Designing a data-driven fintech experience built specifically for tablet users and Windows desktop software under tight time constraints — an MVP shipped in roughly two weeks, without existing user data.
Early-stage fintech needed a credible MVP purpose-built for tablet and Windows desktop in roughly two weeks — no user data, no analytics, no PM in the loop.
Design an MVP fintech product that presents financial data, statistics, and insights in a clear and accessible way — built specifically for tablet users and as software for the Windows desktop, within a very limited timeframe and without existing user data.
Guardian Wealth was an early-stage fintech startup aiming to launch a data-heavy product focused on financial statistics and insights — built specifically for tablet users and as dedicated software for the Windows desktop, not a generic site stretched across every screen. The main challenge: design a credible, usable fintech experience in roughly two weeks, without real user data, analytics, or validated assumptions. Decisions had to balance clarity and trust while remaining flexible for future product growth.
Lead Product Designer. Owned UX strategy, MVP definition, hierarchy, the Windows desktop build, and developer handoff.
~93% of early users reported the interface was clear and helpful for understanding financial information.
How I approached it, step by step.
Due to the short timeline, the work was highly collaborative and decision-driven. I worked directly with stakeholders and engineers, translating business requirements into structured user flows and validating ideas through frequent internal reviews. Without a PM, I owned prioritization and design decisions.
The product lived in two real contexts: a tablet for checking finances away from a desk, and Windows desktop software for the deeper working session. Instead of one responsive layout stretched between them, each got its own hierarchy, density, and navigation tuned to how it was actually used — held in a lap versus driven by a keyboard and mouse in a full window.
Clear hierarchy, readable data presentation, consistent interaction patterns. Complex financial information could be understood at a glance, with depth available on demand.
Design system updated, the Windows desktop build fully specced, prototypes documented. Engineering shipped without ambiguous handoffs even under the compressed timeline.
Every design is a set of choices. These were the big ones.
The options I weighed, and why I chose what I did.
The shipped screens, and what changed.
A closer look at the final design.
In the first six months after launch, ~93% of early users reported the interface was clear and helpful for understanding financial information. Although the startup later ceased operations for financial reasons, the product successfully demonstrated its design and usability goals. The biggest learning: speed has to coexist with strategic thinking, and product designers should be involved in business-level discussions early — not just design outcomes.
Speed without strategy ships pretty pixels. Speed with strategy ships products. Guardian Wealth taught me that being decision-driven (not committee-driven) is a Lead's job under compressed timelines — and that designers belong in the business conversation, not just at handoff. The startup didn't survive for non-design reasons, but the product itself shipped sharp on a brutal timeline. That's the part I keep.