Banking for the modern era
Transformed a cluttered, confusing financial service’s website into an intuitive, brand-aligned digital experience that reinforced Arbor Financial’s position as a leading Michigan credit union.
The challenge
Arbor Financial Credit Union needed their digital presence to match their reputation as one of Michigan's top financial institutions. Their existing website suffered from:
- Cluttered information architecture making content difficult to find
- Confusing navigation that frustrated users
- Bland visual design that failed to engage visitors
- Poor user experience that didn't reflect their community-focused values
- Outdated appearance that undermined their market position
My role on the project
As the lead UX/UI designer on this project, I was responsible for:
- Restructuring the information architecture
- Creating intuitive navigation patterns
- Designing responsive page layouts and components
- Implementing visual design that reinforced brand identity
- Built a comprehensive design system emphasizing accessibility for all visitors
- Collaborating with stakeholders to ensure business goals were met
Process
Discovery & research
I began by analyzing user pain points and business objectives to identify opportunities for improvement. Working closely with stakeholders, I gained insight into Arbor Financial's core values: community focus, financial empowerment, and approachable expertise.
Information architecture
I restructured the site map to create logical content groupings that aligned with how members and potential customers actually looked for information. This included simplifying navigation paths and ensuring critical financial tools were prominently accessible.
Design direction
Drawing from Arbor Financial's brand identity, I crafted a warm, welcoming visual language that maintained professionalism while feeling approachable. The design system incorporated:
- A refreshed color palette emphasizing their brand colors
- Typography that balanced readability with personality
- Custom iconography that simplified complex financial concepts
- Consistent UI components across the site
Responsive implementation
I designed the experience to work seamlessly across devices, ensuring mobile users (an increasing segment of their audience) could easily access financial tools and information on the go.
value through design
Member feedback highlighted how the new site made financial information more accessible and reinforced their trust in Arbor Financial as their financial partner.
Visual Interface Design
Learnings
This project demonstrated the power of thorough research and iterative design in creating solutions for the modern financial institution.
Balance
Balancing visual appeal with functional clarity, especially for financial institutions
Hierarchy
Creating navigation systems that align with actual user behavior
Consistency
Designing digital experiences that authentically reflect brand values
Simplicity
Simplifying complex information without losing necessary detail