Intro/Background
PortX is on a mission to modernize banking infrastructure — especially in areas like payment transfers, compliance tools, and core internal apps. The first product in this push was Payment Manager, a cloud-based platform built from the ground up. One of its key features is to streamline wire transfers (approvals/rejections) and messaging between banks.
I joined as the founding UX/UI designer, responsible for the 0-to-1 design efforts for the MVP launch. At that point, the Product Manager had already conducted initial market and broad stakeholder research. My immediate role was to take the early concepts and turn them into a usable, working product. I would go on to lead adjunct research where many gaps still existed.
The Problem
At most banks and credit unions, wire transfers are still processed through outdated systems. A major pain point? When employees needed to add a note to a wire transfer — whether to approve, reject, or explain something — they had to hack the system. The workaround was to create a separate $0.00 transaction with a short, abbreviated message, due to archaic system character limits. It was messy, inefficient, and far from user-friendly.
The initial solution as part of MVP was a simple built-in messaging app. Any memos related to the transaction would appear when you opened the file tied to the wire transfer number. Sounds straightforward, right?
However, during a discovery call I had with stakeholders at Choice Bank, I learned something unexpected: Employees kept sticky notes on their desktops filled with copy/paste phrases they used all the time. This insight wasn’t part of the PM’s initial research or roadmap — it came directly from user interviews I initiated to better understand their real-world workflows.
That’s what sparked the idea for a new feature we called QuickNotes — a pre-filled messaging tool that let users insert common wire responses with a single click. While we kept the basic messaging interface, adding QuickNotes made wire approvals and rejections exponentially faster, consistent, and more user-friendly.
My Role
Sole UX/UI designer
Led UX research interviews with stakeholders (banking staff at Choice Bank)
Ran remote usability tests via Zoom using Figma prototypes to validate interactions and gather quick feedback
Sole UX/UI designer
Led UX research interviews with stakeholders (banking staff at Choice Bank)
Ran remote usability tests via Zoom using Figma prototypes to validate interactions and gather quick feedback
Translated insights into user flows and UX patterns
Designed the messaging experience UI
Collaborated with product and engineering through sprints
Conducted usability testing and feedback
Tools: Figma, Balsamiq, Miro, Jira, PowerPoint, Zoom
Designed the messaging experience UI
Collaborated with product and engineering through sprints
Conducted usability testing and feedback
Tools: Figma, Balsamiq, Miro, Jira, PowerPoint, Zoom
Challenges + Learnings
One challenge was advocating for deeper discovery mid-sprint, while the team was already building. I saw an opportunity to improve the experience without affecting the scope or timeline. Although leadership could have easily deprioritized the idea for a future release, or skipped it altogether. I pushed for it, because I believed it would bring real value to users. That experience reminded me that designers don’t just execute, they lead by identifying opportunities others might overlook.
One challenge was advocating for deeper discovery mid-sprint, while the team was already building. I saw an opportunity to improve the experience without affecting the scope or timeline. Although leadership could have easily deprioritized the idea for a future release, or skipped it altogether. I pushed for it, because I believed it would bring real value to users. That experience reminded me that designers don’t just execute, they lead by identifying opportunities others might overlook.
I also learned that small insights can lead to big wins. The most impactful feature I contributed — QuickNotes — came from a single comment during a follow-up call I scheduled for clarification. It reinforced that UX discovery doesn’t always require big budgets, long timelines, or formal research cycles. Sometimes, a simple question at the right moment can change the product.
Going forward, I’d be even more intentional about spotting those subtle, overlooked user needs — especially in enterprise products where workarounds are common. I’d also advocate for earlier, lightweight usability testing, even during fast MVP cycles.
Impact/Results
✅ Enabled quick memo entry through a purpose-built messaging modal
✅ Enabled quick memo entry through a purpose-built messaging modal
✅ Integrated memos into the UI for easier tracking and management
✅ Reduced friction in the wire approval process
✅ Faster task completion and less manual entry
✅ Positive feedback from bank employees
✅ QuickNotes became a standout feature that users hadn’t asked for — but immediately loved!
