process from research to mid-fidelity design, and the kind of work I care about most: Creating inclusive, thoughtful experiences that meet people where they are.