Help members reach their goals and position Experian as more than credit scores

Project context

Our product team identified goal setting as a way to help members build healthier financial habits

We started with one high‑value goal to test, learn, and inform the broader experience. Research showed that 58% of members prioritized building an emergency fund, so that became the first goal we explored.

What I did

I wrote product copy, emails, push notifications, help center articles and call center scripts

I also joined design workshops, attended weekly syncs with product and engineering teams, helped draft a user research plan, and provided feedback to help guide design decisions.

User needs and business requirements

Before getting started, we ran a study to understand user expectations and how they aligned with our requirements

User needs

Include progress tracking.

Offer flexibility to build on a current goal.

Provide tools, resources and education.

Design a hub where users can see all their goals and related info in one place.

Business requirements

Drive engagement with other parts of Experian.

Increase sign-in rates.

Position Experian as more than credit reports and scores.

Early thinking

I outlined the content first to make sure the flow made sense and to align the team on what each step needed to accomplish

Starting with content helped the team understand the narrative before designing the UI.

I establish the importance of an emergency fund upfront to set expectations and motivate the user to continue.

I outlined the core tasks the user will need to complete before setting their goal — estimate expenses, calculate suggested amounts, choose an amount, and add any current savings.

I identified where it made sense to tie in other Experian products, like high yield savings accounts, bill negotiation and subscription cancellation.

MVP flow

When we moved into our MVP designs, I foused on the same narrative that I defined in the early content blocking

The content became tighter, conversational, and more actionable as I guided the user toward setting their goal.

I kept the language plain, simple, and direct so the flow feels easy to follow.

I used a supportive and helpful tone to help guide the user.

I broke each step into its own screen to reduce cognitive load.

Testing and feedback

We tested our designs to learn what was working well and where users ran into trouble

Positive feedback highlighted supportive copy, flexibility, motivational structure, and planning ahead. But there were some pain points for us to address post MVP.

Pain points and proposed solutions

Users needed more clarity on the screens that calculate spending and recommend a savings target

Users weren't sure how accurate they needed to be.
It was unclear we would calculate total monthly spending.
Some users questioned where the target savings amounts came from.
The word "essentials" wasn't fully understood.

I created mocks in Figma to show the team how we could address these pain points post-MVP

MVP screens

My proposed solution

I clarified the purpose of each step by moving from a question to direct instructions.

I increased transparency by explaining what happens next — switching from "a few target amounts to pick from" to "show you how much you'll need."

I added reassurance that it's OK to estimate their monthly spending.

I provided helpful context with a banner so users immediately see the number their suggested savings amounts are based on.

I used consistent terminology to help tie the screens together.

Early results

Two months after releasing our MVP, about 4,000 members had set an emergency fund goal

We also saw a 20% increase in sign-in rates among users who set a goal.

Challenges and ways to improve

Since this was the first product I helped build from scratch, a few challenges stood out along the way

Working through them helped me identity clear ways to improve next time.

We were working with vague requirements and unclear success metrics

Better defined requirements would have helped us make more confident decisions..

We were too focused on one goal and its setup flow

Zooming out and thinking of the broader goal-setting experience earlier would have helped us design something that could scale.

Timelines kept getting pushed out

Early alignment between teams would have reduced back and forth and helped us move faster.