Redwood Credit Union
Reimagining how Redwood Credit Union members track, cancel, and stay on top of their recurring expenses.
Product
Subscription management feature
Role
UX/UI Designer
UX Research
Time
Feb 2025 - April 2025
Overview
Project introduction
Redwood Credit Union is a non profit financial institution serving members across Northern California as an alternative option to mainstream banking. I took on the challenge to make a comprehensive all-in-one subscription and recurring payment management feature that seamlessly fits into their existing website.
Problem statement
The subscription section in Redwood Credit Union’s online dashboard should give members a fast, intuitive way to view, cancel, and get reminders for their recurring charges. The site currently offers no consolidated view or management tools, leaving members unable to control the growing number of modern subscriptions.
1.0 Discovery & Research
Competative analysis
I took a look at four popular subscription management tools in order to understand what people were using, focusing on their key features , UI patterns, as well as addressing their strengths and weaknesses.
Mint
Trim
Rocketmoney
Bobby
Overall Observations & Opportunities
Most subscription management tools are third-party, requiring users to share financial data. Redwood CU’s native feature could bypass this trust barrier.
Many apps offer cancellation but it’s limited. Redwood CU could focus on streamlined or automated cancellation requests.
Bill negotiation is a strength, but RCU may or may not want to integrate it. Doing so could differentiate it from other credit unions.
Offering subscription management for free could be a strong selling point.
User Interviews
Five users participated in open ended interviews focused on their values, motivations, and behavior towards their finances and subscription management.
Participant recruitment
First and foremost I wanted to speak with RCU members who represented the current demographic range; young professionals, middle aged parents, and the retired older demographic.
Interview guide
My questions focused on understanding the role subscriptions and recurring payments play in users' lives, their behavior towards them, pain points, as well as underlying motivations.
Affinity Mapping
After gathering user interview data, I synthesized these qualitative notes into an affinity map in order to draw out patterns in the responses of the participants.
Key Themes & Categories That Emerged
Through this synthesis, several themes crystallized, painting a clear picture of the users' experiences:
Lack of Control Over Subscriptions
Users feel out of control with automatic payments and want features to regain oversight.
Preference for Manual Payments
Many users prefer paying subscriptions manually rather than relying on auto deductions.
Strong Motivation to Track Subscriptions
Tracking subscriptions is a universally valued feature.
Frustration with Billing Surprises
Users are often caught off guard by irregular or long billing cycles, causing confusion.
Mental Tracking Leads to Overwhelm
Users track subscriptions mentally, leading to stress and lack of clarity on total costs.
Cost Drives Cancellation Decisions
Users cancel subscriptions based on cost and perceived value but lack clear visibility into total spending.
POV’s / HMW’s
In order to guide the design process I crafted a few how might we (HMW) statements based on the emerging needs of the users.
HMW 1
How might we enable Eric to seamlessly cancel directly from the bank, minimizing or even bypassing a third party?
HMW 2
How might we create a system that alerts Frankie about recurring charges before they’re billed so he can cancel unwanted subscriptions in time?
HMW 3
How might we help Ari consolidate subscription data into a central hub so she can monitor billing schedules and costs, preventing overwhelm?
User Personas
User interview analysis showed two clear archetypes emerge, distilling the spectrum of control vs clarity, and drove every subsequent design decision.
User Flows
User interview analysis showed two clear archetypes emerge, distilling the spectrum of control vs clarity, and drove every subsequent design decision.
User flow 1: Cancelling a subscription
The first flow to outline was canceling a subscription, as most users wanted to gain a sense of control and this directly enabled them to manage their finances within RCU’s site.
User Flow 2: Enabling notifications
The second flow outlined was to enable notifications for recurring payments, providing a robust way to tailor notifications to their specific needs, again providing further control over managing their subscriptions.
Key insights
Synthesizing all research revealed several critical insights that became foundational for the Little Bee Gardening design strategy:
Lack of Subscription Transparency
Most users only have a rough idea of how many subscriptions they have, which leads to frustration and a sense of being out of control.
Reactive Management Behaviors
Because of poor visibility, users micromanage transactions manually and only act after problems occur, like surprise charges or overdrafts.
Surprise Billing Is Common
Auto renewals from free trials and annual billing cycles catch users off guard, creating stress and unplanned spending.
Desire for Centralized Control
Users want an integrated dashboard to visualize total spending, track due dates, and receive proactive alerts about upcoming charges.
Opportunity for Native Integration
Existing tools require sharing financial data with third parties; a native RCU feature could bypass this trust barrier and stand out.
2.0 Define
Project Goals
To guide this project, I defined key business and user goals. The sweet spot lies in our common goals: enhancing RCU's digital tool usage, fostering financial wellness, building trust and security, and ultimately boosting retention and satisfaction.
Solution Generation
Feature matrix
Features such as a subscription dashboard, proactive alerts & notifications, price change tracking, and a renewal calendar were prioritized as a direct response to the frustrations and needs uncovered during the user research.
3.0 Develop
Low-Fidelity wireframes
With the core features defined, the next step was to translate these into a structural blueprint. I developed low-fidelity wireframes to focus on information architecture, user flow, and core functionality without the distraction of visual design.
Mid-Fidelity wireframes
Once the general structure made sense I took the design into the next fidelity of iteration.
Process
These mid-fidelity wireframes were created in Figma, evolving directly from the low-fidelity designs. The focus was on achieving greater clarity in information hierarchy, button placement, form design, and navigational cues.
High-fidelity alpha Test
Usability testing
4.0 Deliver
Adding first plant
Easily scan a plant you already own, or search for plants that you have or want to plant.
Personalized Plant Onboarding
Answer questions to get a hyper personalized experience for your chosen plant.
Detailed plant Management and information made easy to understand
Easily scannable plant information when selecting a plant makes it comfortable for beginning users to see the commitment level and difficulty of the undertaking.
Location specific recommendations
Plant recommendations based on specific plant location settings, geographic information, as well as synergies with what is already planted.
Impact
Add A New Plant Flow
Reduced assistance by 80%
From 5/5 users needing help to only 1/5 after CTA redesign.
Dashboard & Care Info
Cut hesitation by 50%
Clearer hierarchy and "View Details" buttons improved discoverability.
Seasonal Planner Navigation
Achieved a 0% error rate
All 5 users completed instantly after simplifying labels and layout.