Peace Badejo, wearing sunglasses, looking to the left.
Peace Badejo, wearing sunglasses, looking to the left.
Peace Badejo, wearing sunglasses, looking to the left.

Robo-Advisory · Fintech

Smart Advisory

Smart Advisory

Bringing Guidance and Trust to Investing

Bringing Guidance and Trust to Investing

Many robo-advisory products overwhelm users with jargon, aggressive upselling, and unclear risk explanations. Smart Advisory reframes investing as a calm, guided experience that builds confidence through clarity, transparency, and culturally grounded design.

Role and Scope

Role and Scope

Role and Scope

Product Designer

  • Designed investment onboarding, risk profiling, and portfolio flows

  • Translated complex financial concepts into calm, guided experiences

  • Defined visual and interaction patterns to build trust

  • Iterated through usability testing and feedback

  • Shaped visual identity with cultural relevance in mind

Key Outcomes

Key Outcomes

Key Outcomes

80%

80%

80%

Trust perception

of test participants described the experience as clear, professional, or reassuring

4/5

4/5

4/5

Comprehension

of users understood each step without external explanation

100%

100%

100%

Guidance clarity

Completed risk profiling with no confusion or backtracking

60%

60%

60%

Confidence shift

reported increased confidence in investing after completing the flow

Visual Design : Risk Profiling

Visual Design : Risk Profiling

Visual Design : Risk Profiling

Curiosity turning into calm confidence

Curiosity turning into calm confidence

Curiosity turning into calm confidence

  • Conversational, low-pressure flow

  • Clear explanations instead of financial jargon

  • Designed to reduce anxiety and decision fatigue

Visual Design : Portfolio Recommendation

Visual Design : Portfolio Recommendation

Visual Design : Portfolio Recommendation

Curiosity turning into calm confidence

Curiosity turning into calm confidence

Curiosity turning into calm confidence

  • Personalized portfolio suggestion as a starting point, not a push

  • Side-by-side comparison with adjustable investment amounts

  • Immediate projection feedback to support informed decisions

  • Bright and dark modes to reinforce clarity and focus

Visual Design : Creating the Portfolio

Visual Design : Creating the Portfolio

Visual Design : Creating the Portfolio

Confidence through accomplishment

Confidence through accomplishment

Confidence through accomplishment

  • Calm confirmation moment signaling successful action

  • Dashboard-style summary with allocations, history, and FAQs

  • Ownership and control emphasized over performance hype

Visual Design : Setting a Goal and Building an Investment Plan

Visual Design : Setting a Goal and Building an Investment Plan

Visual Design : Setting a Goal and Building an Investment Plan

Motivation grounded in clarity

Motivation grounded in clarity

Motivation grounded in clarity

  • Users define targets and timelines visually

  • Progress framed through curves, percentages, and milestones

  • Planning feels motivating, not abstract or intimidating

Testing & Outcomes

Testing & Outcomes

Testing & Outcomes

Validation through real feedback

Validation through real feedback

Validation through real feedback

The insights if the usability tests were both confirming and eye-opening, however, one recurring piece of feedback stood out: users felt that the overuse of green in the early version made it harder to focus and diluted the sense of hierarchy. I revisited the visual system and refined it by introducing both bright and dark modes, each using green more strategically to guide attention rather than dominate it. This balance enhanced contrast, improved readability, and gave the experience a calmer, more professional tone.

Overall, the testing validated the experience as approachable and emotionally balanced. Smart Advisory successfully turned what users often described as “an intimidating process” into a guided, trustworthy journey that builds confidence step by step.

Design Impact

Design Impact

Design Impact

  • Trust by Design: Tone, hierarchy, and motion tuned to emotional comfort in a high-anxiety domain

  • Visual System Maturity: Strategic use of green refined through testing, improving focus and hierarchy

  • Cultural Relevance: Identity inspired by Islamic geometry, growth symbolism, and local familiarity

  • Restraint as Strategy: Reduced visual noise to strengthen confidence and perceived credibility

Optional Deep Dive

Optional Deep Dive

Optional Deep Dive

This is a showcase for Smart Advisory project, the full Case Study Includes:
  • Competitive analysis and framing of trust gaps in robo-advisory products

  • Risk profiling and investment flow design grounded in user confidence

  • Visual and interaction decisions to reduce cognitive and emotional load

  • Iteration based on usability testing and perception of trust

  • Design trade-offs in regulated financial experiences

  • Cultural and visual identity considerations for local relevance

Full Case study available upon request