1. Start with the story

   Since design decisions are geared toward solving a problem, always begin by understanding the objectives and intended outcomes of a project.
   
   

   • Content drives design: Whether it’s gathering research insights, collaborating on a spec, or aligning on a narrative, first lay a foundational outline or journey map to guide decisions.
     
   • Present with intent: Good design is transparent, obvious, and honest. Aim to maximize comprehension while minimizing decoration.
     

2. Advocate for your audience

   Bringing clarity to the confusing industry of consumer finance means deeply understanding the mindset and motivations of our users in order to champion the best experiences for them.
   
   

   • Content drives design: Guide with purpose and ease: Craft interactions that are intentional, effortless, and guide toward the correct path the first time. Remove excess burden whenever possible, but always favor clarity over clicks.
     
   • Leave no one behind: Our mission is to enable broader access to financial services. Embrace standards and patterns that ensure the fullest spectrum of usability and comprehension, and always seek to empower through education.
     

3. Consider every scenario

   Building a configurable platform to span millions of borrowers across hundreds of unique lenders requires a concise and flexible design language.
   
   

   • Favor systems and reusable parts: Patterns that comprise a consistent and efficient framework help to improve comprehension and performance, and allow our work to scale across different configurations, platforms, and devices.
     
   • Situate your work in the real world: Optimize a design for where its impact will be felt most, considering its most distant end-state or use case.
     
     

4. Build a bridge to the future

   Reinventing an industry requires innovative approaches, but in order to drive adoption of new paradigms, both their function and value must be easily understood.
   
   

   • Make the new feel familiar: Turn to proven patterns whenever possible. With novel interactions or concepts, consider adapting or enhancing existing mental models in unique ways.
     
   • Design beyond the display: Appreciate a feature’s potential value over its functional interface, always seeking to leverage technology, automation, or other tools to streamline an experience.