Experience strategy / Financial services
DFCU Financial Designing Everyday Banking and Next-Step Discovery
DFCU Financial needed an appealing digital experience that combined the everyday services members depend on with easy access to new financial products, all in one place. Members wanted to sign in, get help, and find a branch without any hassle. Prospective members were exploring options like checking accounts, auto loans, and retirement products, looking for a reason to take the next step. The main challenge was making every path clear and actionable right from the homepage.
01 / Leadership
Executive Leadership in Practice
I led this project as the executive sponsor, setting the direction and making key decisions on design scenarios. My team managed the daily exploration, brainstorming, and detailed design work. We worked in regular cycles of review and feedback. My job was to keep our decisions grounded in DFCU’s member and business needs, while giving the team room to own the design and move the project forward.
02 / Member and product needs
Putting Members’ Needs at the Center
From the beginning, we asked ourselves how to combine everyday member service and product discovery in a way that felt natural and useful. My team created twelve homepage concepts, testing how to keep online banking and important links front and center, while also highlighting products like retirement accounts or auto loans. We added modules such as a member poll that could expand, timely tax and Roth IRA content, and relevant offers. Every design decision was connected to a real member or business need and made visible in the interface.
Exploring Hierarchy: Retirement vs. Auto Loan
We explored these scenarios in detail. One concept put retirement planning front and center, using strong visuals and clear calls to action. Another focused on auto loans. In both cases, we made sure service access was easy to find. By comparing these side by side, we could see how changing the hierarchy affected the experience. Would members still find what they needed? Would product offers stand out without getting in the way of essential services? My job was to approve these directions and keep us focused on usefulness, discoverability, and what mattered most to DFCU’s members.
These homepage concepts explored alternative ways to balance member services and product offers within the delivered DFCU redesign.
Online banking, branch and ATM search, site search, and practical quick links stay visible as the featured product changes.
Inviting Participation Through Interaction
Details in interaction design made a real difference. The member poll started as a simple prompt and could expand to invite more detailed feedback. My team mapped out each state and transition, aiming to make it easy for members to participate and provide useful input. The member-poll concept explored a simple way to invite engagement. We also tested different homepage modules, including photographic layouts, modular arrangements, and new placements for service tools, member stories, and calculators. Each was designed to support a real member task or business goal.
Open Modular Composition
The modular direction keeps banking access within reach and places member stories, useful financial content, and quick links around the primary offer.
Design scenario
Give everyday service a clear home.
Login and branch access sit beside a member story. A quieter lower area leaves space for timely financial content and quick links.
From Interaction to Implementation: Calculator Delivery
Our calculator delivery plan brought design ideas to life. We added a call to action on the right side, made calculators open within the site, and linked headers to their context. The plan tracked every step, from design through QA to client signoff, and we kept it updated as the project progressed. The schedules show a clear, accountable path from proposal to launch, with regular opportunities for feedback and adjustment. I approved the approach, making sure our delivery stayed connected to both the member experience and DFCU’s operational needs.
Calculator design was part of the delivered DFCU redesign.
Place the tool in context.
Right-rail call to action; calculator within the site's page frame.
Connect groups and pages.
Group links, a default calculator, linked headers, and a shared disclaimer.
Review the experience.
Code QA, user acceptance testing, consolidated DFCU feedback, and approval were scheduled.
Delivery and Product Thinking
This project clearly shows my leadership style. My team handled the detailed exploration and delivery, while I set the direction, reviewed the work, and made key decisions. Together, we built a digital experience that put members first, supported by a strong content management system, search-ready content, locator tools, and calculators. Every design choice could be traced back to a member or business need, a specific design move, and the outcome we aimed for.
08 / Perspective
Lasting Principle
The principle remains the same: a financial services site succeeds by making everyday tasks easy and the next financial step clear and actionable. DFCU’s experience, shaped by our product thinking, design process, and cross-functional teamwork, is a model for how service, product, and member participation can come together in one seamless experience.