Challenge at CEM
The Sri Lankan financial advice landscape is often perceived as gate-kept, expensive, and intimidating. Users struggle with specific "money problems" from retirement planning to property disputes—but don't know who to trust or how much it will cost. The Challenge: A Crisis of Trust & Clarity
Through initial stakeholder interviews and market analysis, I identified a significant "advice gap" in Sri Lanka. Down below are findings.
My Task as the designer
My primary objective was to design a B2C platform that removed the "complexity barrier" currently preventing everyday users from seeking professional financial advice. I was responsible for transforming a high-friction, traditional consulting model into a modern digital experience
Problem vs. Solution
Following my research phase, I synthesized the core frustrations of our "Tech" and "Goal-Oriented" personas into a strategic execution plan. By mapping specific pain points directly to design solutions, I ensured that every feature on the Money Doc platform served a validated business and user need.
User Pain Point (Research Insight) | MoneyDoc Design Solution | Business/UX Value |
High Barrier to Entry: Users find seeking financial advice "too complicated and time-consuming" (Q8: 4.67/5). | Direct Service Access: A Bento-style homepage that categorizes complex financial problems into 6 simple, clickable icons. | Reduces cognitive load and time-to-task. |
Price Opacity: Users are frustrated by "hidden fees" and having to call to find out rates (Q6: 4.73/5). | Transparent Marketplace: Rates are displayed prominently on advisor cards before the user clicks into a profile. | Builds immediate trust and enables informed decision-making. |
Discovery Friction: Users struggle to find the "right" expert for specific problems like land disputes or retirement (Q4: 4.73/5). | Smart-Match Search: A natural-language search bar and matching algorithm that filters advisors by "Advice Type" rather than just name. | Increases relevancy and booking conversion rates. |
Commitment Phobia: Users avoid advice because they don't want long-term contracts or expensive retainers (Q9: 4.67/5). | Pay-Per-Session Model: A frictionless "Book & Pay" flow where users only commit to one individual session at a time. | Lowers the financial risk for the user, encouraging trial. |
Inefficient Booking: Traditional methods involve "phone tag" or back-and-forth emails to confirm availability (User Feedback). | Real-Time Calendar Sync: An "Uber-style" instant booking system where users pick an available slot and get immediate confirmation. | Eliminates drop-offs during the scheduling phase. |
This strategic alignment didn't just improve the UI; it created a scalable ecosystem. By automating the booking process with real-time calendar sync, we eliminated the traditional "phone tag" friction, removing a major drop-off point in the scheduling phase and allowing the platform to operate with minimal manual intervention.
Design Solution
I developed a three-pillar design strategy for Money Doc. This framework ensures that every touchpoint from the first search to the final booking
User requirements
To ensure the design strategy was actionable, I translated my research insights into a formal set of system requirements.
Category | User Need | System Requirement (The "Shall" Statement) |
Discovery | Problem-based search | The system shall provide a natural language search engine that maps user queries (e.g., "debt") to advisor tags (e.g., "Debt Management"). |
Navigation | Immediate service access | The platform shall feature a "Zero-Layer" homepage architecture, exposing all 6 primary service categories via high-visibility icons. |
Trust | Cost certainty | The interface shall display the mandatory "Price Per Session" label on all advisor preview cards to ensure 100% price transparency. |
Comparison | Value-based selection | The system shall implement a multi-criteria sorting algorithm allowing users to reorder results by "Lowest Price" and "Highest Rating." |
Conversion | Frictionless booking | The platform shall host an integrated booking calendar that locks time slots in real-time and issues instant confirmation upon payment. |
Retention | Contract-free usage | The checkout flow shall be optimized for single-session micro-transactions, requiring no long-term membership or retainer commitment. |
Matching | Guided experience | The system shall include a "Smart Match" wizard that prompts users for their age and goal to filter the most demographically relevant advisors. |
Design Result
Home Page
The final landing page for Money Doc serves as the primary touchpoint for democratizing financial expertise. By synthesizing user research with a "Search-First" architecture, I transformed a high-friction consulting process into an intuitive, accessible digital experience. Every design element on this page is a direct response to a validated user pain point.
Initial Iteration & Usability Insights
The first high-fidelity prototype was built in Figma, focusing on a service-based search experience. Usability testing quickly revealed a critical navigation pain point: participants struggled to locate consultants efficiently.
Two distinct mental models emerged:
Some users wanted to discover consultants by filtering on specific services.
Others expected (and repeatedly attempted) to search directly by consultant name especially when they wanted to return to a previously satisfactory provider.
This highlighted a clear gap: the search mechanism did not support both discovery and re-engagement use cases, which are essential for building user trust and retention in a consultant marketplace.
As a result, we evolved the search bar to support dual-mode querying by service and by consultant name; creating a more flexible, user-centered entry point to the consultant directory.
"Maybe I want to search by the name" - one participant added
Final Result
Version below positions you as a thoughtful senior designer who:
Conducts rigorous testing
Identifies competing user needs
Translates qualitative insights into clear product decisions
Prioritizes long-term user behavior (repeat visits, trust, retention)
Results page
My goal was to move beyond a static directory and create a dynamic marketplace that balances user urgency with expert authority.
Details Page
For users already experiencing financial stress, this page must function as a credibility validator. My design strategy focused on transforming a standard profile into a comprehensive "Trust Profile" that addresses the psychological barriers of paying for digital advice.
Final Outcome & Impact
The redesign of the Money Doc platform transformed a fragmented, intimidating financial consulting experience into a streamlined, high-performance marketplace. By grounding every design decision in user research—specifically addressing high complexity and discovery friction—I delivered a solution that prioritizes user autonomy and speed-to-value.
