CLIENT
Climb Credit is a student loan company that focuses on vocational schools and bootcamp programs.
PROBLEM
Climb's analytics show that there is a user drop-off in their loan application funnel and of those who finish and get pre-approved, some users do not accept Climb's loan offer.
GOAL
Define users, learn their behaviors, motivations, and needs as they access Climb’s loan application to improve the application funnel and increase conversion rates.
Platform: Responsive Web (Desktop, tablet, mobile)
MY ROLE
Shared research, data analysis, ideation, and testing responsibilities
Lead the UI and prototype design
Getting to Know the Users
ROADBLOCKS
❗Because of privacy (and some legal) reasons, contacting Climb customers directly was not permitted. Our team got crafty in collecting information and recruiting real Climb clients for interviews and tests.
In the end we were still able to conduct:
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7 Climb customers interviews
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3 School staff/Admission Officers
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5 Usability tests of current site and loan application
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5 Usability tests of proposed loan application
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Synthesized 200+ user submitted comments/feedback
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Synthesized data from live chat conversations with customer service
What Did We Learn?
USER INTERVIEW INSIGHTS
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Users stopped application because they did not have the information needed to continue
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Users did not know if their interest rate was high or low
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Users were uncomfortable sharing sensitive information “Why do they need my Social?”
CURRENT APPLICATION TESTING INSIGHTS
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“I don’t want to do the math, do it for me”
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Only 1/5 users linked bank account
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Unclear application steps
PERSONAS AND USER FLOW
From synthesizing our research, we created two user profiles. We then mapped out the current user journey to understand the all the steps involved in the process and identify specific friction points.
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Ideating Solutions
DESIGN STUDIO
Keeping in mind the student flow and pain points, we conducted two rounds of Design Studio – individually draw 6 sketches, explain, critique, iterate, repeat – to individually generate ideas and put them on paper. We then dot voted the design ideas we liked the most to come up with the final screens.
Building & Testing
I digitized the sketches into high-fidelity prototypes using Sketch and then tested them with 5 new users using InVision.
WHAT WORKED
● “How It Works” onboarding section
● "Loan Cost" example on school page
● Used FAQ when needed more information
● Liked "Save for later"
WHAT DIDN'T WORK
● Did not know if interest rate quoted was low or high
● Still unclear how linking bank information would speed up the process
Key Design Decisions
GOALS
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Inform client about user's motives and behaviors when looking for finance options
Created detailed user persona profiles based on research data
Eliminate guesswork once the users are in the application and reduce drop-offs
Provided onboarding opportunity prior to starting the application
Make users comfortable sharing their information
Reduced confusing jargon and explain why information is needed
Easily return to a previously started application to edit and submit
Added "Save for later" option
Final Visual Design
Climb Team Feedback
“We're very excited to implement this work, and I can't underscore enough how useful and professional it is! We're all kind of blown away by how great your work is” – CPO
“We were very impressed with the quality of your work. You've given us very helpful and actionable feedback. Thanks again for the great work!” – CTO
“You all -- individually and collectively -- PWNed it to the max. Your work, enthusiasm, and results are truly inspiring” – Ops Manager
