Building Trust Across Channels

Designing Aura's first mobile web experience while transitioning from a white label B2B2C company to a branded direct-to-consumer business.

  • My Role

    As Senior Product Designer, I led the end-to-end design of Aura's 0-1 mobile B2C web app

  • Key Skills

    Mobile-First Design, Cross-Channel Design, Branding, User Research, Information Architecture, Omnichannel Strategy

  • Team

    Collaborated closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Customer Support teams

  • Timeline

    2019 (3 months)

Background

Aura Financial (formerly Lendify) operated as a white label provider of financial loan services through retail partnerships in underserved communities. With no direct brand relationship with customers, the company faced limitations on growth and customer loyalty.

The Challenge

Lendify's products were optimized for co-branding and existed in siloed channels with disconnected experiences. Customers who applied through different partners didn't realize loans came from the same company, causing confusion and missed opportunities. The company needed to establish a branded presence and create its first direct-to-consumer channel while maintaining valuable retail partnerships.

Research

Brand Alignment Workshop

I facilitated workshops with Marketing and Design teams to align on Aura's brand attributes, establishing clear values, personality, purpose, language, and tone. This workshop was critical in bridging disconnects between teams and creating a unified vision for the brand.

Build Customer Empathy

Through one-on-one qualitative interviews with customers and internal empathy mapping exercises, we developed a deeper understanding of our users' needs, expectations, and emotional responses to financial services.

Channel Analysis

I mapped the existing customer journeys across all channels (retail, phone, limited web) to identify touchpoints for brand implementation and opportunities for channel integration. This revealed critical disconnects in the experience that confused customers and limited business growth.

The Impact

First Mobile Web Application

I designed Aura's first mobile web application, opening a new revenue channel with direct-to-consumer acquisition, reducing dependency on retail partners. This 0-1 product enabled users to discover, apply for, and manage loans independently.

Brand Implementation

Improved brand recognition and customer loyality with consistent application of identity across touchpoints by adapting the existing design system with the new brand elements to enable rapid deployment with minimal engineering effort.

Omnichannel Experience

I transformed siloed products into an integrated omnichannel experience, allowing customers to move seamlessly between retail and online channels at specific junction points. Designing transitional moments that maintained context and built trust as users moved between channels increased completion rate by 32%.

Cross-Channel Consistency

I created unified UI components and language patterns that ensured a consistent brand experience regardless of channel, helping establish Aura as a trusted financial partner rather than an invisible provider.

Reflection

This project taught me that successful business transformation requires balancing multiple stakeholder needs. Rather than choosing between B2B2C and B2C models, I designed an ecosystem where both could thrive. The omnichannel approach strengthened both business channels—the mobile experience expanded customer access while brand consistency enhanced trust across all touchpoints. The project demonstrated how design can transform business strategy by creating new opportunities while enhancing existing strengths.