PM Karly Bryerman, UX researcher Chelsea English, design intern Rish Soni, and yours truly
MY TEAM
Figma, Figjam, Google Docs, UserTesting
Tools
6 weeks
TIME
This summer, I interned for SoFi as a UX writer (English major coming in handy!), primarily working with their lending team to help create the Help & Hardship Flow.
The Help & Hardship flow is a self-service experience that allows members who are delinquent on their personal loans to answer a few questions about their situation to see if they qualify for a program. If they are qualified, they can sign up.
Members can do all of this without needing to talk to a SoFi agent over the phone. That's important because many people feel shame and embarrassment when it comes to delinquency.
Without having to disclose private information to strangers over the phone or through chat, more members can sign up to get the help they need to get back on their feet.
Project Overview
The Short Version:
Problem, Solution & Impact
THE PROBLEM
THE SOLUTION
When members miss payments on their personal loans, their credit score drops, affecting their financial future. Despite needing help, an overwhelming sense of shame stops them from seeking assistance over the phone and SoFi loses money due to charge off.
Use clear, concise, and sympathetic copy to create a self-service e2e experience that allows users to sign up for a program without talking to an agent and help SoFi reduce monetary loss.
THE IMPACT
Users reported feeling supported through the experience, with many preferring to sign up online due to the straightforward and understanding nature of the copy. This also helps SoFi reduce charge off and delinquency recidivism which in turn saves the company money.
Delinquency Emails Write Away
To start, I wrote a series of emails to inform the member that they were delinquent on their loans and the consequences of that. The majority of late-paying members make a payment after the first notification, which is why the emails increase in urgency and seriousness as members fall more and more behind.
Tone Strategy
Research Insights
After writing the emails, Chelsea, the UX researcher, enlisted my help to finish up a diary study completed by 13 people who had been delinquent on a personal loan in the past. Here's what we found:
People wish they knew beforehand that they had options. Knowing what they know now, the participants said that having more info then would have helped them make a better decision for their financial future.
They wish they had help through the process. Having someone confident and knowledgeable walk them through understanding debt and delinquency would have been a big help.
Every day is a tight balance and every dollar counts. People have to sacrifice to get ahead or carefully consider every financial choice to get out of the hole or avoid going back.
Content Strategy
After understanding the scope of the project, the various programs SoFi offers, and the timeline, I created a content strategy that is both scalable and easy to understand. Click through it below:
Rules & Regulations
Before and while writing the copy, I needed to be aware of SoFi's rules regarding the flow as well as the regulations set out by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the government agency that regulates the programs and how we're able to offer them.
SoFi Says. . .
The OCC Says. . .
- I need to follow the questions laid out in the original task flow
- I must ask what their income and expenses are
- I have to consider engineering constraints when creating the 2 questionnaires
- I only have 8 weeks to complete everything from start to finish
- I need to establish the members' ability and willingness to pay the loan back after the program ends
- I need to collect the reasons why members fell behind
- I need to be strict in which programs people are offered
- I need to have members set up their next payment to show "a propensity to pay"
Writing, Testing, Iterating
I wrote the questions based on a previously made task flow. From there, my questions were tested in 3 different rounds of user testing completed by 47 different people. Here's what we found:
Users liked knowing why we were asking the questions. We asked for personal information, and offering an explanation helped them feel more comfortable and confident with the program offered at the end.
People facing unemployment needed a unique questionnaire. Losing a job is different than something like unexpected expenses, and thus should be treated differently.
Friendly and straightforward was the way to go. People preferred to be treated like they were being guided by a friend. They appreciated not feeling shamed for their situation.
The word choice was a fine balance to get the message across in an amiable, empathetic, and guiding way that was still direct and clear.
Final E2E Experience
After the 3 rounds of testing and iterating, here's the final end-to-end experience, from the initial email to sign-up complete. Check it out below:
Lessons Learned
I learned a ton interning at SoFi this summer, and this project in particular was full of nuance that challenged me.
What I Learned
How to work across teams. I worked with researchers, designers, engineers, project managers, and leadership, and I learned how to communicate and collaborate with them.
Time management and prioritization. I had strict deadlines to meet and a couple of fires to put out. I learned how to prioritize work and ensure it all got done on a deadline.
How to combine my UX skills and my writing skills. As a previous copywriter, I wrote for the business. UX writing forced me to rethink my writing to put the user first.
Thank you!!!
Whether you stayed with me the whole time or just viewed my prototype, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to look at my portfolio.
Think I'd make a good fit for your team? Contact me!
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