Robinhood Retirement through the Eyes of Research, Creative, and Design
Robinhood was founded on a simple idea: that financial markets should be accessible to all. With customers at the heart of their decisions, Robinhood is lowering barriers and providing greater access to financial information and investing. Together, they are building products and services that help create a financial system everyone can participate in.
The team’s incredible journey of building a revolutionary retirement product showcases their expertise in design and exemplifies the power of teamwork and innovation. We will delve into the fascinating design process undertaken by Ashley Kim, UX Researcher; Tim Scales, Creative Director; and Shawn Roe, Content Designer. Their collective efforts resulted in the successful launch of an exciting new product.
Ashley Kim: A Visionary Mind for Inclusive User Design
As a UX Researcher focused on inclusive user design, Ashley brings a unique perspective to the table. Her Ph.D. is in sociology, with a focus on race, gender, and health. Ashley’s decision to enter fintech was not just luck of the draw but also driven by her passion for increasing pathways to wealth and moving beyond inequality.
As an Asian-American living in the United States, Ashley has rarely felt like products and spaces were created for her and people who identify with her experience. She is committed to disrupting this narrative, making sure her daughter will have a different relationship with finances and financial institutions as she grows up.
When joining the Robinhood Retirement team, Ashley knew it was essential to build rapport while being mindful of the team’s bandwidth and meaningfully contribute during onboarding. She spent time gathering data on what had been done, what needs to be done, and who would answer these questions in different ways.
Ashley compiled a retirement research archive, which not only gave her the tools to advocate for her vision but also provided stakeholders with essential information. She identified burning needs and questions through fast-paced evaluative research, listening and observing to inform content and design explorations.
The team ran daily jam sessions and touchpoints to function as a cohesive, user-centric unit. Ashley was given freedom to run necessary generative and foundational research, which led her to have more autonomy and buy-in to explore directions that would be most fruitful for the work.
Tim Scales: Creative Director with a Passion for Innovation
As a Creative Director at Robinhood, Tim has been fortunate enough to work on exciting projects throughout his career. His journey began as a graphic designer in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to NYC in 2017.
What drew Tim to Robinhood was an interest in how finance and investing had manifested into the zeitgeist. He saw a new class of investors demanding a seat at the table and shifting the perception of what it means to be an investor. The opportunity to tell these stories drew him to Robinhood, and after learning more about their customers, he wanted to stay.
Building products for this new class of investors is inspiring, as they want something approachable, digestible, and purpose-built. Tim’s team is responsible for the creative direction of both product and marketing, working hard to create more frictionless and accessible experiences for customers.
The Creative team started developing a creative concept early in the process, aligning on a concept that visually conveys how money behaves when it starts working for you. Once aligned, they proceeded to paint this concept across every imaginable surface from typography to messaging, diagrams, and charts.
Creating plug-and-play design systems was essential because customers don’t always discover products in a linear fashion. Tim’s team blurred the lines between Marketing and Product, pressure-testing their creative direction in every scenario.
Shawn Roe: Content Designer with a Passion for Financial Literacy
As a Content Designer at Robinhood, Shawn combines his teaching experience and writing skills to simplify complex concepts for users. He has an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a minor in Astronomy.
Shawn’s background in personal finance and following the Bogleheads and FIRE community principles of being frugal and investing long-term makes him a great fit for the role. When joining the Retirement project, he crafted the value propositions that customers would see when they enter the sign-up flow.
Shawn presented his content to senior-level people at Robinhood, which can be nerve-wracking. However, knowing that his content was backed by customer research gave him confidence in explaining every word choice.
The team collaborated from the start, with the Creative team using approved content to develop custom illustrations, animations, and haptics. Shawn’s work was inspired by their visual designs, leading them to rephrase value props and rearrange screens before shipping.
When presented to leadership again, they agreed on the changes, and customers have praised the new experience. This showcases the power of collaboration between UX Research, Creative, and Content Design.
Conclusion
The successful launch of Robinhood’s Retirement product demonstrates their commitment to building a diverse team and creating an inclusive environment as they continue in their journey of democratizing finance for all. The company is always looking for individuals who share this vision and are passionate about making a difference in the financial industry.