Challenge
In a highly competitive credit card marketplace with other big players, such as NerdWallet, LendingTree, and Credit Karma, CreditCards.com needed to stay competitive and constantly strive to provide users with the best experience possible. They did this by investing heavily in improving user experience and constantly iterating and improving their interface to yield increased results and user conversions. We were approached with the task of rethinking, improving, and redesigning CreditCards.com’s entire branding and website. Following our research, we established goals to not only improve their brand identity but to also create a strategy to improve users’ conversion and response rates based on research and brand analysis.
Over the years, it has become the go-to resource for the industry and media, becoming a leading publisher of original consumer credit card related news.
MY ROLE
Lead UX/UI designer
TEAM
4 Designers, 12 Developers, 2 UX writers, 1 Project Manager
DONE WITH
Figma, Illustrator, ChatGPT, Relume, Lovable, Maze
INDUSTRY
FinTech
Co-Creation
Building Trust Through Teamwork and User Understanding
From the start, the CreditCards.com redesign was a collaborative effort across design, marketing, product, and engineering teams. We aligned early through workshops focused on brand recognition, tone, and user psychology—ensuring that every touchpoint built user trust.
We also conducted user interviews, competitive analysis, and A/B testing throughout the project. These real insights shaped not just the visual style but the flow of information—leading us to create a cleaner, more intuitive experience for users comparing credit cards.
Co-creation helped us move faster, pivot intelligently when needed, and maintain a shared vision even as business priorities evolved.
Wireframes
Laying the Foundation for a Simpler Journey
Before diving into high-fidelity design, we invested heavily in wireframing to map the user journey across CreditCards.com. Starting from user research and brand exploration, we sketched out the core flows for browsing, comparing, and applying for credit cards.
Our focus was on stripping away clutter, reducing decision fatigue, and making important information stand out at the right moments. Through wireframe iterations, we validated how users would move between card category pages, comparison tools, and application funnels—optimizing for both mobile and desktop experiences.
This phase gave the cross-functional team a clear blueprint to align on—and made it easier to spot friction points early before investing in detailed UI and visual design.
Visual Design
Creating a Trustworthy and Actionable Experience
The visual design phase was about more than just aesthetics—it was about reinforcing trust at every step of the user's journey. Starting from brand exploration, we focused on creating a look and feel that conveyed authority, clarity, and confidence.
We modernized the typography, expanded the color system to guide decision-making, and developed a set of clean, accessible UI components. Every visual element—from button treatments to card comparison modules—was designed to reduce friction and help users feel in control of their financial decisions.
Consistency, accessibility, and clear visual hierarchy became the foundation for an interface that felt less like a marketplace and more like a trusted guide.
Results
The redesigned credit card experience improved user navigation across card categories, leading to a 28% increase in application starts. Page engagement grew with better filtering tools, and bounce rates dropped by 18% due to cleaner, more reassuring landing pages. Feedback from usability testing highlighted that users felt “more confident” and “less overwhelmed” when comparing credit card options.
The Take Away
Building the credit card flow reminded me that trust is earned in the smallest details—how clear the comparison is, how honest the messaging feels, and how easy it is to move forward when users are ready. In financial UX, transparency isn’t optional—it’s the product.
