Financial Pathways
As a Senior UI Designer, I helped shape the experience for Citi Financial Pathways by making complex financial and career resources feel simple, clear, and easy to use. I focused on organizing content in a way that feels approachable, so users can quickly find what they need and feel confident taking the next step. Working closely with product and engineering, I helped create a clean, consistent design that fits within Citi’s ecosystem while making the experience more modern and user-friendly.
Overview
Citi Financial Pathways is a digital resource hub designed to help users better understand and manage their finances. It brings together educational content, tools, and guidance to support users at different stages of their financial journey—from budgeting and credit to long-term wealth building.
Problem
Many users feel overwhelmed or excluded when navigating financial decisions. Information is often fragmented, overly complex, or not tailored to where they are in life.
Approach
1. Simplifying Complexity
The experience organizes financial topics into clear, approachable categories like managing money, improving credit, and planning for major life events—making it easier for users to find what’s relevant to them.
2. Guided Exploration
Instead of overwhelming users with content, the platform acts as a starting point—guiding them through curated resources and actionable steps aligned to their goals.
3. Inclusive Design Thinking
The experience is built to support users at all financial stages, reinforcing Citi’s goal of increasing financial inclusion and accessibility.
Key Design Decisions
Modular content structure to support scalability across topics
Plain language and educational tone to reduce intimidation
Goal-based navigation (e.g., saving, credit, home buying)
Lightweight, content-first UI to prioritize clarity over complexity
Outcome
The result is a centralized, user-friendly platform that empowers users to:
Understand their financial situation
Build confidence in decision-making
Take actionable steps toward financial wellness
By meeting users where they are, Citi Financial Pathways transforms financial education into a more accessible, guided experience.
Reflection
This project highlights the importance of clarity, accessibility, and intent-driven design when working with complex subject matter. Rather than adding more features, the focus was on reducing friction and helping users move forward with confidence.
