PEX was looking to break deeper into the Fintech industry by modernizing their web appearance. They felt their existing website needed an upgrade to compete with other new entrants to the Fintech marketplace.
Client
PEX
Industry
Fintech
Role
Product Designer
Tool
Figma
Scope of Work
Web
UI/UX
Branding
Fintech
PEX stakeholders expressed the desire to create a memorable and visually appealing website that would resonate with their audience, differentiate them from competitors, and establish their presence for years to come.
They felt that their current website appeared too traditional and they wanted an upgraded look. By transitioning to a modern and tech-forward website, they hoped to rebrand their look to appeal to a younger market.
OLD PEX WEBSITE
In my discussions with PEX stakeholders, their primary objective was to establish a unique yet unmistakable brand identity to stand out from the crowd.
In addition to this motivation, I matched PEX’s desire to structure their website content to communicate their offerings competitively and immediately connect with prospective clients.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Fintech industry is on the forefront of modern technology. Design sensibilities in the industry are equally cutting-edge and the PEX team was uniquely open to a variety of styles and design philosophies.
RESEARCH
PEX stakeholders were highly aware of the competitors in their market. Concern with their image drove much of their emphasis on their own product’s strengths and weaknesses.
My analysis confirmed PEX stakeholders’ instincts about competitors showcasing cutting edge technology with a style that focuses on confidence-inspiring design. I recommended we move forward with developing brand guidelines that bring PEX’s modernity to the forefront to their existing and potential clients.
Direct: Ramp, Bill Spend & Expense (Formerly Divvy), Brex
Analogous: SAP Concur, Expensify, Airbase, Pleo, Emburse, Spendesk
RESEARCH
PEX had no project bandwidth for user interviews and opted to work directly with me to provide close feedback on their end-user needs. I combined this with competitor research to identify the following key needs and priorities:
💵️
User want to feel that signing up for a service like PEX will remove an item from their to-do list. They are also very price sensitive.
🔑
User want a solution they feel captures the idiosyncrasies of money management in their specific industry such as setting limits or industry-specific benefits.
📲
Users want optimized flow between web and mobile options in order to bring important financial data with them everywhere. Users are looking for a hands-off option.
🥕
Offering exciting and unique advantages while performing daily tasks, as well as showcasing those programs, is a big-value add in this financial space.
HIGHLIGHTS
On the right are 3 rounds of website designs. To arrive at these solutions, I did the following:
1.
I conducted incisive competitor research and presented the conclusions to PEX stakeholders for their impressions and goals for the rebrand.
2.
I surveyed existing design methodologies in the Fintech sphere and personalized those designs to fit PEX’s market.
3.
I maintained a close partnership with PEX stakeholder’s throughout the design process to prioritize their personal design philosophy for their brand.
MVP
PEX stakeholders were highly aware of the competitors in their market. Concern with their image drove much of their emphasis on their own product’s strengths and weaknesses.
My analysis confirmed PEX stakeholders’ instincts about competitors showcasing cutting edge technology with a style that focuses on confidence-inspiring design. I recommended we move forward with developing brand guidelines that bring PEX’s modernity to the forefront to their existing and potential clients.
Direct: Ramp, Bill Spend & Expense (Formerly Divvy), Brex
Analogous: SAP Concur, Expensify, Airbase, Pleo, Emburse, Spendesk
MVP
On this pass, I focused on more fintech elements like gradients and isometric illustrations. I focused expanding the space between elements and using large type as a focal point. I also explored trying more trendy layouts and trends like glassmorphism.
The client also wanted to see more bright and playful icons. I created several hero options, different card layouts, and slight differences in color.
MVP
After the last pass, the client was able to choose the best layout with some smaller changes and combinations between options. I presented two options showing some slight differences in layout and color. They were able to finalize their website design after this pass.
MVP
Internal sections of the homepage went through several rounds of adjustments as I worked with the client to decide on content, order of sections, and ideal imagery.
The sections to the right of the homepage were unselected designs from previous rounds.
OUTCOME
Having built a strong relationship with PEX through multiple rounds of design iteration, we were able to establish a new look and feel that gave them the confidence they needed to move forward with updating their logo and overall brand guidelines.
Our partnership extended into developing a new logo to match their new website. With this design package they moved forward with the next phase of their company’s development.
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