Northwind Finance
A trust-first investing app that turns complex portfolios into a calm, glanceable mobile experience.
Client
Northwind
Year
2025
Industry
Fintech
Services
Product Design · iOS / Android · Brand System
By the numbers
+212%
Day-7 retention
3.1x
Onboarding completion
4.9★
App Store rating
$48M
AUM in 6 months
The challenge
Where they started
Northwind's beta users said the app felt 'heavy' — dense charts, no hierarchy, and onboarding friction killed activation. They needed a redesign that respected the seriousness of money without overwhelming first-time investors.
Our approach
How we got there
- 01
Stripped UI to one decision per screen with progressive disclosure.
- 02
Built a typographic data system optimized for at-a-glance reading.
- 03
Designed a five-step onboarding that lifted activation by 3x.
Process
From kickoff to launch
- 01
Research
12 user interviews, journey mapping, competitive teardown.
- 02
Concept
Three directions — calm/expressive/utilitarian.
- 03
Design System
Tokens, components, motion guidelines.
- 04
Prototype
Native prototypes tested with 24 users.
- 05
Ship
Phased rollout with telemetry and weekly iterations.
Gallery
Selected frames
"They didn't just redesign our app — they reframed how we think about our product. Activation is up 3x and we finally feel premium."
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