Modernizing the 529 Financial Advisor Portal: A UX Redesign for Inclusion, Clarity, and Control

The NEST Direct College Savings Plan portal was outdated, unintuitive, and misaligned with modern user expectations. As the Lead UX Designer, I led research, strategy, and design for a full platform redesign in collaboration with Union Bank & Trust, Centric Park, and Envision Financial Systems. By centering the user experience around investor goals, system flexibility, and financial clarity, we delivered a responsive, accessible, and confidence-building product that better supports both financial advisors and investors.

 

Problem

The original portal was outdated, inconsistent with brand standards, and difficult to use.

Key pain points included:

  • Non-responsive design that failed on mobile and tablets

  • Friction in core workflows like opening accounts, contributing, or withdrawing

  • Poor financial transparency (e.g., contribution impacts, performance insight)

  • Overwhelming choices with limited guidance

  • Confusing, industry-specific terminology and questions that users couldn’t answer

These issues created a frustrating experience for investors and advisors, decreasing satisfaction, adoption, and confidence.

 

Solution

We overhauled the portal experience with a human-centered, agile process.

Core design improvements included:

  • Responsive design across all screen sizes

  • Goal-driven contribution and investment flows

  • Editable, flexible tools for recurring and one-time transactions

  • Clear financial projections and contextualized information

  • Search, filters, and visual summaries to reduce cognitive load

  • Simplified language and reduced jargon to build trust

Each sprint cycle focused on redesigning a prioritized user flow (e.g., Contribute, Withdraw, Invest), informed by user feedback and iterative usability testing.

 
 

My Role

As UX Lead, I oversaw the research and design strategy, including:

  • Conducting 9 user interviews across investor and advisor personas

  • Leading heuristic evaluations and usability tests

  • Designing and testing high-fidelity wireframes and prototypes

  • Facilitating workshops and stakeholder alignment sessions

  • Delivering hi-fi Figma wireframes

 

Key Responsibilities

User Research

  • Created moderator guides, ran interviews, and synthesized findings

  • Validated hypotheses and uncovered insight-driven opportunities

Design Strategy

  • Defined and prioritized improvements based on user needs

  • Mapped key flows and pain points across mobile and desktop

UX Design

  • Produced responsive wireframes and interactive prototypes

Agile Collaboration

  • Worked in 2-week sprints with continuous feedback loops

  • Participated in weekly demos, backlog grooming, and sprint planning

 

CHALLENGE #1

Making Contributions Clear and Goal-Aligned

Problem: Investors didn’t understand how their contributions translated to outcomes. Financial data lacked clarity and context.

Solution:

  • Displayed contribution impact (e.g., $75/month = $900/year)

  • Used visual calculators to show progress toward goals

  • Linked contributions to performance summaries and forecasted results

Impact: Built user confidence, improved financial understanding, and empowered informed decision-making.

 

CHALLENGE #2

Enabling Flexibility Within the Tool

Problem: Rigid tools limited user autonomy. Investors couldn’t easily edit contributions or adjust investments.

Solution:

  • Enabled direct editing of contribution tables

  • Supported one-time and recurring contributions on the same screen

  • Allowed multiple withdrawal types in one flow

Impact: Gave users more control and reduced friction, boosting satisfaction and reducing support needs.

 

CHALLENGE #3

Helping Users Feel Informed, Not Overwhelmed

Problem: Too much information, poor structure, and unclear terms lead to confusion.

Solution:

  • Improved terminology and labeling (e.g., "One-Time" vs "Recurring")

  • Surface key investment metrics and tooltips

  • Used graphs, visuals, and infographics to simplify complex data

Impact: Increased comprehension, trust, and ease of navigation across all investor types.

 

CHALLENGE #4

Reducing Overload from Too Many Options

Problem: Users were overwhelmed by long, undifferentiated fund lists.

Solution:

  • Introduced search and filtering tools

  • Highlighted the top 3 recommended options with rationale

  • Collapsed or grouped similar funds and showed relevant summaries

Impact: Improved decision-making and made investing feel manageable, not paralyzing.

 

CHALLENGE #5

Avoiding Questions Users Can’t Answer

Problem: Investors were asked confusing questions they weren’t prepared for.

Solution:

  • Reworded industry jargon into simple, understandable prompts

  • Provided helpful guidance and clear follow-ups for complex options

  • Moved confusing questions later in the flow and separated them into manageable pieces

Impact: Reduced drop-off, confusion, and user anxiety. Boosted confidence in navigating the platform.

 

Outcome & Reflection

The redesigned portal met modern accessibility and responsiveness standards, aligned with brand guidelines, and delivered a more empowering, user-friendly experience. By integrating feedback into every sprint and focusing on clarity, flexibility, and support, the team delivered over 50 targeted UX improvements that had lasting impact.

This project reinforced the value of leading with empathy, designing with data, and iterating with intention. The result was a platform that not only looks modern, but makes investing in education approachable and effective.

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