Mercury
Project Overview
Stabilizing a Regulated Fintech Platform Through Governance and Trust Architecture
Mercury was a regulated consumer credit fintech undergoing full product re-imagination (“non-banky” positioning for near-prime users). During this critical growth phase, the absence of structured UX governance created delivery instability and diluted user trust.
Objective
Stabilize product definition, formalize UX governance, and redesign high-risk payment flows to restore user control and accelerate platform maturity ahead of merger.
Scope of Work
Platform & Experience Leadership
Led UX across iOS, Android, and Desktop
Redesigned payment, autopay, and split pay flows to increase visible control
System Architecture & Governance
Built cross-platform design system and governance model
Scaled UX team and aligned creative standards across product
Acceleration & Innovation
Partnered with Tata Creative Services to standardize system delivery
Initiated ML-driven behavioral prompt framework
Engaged Projekt202 to conduct parallel feasibility and usability validation, accelerating insight generation while maintaining delivery momentum
Process
UX Governance & Strategic Alignment
Introduced structured UX governance with defined review cadence and decision checkpoints, reducing rework cycles and aligning cross-functional teams
Trust-Centered Payment Architecture
Mapped high-risk payment scenarios (e.g., autopay resistance) and designed visible control mechanisms and transparent transaction states to reduce user apprehension
Cross-Platform System Architecture
Built a unified design system across iOS, Android, and Desktop with formalized component standards and governance, accelerating delivery and consistency
Parallel Validation & Delivery Acceleration
Engaged Projekt202 for simultaneous feasibility and usability validation while partnering with Tata Creative Services to standardize design implementation to recapture momentum
Behavioral Intelligence Integration
Initiated a machine-learning behavioral prompt framework to support contextual credit progression guidance
Outcome
User Impact
Increased App Store rating from 1.0 → 4.9 through improved clarity, control, and trust signalling
Reduced payment-related anxiety by surfacing transaction states and recovery pathways
Strengthened engagement with key features like split pay and onboarding flows
Platform Impact
Delivered unified cross-platform experience across iOS, Android, and Desktop
Established a robust cross-platform design system and governance model
Reduced rework cycles and stabilized product definition ahead of merger
Business Impact
Contributed to platform maturity and acquisition readiness ahead of a $128M merger
Increased internal alignment between product, engineering, and marketing
Elevated brand consistency during critical growth phase
Intellectual Property & Value Architecture
Collaborated with a 25-time technology patent inventor to formalize the platform’s behavioral credit progression model into a filed patent application
Aligned UX architecture and behavioral design systems with defensible IP strategy
Structured core value proposition around scalable, differentiating interaction patterns
