Web and Native
Overview
Like many other credit unions and banks, Wildfire Credit Union hadn't updated their client's user portal in a long time. As a result, they saw a slow decline in new accounts being opened. As the first designer at treXis, I was tasked with introducing design practices to the organization and integrating user experience into the company’s software development processes. My primary focus was working with Wildfire Credit Union to adapt and customize Backbase’s design systems to meet their unique branding and user needs. I facilitated persona-building workshops, led multi-day client sessions to refine user journeys, and collaborated closely with engineering teams to ensure the final product met both user expectations and technical requirements.
Goal
The primary goal of treXis was to enable credit unions and other financial institutions to provide a competitive digital banking experience through localized customization of Backbase’s software. For Wildfire Credit Union, this meant delivering a digital platform that aligned with their brand and offered a seamless user experience for both individual and business banking clients. The business goal was to increase user adoption by 3% quarter over quarter for the following year. (We reached that goal in 3 out of 4 quarters.)
My role
Since I was the first designer at treXis, I introduced and established design practices helping shape the role of design in the organization. For Wildfire Credit Union, I customized Backbase’s design system, facilitated workshops to build user personas, and collaborated with both clients and internal teams to translate user needs into functional designs. Throughout the project, I acted as a design advocate, bridging the gap between user needs and technical implementation to deliver impactful solutions.
Timeline
The goal from the beginning was to implement everything in 4 months. WFCU ended up wanting more features and extended the project an additional 3 months.
Research
I conducted extensive research to understand the unique needs of Wildfire Credit Union’s user base. This included facilitating persona-building workshops with stakeholders to identify key user demographics and behaviors, as well as analyzing Backbase’s design systems to determine how they could be adapted for localized branding and usability. I also collaborated with the credit union’s team to gather feedback on current user pain points, ensuring the designs addressed real-world challenges and enhanced overall user satisfaction.
Design
I picked out a few screens as examples of the banking platform's appearance. I can provide more upon request.
Future Considerations
I left treXis shortly after finishing this part of the project. The project's next phase was building their business banking portion tailored to businesses. My biggest takeaway from this project was the introduction to a fully assembled design system and how it functioned. I was so intrigued by how detailed everything was and the level of detail involved. However, what I found most intriguing was how to make fully responsive components in a library that could quickly adapt to any design or screen size. This is where I discovered my passion for design systems and all that they entailed.
