Empowering Investors Through Transparent Fees

Research

UX

Client: Vanguard Investments

My role: Senior UX Designer

Project: Make investing accessible to their UK market

Summary: Vanguard sought to position itself as the low-fee investment leader by showing how small fee increases impact long-term profits. I conducted research, created personas, mapped user journeys, designed wireframes, and worked with a researcher to test designs, ensuring customers understood fee impacts and value.

The outcome

A newly revamped fees page clearly communicates the impact of fees to Vanguard’s investors and uniquely positions them as the low-fee provider of choice.

My Role as SENIOR UX Designer

As the sole designer, I conducted research, mapped user journeys, developed wireframes, and collaborated with a user researcher to test and refine the designs.

If you invested a lump sum of £10,000 and contributed £100 a month for 40 years with a 7% return and paid 2% in fees you would lose 81% of your profits due to fees.

Understanding the Challenges

Many investors, even seasoned ones, underestimate how fees can erode their portfolios over time. Our goal was to clearly communicate Vanguard's low fees and illustrate their long-term benefits.

Competitor Analysis

I examined how various industries present cost breakdowns, noting that tiered comparisons were particularly effective.

User journeys

Focused on new and experienced investors' processes for selecting investments.

insights

Identified key barriers, including understanding risks, financial literacy, and fee perceptions.

Wireframes

Developed layouts to clearly show Vanguard's fee breakdown and educate users on fee impacts.

User testing

Conducted lab sessions with 12 participants to gauge perceptions of fees before and after exposure to the new designs.

The user testing was very successful with customers shocked at the impact fees had on their portfolios over time. They were also able to clearly articulate what fees they would pay for different types of Vanguard funds and felt the breakdown was clear and simple.

A Foundation for Transparent Investing

The positive research findings and wireframes were handed over to a UI designer for further development. Approximately 12 months later, the revamped fees page went live, offering investors clear insights into the impact of fees on their investments.

This project exemplifies the importance of transparent communication in empowering investors and enhancing user engagement.

More projects

Research

Service Design

UX

UI

BP Electric Vehicle Charging App

To drive EV adoption, I unified BP's home and public charging services into a seamless app and improved signage and charging machines. This enhanced customer experience addressed pain points and earned the app a 4.5-star rating on the App Store and 4.6-star on Google Play.