Trim by OneMain

Before I joined, product development was predominantly developer-driven and fragmented, leading to solutions without thoroughly validating the problems.

I introduced a more holistic, customer-centric, and collaborative approach, which extended discovery but streamlined development, reduced technical issues, and boosted team morale.

Our revamped process emphasized—

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I led a structured brainstorming framework with activities such as crazy eights and affinity mapping, which were key to aligning on problems and solutions. This framework encouraged diverse perspectives, rapid ideation, and constructive collaboration, leading to confidently informed product decisions.

Additionally, by creating an inclusive and relaxed environment, we made sure that every team member felt heard and valued. This approach not only improved the quality of our solutions but also created a sense of ownership and enthusiasm within the team.

In the early stages of our collaboration with OneMain’s marketing and branding teams, there was a distinct "client/provider" dynamic. Teams operated in silos, often leading to outcomes that felt more like surprises than collaborative achievements.

Recognizing the inefficiencies, I led a shift towards more asynchronous communication and co-creation. This not only minimized unforeseen results but also fostered a culture grounded in trust, mutual respect, and shared objectives.

Email collaboration with marketing and copywriting teams

To make sure that our remote team remained aligned and personally connected, we organized quarterly in-person work sessions. These meetups created a deeper understanding of our shared goals, built trust between team members, and encouraged creative problem-solving in a collaborative environment.

These sessions included hands-on workshops, strategic planning, and brainstorming activities that directly influenced our product roadmap. The in-person dynamic allowed for a level of collaboration and personal connection that’s hard to replicate remotely.

Our initial onboarding flow had a significant drop-off, primarily when people were prompted to link their bank accounts without clear context. Iterative testing led to an interactive process, helping people choose features aligning with their goals, which doubled our onboarding conversion rate.

Onboarding updates doubled the amount of conversions

A significant milestone was advising on and implementing a unified front-end component library, streamlining design workflows and ensuring consistent customer experience across platforms.

I collaborated with OneMain Financial's accessibility team to refine and update our design system, making sure that it met the high standards of accessibility and experience required in finance.

I led a strategic shift from a custom component library to leveraging the capabilities of Ionic, quickly modifying prebuilt components instead of building from scratch. This sped up development and allowed us to focus more on customer-centric updates.

Trim by OneMain design system

Soon after starting, I began to prioritize the mobile experience, given this audience accounted for over 80% of our customers.

This decision was particularly important given that our email campaigns, a significant touchpoint for customer engagement, were mostly accessed via mobile devices.

Updated mobile-first bill negotiation flow

One of the most used features within Trim was our bill negotiation capability. However, this feature had not been iterated on for several years. To truly optimize this feature, I needed to understand the customer's journey, pain points, and expectations.

I used a multi-pronged research approach to discover and fully understand potential problems—

Updated bill negotiation provider selection screen

At the culmination of all our efforts and learnings, I realized that traditional zero-based budgeting tools would not address the fundamental needs of our audience. Most of our customers were in financial deficits, where budgeting not only failed them but exacerbated feelings of guilt and helplessness. Many of them couldn’t cut further expenses without compromising essentials like groceries and healthcare.

These insights challenged me to rethink how people could regain control of their finances without the shame or burden of sticking to unrealistic budgets. By pulling together every research method and framework we had previously used, I pushed for something radically different: the Personal Cashflow Tool.

HOW IT WORKS

The cashflow tool gives people an at-glance understanding of their financial situation, allowing them to make real-time decisions across multiple cards and banks without the emotional weight of traditional budgeting. Here’s how each section is intentionally designed:

WHY THIS MATTERS

This tool represents everything we set out to achieve. A financial wellness product that is human-centered, empowering, and guilt-free. It turns the overwhelming complexity of financial deficits into something simple and actionable. It provides clarity in the day-to-day and offers a path forward for people who often feel stuck.

For our customers, this is more than just a feature. It's a lifeline. It helps them regain control, make smarter choices, and feel confident about their finances without the emotional toll of traditional budgeting.