Client
Industry
Fintech
year
2022 - 2023
Scope of work
share
63% of fintech users abandon investment app onboarding if flows feel long or unclear (Signicat, 2023)
48% of financial institutions report significant losses from KYC compliance issues (Fenergo, 2023)
Only 25% of millennials feel confident about their investment decisions (Bankrate, 2023)
Average account minimums of $10,000+ at traditional wealth managers excluded most young professionals
We set out with a deceptively simple goal: What if opening an investment account could feel like having a conversation with a trusted financial advisor?
• 82% wanted to invest more regularly but felt overwhelmed by options
• 76% checked financial apps daily when they had accounts
• 71% preferred human expertise over pure robo-advisory
• 68% had abandoned investment accounts during onboarding
• Only 19% understood their risk profile after traditional signup flows
• 54% said existing platform felt 'designed for finance professionals, not real people"
The insight that shaped everything: People didn't want another trading app. They wanted a guide that made sophisticated investing feel accessible and trustworthy.
✦ Progressive Disclosure
Every step should focus on one clear decision. No overwhelming users with everything at once.
✦ Stories Over Spreadsheets
Dashboards should explain performance narratively: "Your Flagship strategy outperformed the S&P 500 this quarter" instead of just showing "+12.3%."
✦ Trust Through Transparency
From fee structures to investment rationale, every interaction should build confidence through clear communication.
STEP 1
Landing & Trust-Building
Clean, professional design emphasizing team credentials from Goldman Sachs, Farallon Capital, and Cerberus
Social proof through investor backing and performance track records
Simple email capture with clear value proposition
STEP 2
Intelligent Onboarding
Personal Information Collection: Each field explained why it's needed, reframing compliance as protection
Financial Profile Building: Interactive sliders and guided questions to determine investment capacity
Risk Assessment: Conversational approach to understanding investment goals and timeline
STEP 3
Intelligent Onboarding
Plaid Integration: Secure bank linking with clear timing expectations
Deposit Guidance: Contextual nudges showing typical starting amounts
Instant Feedback: Real-time confirmation of successful deposits
STEP 4
Portfolio Construction Made Simple
Strategy Selection: Clear explanations of Flagship, Crypto, and Opportunities portfolios
Allocation Sliders: Interactive tools with smart defaults and reset options
Performance Context: Historical data presented as stories, not just charts
STEP 5
Daily Engagement That Adds Value
Morning Briefings: Audio updates connecting market news to personal portfolios
Three Things: Daily bite-sized insights relevant to holdings
Ask Anything: Direct access to analyst team for questions
STEP 5
Confident Off-Ramps
Withdrawal Flows: Clear cash balance visibility with error prevention
Tax Optimization: Guidance on tax-efficient withdrawal timing
Reinvestment Options: Easy pathways back into positions
Traditional investment dashboards overwhelm users with raw data. Our storytelling approach transformed complex information into actionable insights:
• Balance: $47,832.18
• Return: +8.7% YTD
• Allocation: 60% Equity, 40% Bonds
This approach to improve SaaS screen layout helped reduce user confusion and increase engagement with portfolio data.
Mobile-First Architecture
73% of portfolio checks happened on mobile devices
Bite-sized information architecture optimized for commute-time engagement
Push notifications became valuable financial insights, not spam
Behavioral Nudges Without Manipulation
Average deposit showcasing ("Most Titan clients start with $2,500") reduced decision paralysis
Performance contextualization helped users understand short-term volatility within long-term strategy
Educational progressive disclosure built confidence over time
Micro-Interactions for Trust
Loading states that explained what was happening ("Verifying your bank account...")
Confirmation animations that celebrated successful actions
Error prevention through inline validation and clear next steps
Onboarding Success
Completion rates improved from 31% to 78% after UX redesign
Time to first deposit decreased by 60% through streamlined flows
User satisfaction scores of 4.6/5 for onboarding experience
Platform Engagement
Completion rates improved from 31% to 78% after UX redesign
Time to first deposit decreased by 60% through streamlined flows
User satisfaction scores of 4.6/5 for onboarding experience
Business Impact
$58M Series B funding led by Andreessen Horowitz validated market demand
Platform valued at $450M despite competitive landscape
Customer acquisition cost dropped 35% due to improved conversion funnel
INSIGHT 1
SaaS Onboarding Sets Everything in Motion
The first interaction determines lifetime value. We applied proven SaaS onboarding screen UX principles, testing 15 different welcome flows to optimize for both completion and comprehension.
INSIGHT 2
Financial Anxiety Requires Different UX Patterns
Unlike social or productivity apps, investment platforms trigger money anxiety. Our design had to actively build confidence rather than simply reducing friction.
Insight 3
Context Beats Personalization
Rather than heavily personalizing interfaces, providing rich context about why something was happening proved more valuable for building user trust and engagement.
Insight 4
Progressive Education Drives Retention
Users who understood their investment strategy were 4x more likely to remain active after six months. Education became a retention tool, not just onboarding content.
Regulatory Complexity
Balancing SEC compliance requirements with intuitive user experience required constant collaboration with legal teams. We developed patterns for making mandatory disclosures feel helpful rather than intimidating.
Performance Communication
Showing portfolio losses without causing panic required careful messaging and behavioral design. We developed frameworks for contextualizing short-term volatility within long-term strategy.
Scale Preparation
Our initial design worked beautifully for hundreds of users but needed rebuilding for thousands. We learned to design systems, not just screens.
Based on our Titan experience, we're pushing the boundaries of financial UX:
Predictive Guidance
AI-powered insights that anticipate user questions before they arise
Proactive rebalancing suggestions based on market conditions and personal goals
Behavioral nudges that encourage beneficial financial habits
Workflow Integration
Calendar integration for tax-loss harvesting reminders
Slack/Teams bots for portfolio updates during work hours
Email briefings that connect daily news to personal holdings
Advanced Personalization
Dynamic interface adaptation based on user sophistication level
Customizable dashboard layouts for different investor personas
Progressive feature unveiling as users become more comfortable
Our experience designing for Titan proved something powerful: When you remove friction from sophisticated financial services, you democratize access to wealth building.
We didn't just redesign an investment app. We designed confidence — transforming intimidating financial complexity into clear, actionable guidance that helps people grow their wealth.
Titan's mission to build "world-class investment management for the 'rest of us'" (Y Combinator, 2024) required more than just good intentions. It demanded UX design that could make institutional-quality investing feel personal, trustworthy, and accessible.
Because in modern wealth management, clarity isn't just better UX — it's better financial outcomes.
