Learning along the way

Helping Design Make Sense to Product and Stakeholders At a big company like JP Morgan, it’s easy for design to be seen as a finishing touch, something you plug in at the end to make things look nice. But we know that design is so much more than that. The challenge is making sure everyone else knows it too. That means finding ways to talk about design that resonate with product managers, developers, and business stakeholders. People who might not care about pixel precision, bu

I remember a time when my manager asked me to remove a key designer from a working channel  because it was “meant for fleet leads and senior team members only.” It felt wrong. The designer in question was actively contributing to the work, had context, and more importantly...had perspective . Removing them didn’t just seem unnecessary, it seemed counter to everything we talk about when we say we want collaborative, empowered teams . That moment stuck with me. Not because it w

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned as a design leader is this: strategy isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about helping your team see how the answers connect. Too often, design leadership is viewed as a top-down role. But the truth is, great design doesn’t emerge from a single mind. It comes from alignment: shared vision, clear intent, and a willingness to ask better questions rather than jump to solutions. Strategy Is a Shared Muscle When people hear “stra

In this AI-driven planning project (kept anonymous for confidentiality), the goal wasn’t just to drop a new feature into the platform, though platform-level integration and access points were thoughtfully considered from the start. And it definitely wasn’t about making the AI launch point “look good.” The real challenge was to create a system where AI-powered intelligence felt natural and not novel. Where complexity was abstracted away, and interactions felt smooth, confident

If you’ve ever worked in fintech, you know that designing around regulations is part of the job. Between legal constraints, compliance reviews, and industry rules that change all the time. It can feel like trying to design in a minefield. But it doesn’t have to be painful. Here’s how I’ve learned to make regulation part of the creative process, not a blocker. 1. Make Legal and Compliance Your Early Allies Don’t wait until everything’s polished to loop in legal. I like to sha

Too often, UX strategy is communicated in design language when what the C-suite needs is business clarity. Here's how to shift the conversation: 1.  Start with Business Outcomes, Not Screens Instead of leading with design outputs, start with how UX will drive growth, retention, or operational efficiency. Speak in KPIs, not color palettes. Example: “Improving our onboarding flow reduced drop-off by 18% and shortened time-to-first-action by 2.5 days.” 2.  Frame UX Investments a

Choosing the right research method can make or break a UX project, especially in fintech, where decisions carry real financial weight. Here’s a guide to when and why to use different UX research methods: 1.  Use Surveys When You Need Quantitative Insights Fast Best for: Measuring user satisfaction (e.g., NPS, SUS), validating patterns Example: You want to know what percentage of users feel overwhelmed at the onboarding step. 2.  Use Interviews When You Need Depth Best for: Un

Welcome to my UX blog, where I share insights, case studies, and lessons learned from over a decade of designing digital products with a strong focus on fintech. Whether you're a fellow designer, PM, or just curious about how UX shapes financial tools, this space is for you. Why Fintech? Finance is complex, personal, and often intimidating. Good UX has the power to change that. My work in fintech from enterprise tools at Morgan Stanley to consumer-facing planning platforms li