Quick Summary / TLDR
➡️ Problem: PortX needed to reduce workflow friction and inefficiencies in how bank staff communicated about wire transfers ahead of the MVP launch.
➡️ Role: I led UX and UI design, uncovering a critical communication gap mid-sprint and pivoting to shape a new solution that improved both process and collaboration.
➡️ Solution: Designed a built-in messaging tool to replace an archaic workaround, then introduced “QuickNotes” — a layer of customizable pre-filled snippets built on the same architecture to streamline wire transfer approvals and rejections.
➡️ Impact: Together, these two tools transformed internal wire communication, reducing manual effort, cutting down on errors, and saving staff an estimated 4–6 hours per week while improving audit tracking and team alignment.
⬇️ Read the full story to see how it all came together. ⬇️
Intro / Background
PortX is a fintech startup modernizing banking infrastructure through its flagship platform, PortX Cloud. One of its key products, Payment Manager, helps banks and credit unions manage payment workflows such as wires, checks, and ACH transfers. Within Payment Manager, the Wires module had its own set of tools. One of those tools — a small internal messaging feature — turned out to have a much bigger impact than expected.
As the founding UX/UI designer, I led 0-to-1 design for the MVP. The Product Manager provided initial research, but I took the lead in translating concepts into a working product. I also ran informal user interviews to uncover gaps not on the roadmap.
Early on, one issue stood out. When staff needed to clarify a wire transfer, they didn’t have a built-in way to communicate. To leave a record, employees sent “$0.00” wire transactions with short memos. These were hard to read, limited in length, and often confusing. The MVP plan included a simple messaging tool, but deeper research revealed a more interesting opportunity.
This case study explores a simple question:
How can a small UX improvement evolve into a high-impact feature that saves time and reduces friction in everyday banking operations?
How can a small UX improvement evolve into a high-impact feature that saves time and reduces friction in everyday banking operations?
The Problem
The breakthrough came during a call with operations staff at Choice Bank. While describing their $0.00 memo workaround, they mentioned another pain point. They would keep sticky notes and desktop documents full of copy-and-paste responses used for wire approvals and rejections.
That insight wasn’t in the original research. It came directly from watching how real users worked. It revealed a deeper problem: communication was fragmented, manual, and inefficient. This wasn’t just an annoyance; it was a daily drain on productivity. The challenge was to design something fast, consistent, and compliant that would feel natural inside the existing workflow.
The key challenges or pain points were:
❌ Inefficient communication: No built-in messaging within the legacy wire process.
❌ Limited clarity: Short, cryptic memos caused confusion and wasted time.
❌ Manual overhead: Staff relied on personal notes or saved text snippets.
❌ Limited clarity: Short, cryptic memos caused confusion and wasted time.
❌ Manual overhead: Staff relied on personal notes or saved text snippets.
Research Goals + Methodologies
Because PortX was still an early-stage company, research had to be quick and scrappy. I conducted brief interviews over Zoom with early banking partners to learn how wire transfers are handled on a day-to-day basis and where communication breaks down.
My goals were to:
✅ Understand how staff process and review wire transfers
✅ Identify where collaboration stalls or confusion begins
✅ Learn what workarounds users rely on most often
✅ Identify where collaboration stalls or confusion begins
✅ Learn what workarounds users rely on most often
Those insights led to "QuickNotes," a pre-filled messaging tool that lets users insert common wire responses with one click. By integrating it directly into the messaging window, we helped teams handle approvals/rejections faster and with fewer errors.
My Role
➡ Sole UX/UI designer
➡ Led user interviews with partner banks (Choice Bank)
➡ Ran remote usability tests with Figma prototypes
➡ Translated insights into user flows and wireframes
➡ Designed the messaging experience and UI
➡ Collaborated with product and engineering during sprints
➡ Tools used: Figma, Balsamiq, Miro, Jira, Zoom
➡ Led user interviews with partner banks (Choice Bank)
➡ Ran remote usability tests with Figma prototypes
➡ Translated insights into user flows and wireframes
➡ Designed the messaging experience and UI
➡ Collaborated with product and engineering during sprints
➡ Tools used: Figma, Balsamiq, Miro, Jira, Zoom
Note: Given the fast-paced MVP launch and my role as sole designer supporting three product teams, I focused on medium-fidelity wireframes to validate core user flows quickly. At this stage, usability and alignment took priority over visual polish. This ensured the team could build, test, and iterate efficiently. The final visual refinement and UI system were planned for post-MVP phases once feedback and stability allowed.
Payment Manager supports several high-stakes payment types, which include repairs, drawdowns, and OFAC holds. Each product has its own compliance rules, user expectations, and urgency levels. My goal was to design a unified interaction model that could adapt to all of them while staying clear and easy to navigate.
During early audits, we found that wire users often ran into complex workflows, such as:
➡ Repairs: Triggered by simple input errors like incorrect account numbers. These interrupt the process mid-flow and require guided correction.
➡ OFAC holds: Regulatory checks that can cause user anxiety if not explained clearly. They require transparent, compliant messaging.
➡ Drawdowns: Recipient-initiated transactions that rely on clear visibility and trust between parties.
➡ OFAC holds: Regulatory checks that can cause user anxiety if not explained clearly. They require transparent, compliant messaging.
➡ Drawdowns: Recipient-initiated transactions that rely on clear visibility and trust between parties.
These situations highlighted the need for consistent patterns across recovery flows, permission settings, and status messaging. The solution had to balance precision with empathy, while helping users stay informed and confident even when things didn’t go as planned.
Challenges + Learnings
A key challenge was introducing new UX ideas mid-sprint. PortX was still developing its product process, and the focus was often on shipping fast. I saw an opportunity that wouldn’t affect delivery but could make a major difference for users. I brought it up, and we built it in.
"QuickNotes" came from revisiting what we thought was already solved. A quick follow-up conversation uncovered a pain point that completely changed our direction. It reinforced for me how UX often depends on listening, asking better questions, and staying curious even after a solution seems final.
This project reminded me that UX designers aren’t just here to make wireframes. We’re here to uncover what’s missing, advocate for users, and help teams make smarter decisions that save real time and effort.
Impact + Results
✅ Introduced "QuickNotes," an embedded messaging feature for wire transfers
✅ Saved an estimated 4–6 hours per employee, per week
✅ Reduced manual effort and repetitive communication
✅ Strengthened internal tracking and audit trails
✅ Became one of the most praised MVP features, quickly adopted by users
✅ Saved an estimated 4–6 hours per employee, per week
✅ Reduced manual effort and repetitive communication
✅ Strengthened internal tracking and audit trails
✅ Became one of the most praised MVP features, quickly adopted by users
Postface: I transitioned out shortly during the MVP launch due to company changes. However, early adoption and feedback showed "QuickNotes" and the integrated messaging tool made a real difference. It streamlined communication, reduced manual work, and set the stage for future UX enhancements across the PortX Payment Manager product.
As it stands, the "QuickNotes" feature was pushed out mid-sprint to meet the MVP launch deadline. If I had stayed with PortX longer, my next step would have been to iterate on functionality and polish. For example, I would push Product and Engineering again to move the chat box out of its modal framework and pin it to the bottom of the chat history pane for a more seamless experience.
Currently, users can create or edit their preloaded text snippets through either the Settings or Account Preferences menu. In the next iteration, I would bring that functionality directly into the chat window itself. Adding an inline “Edit” option or pencil icon would let users update or customize snippets quickly and intuitively, without breaking their workflow.
At the time, those refinements weren’t realistic given development constraints, but they would have been the logical next step for improving usability and efficiency.
Interested? Let’s connect.
