Healthy Borrowing (Debt Clarity & Early Intervention)
Designing early intervention experiences for financial stress and vulnerability
Company
Lending Institution
Language
English
Date
2024–2025
Project Overview
Healthy Borrowing
In the UK, millions of people are slowly falling into debt without really realising it. It rarely happens because of one big mistake. It happens through everyday decisions, life events, unclear signals, and products that are hard to understand. By the time customers reach collections, many feel overwhelmed, ashamed, or stuck.
When I started this work, the organisation was doing what most lenders do: stepping in late, focusing on risk and arrears rather than on how people actually experience borrowing in their day-to-day lives.
This project was about shifting that mindset. Instead of asking “how do we manage risk?”, we asked, “how do we help people understand their debt earlier and feel more in control of it?”
It sits at the heart of the bank’s strategy and connects directly to my wider work on how people relate to money, which also underpins my dissertation.
Key Highlights
I worked closely with product, risk, collections, data, and operational teams to bring a shared view of borrowing health into everyday decision-making.
Together, we:
Mapped how customers gradually move from manageable borrowing into stress and loss of control, often without clear moments of awareness
Identified early signals where small, supportive interventions could make a real difference
Brought customer stories to life to help teams understand what debt actually feels like for people, not just what it looks like in numbers
Shifted conversations away from “fixing problems late” towards designing for understanding, clarity, and prevention
Applied this thinking across multiple areas, including credit cards and vehicle finance, where long-term debt can quietly build over time
Rather than designing a single product or journey, this work focused on shaping how the organisation thinks about borrowing, vulnerability, and responsibility.
Service Design · Customer Experience Strategy · Behavioural Design · Design Leadership
Approach
Focus on early signals
Identified key moments before customers fall into difficulty, such as low remaining balance, increasing reliance on credit, and missed or at-risk payments.
Design for clarity and action
Simplified how balances, repayments, and options are presented, focusing on clear next steps instead of full financial overviews. Improve communication across channels
Improve communication across touchpoints
Reworked key communications (in-app, emails, letters, servicing) to be clearer, consistent, and focused on what the customer can do next.
Align product and servicing
Ensured digital journeys reflect real support options, allowing customers to move easily between self-serve and assisted support.
Design
The experience was redesigned to support better decisions earlier.
Key information is surfaced before problems escalate
Complex financial situations are explained simply
Actions are clear and accessible
Tone is supportive, not punitive
Particular attention was given to how and when we communicate, ensuring customers feel informed and able to act, rather than judged or overwhelmed.
To address a key behavioural gap, we focused on how minimum payments are understood. Many customers rely on them without realising the long-term impact.
Instead of explaining this through static information, we designed simple interactions that make the effect of small changes visible in real time — helping users see how paying slightly more can significantly reduce time and interest.
Impact / Status
Improved visibility of debt and repayment options
Increased clarity in early-stage communications
Better alignment between digital journeys and servicing support
Established a foundation for earlier and more effective intervention
Outcome
The experience shifted from reactive collections to earlier, more supportive engagement.
Customers were better able to understand their situation and take action sooner, improving both customer outcomes and operational efficiency.
Key Insight
Early clarity changes behaviour.
Helping customers understand their situation before they reach crisis enables better decisions, better outcomes, and a more sustainable relationship with credit.
