TLDR | Project Overview:
A recovery path for credit card applications halted by credit freezes
Financial Services | Edge Case UX | Frozen Credit | Application Recovery | Regulated Systems
A recovery path for credit card applications halted by credit freezes
Financial Services | Edge Case UX | Frozen Credit | Application Recovery | Regulated Systems
The problem
Credit card applications fail when a user has a frozen credit report.
Credit card applications fail when a user has a frozen credit report.
Most users forget the freeze is active.
The system stops without clear explanation and forces users to start over.
This creates confusion, anxiety, and high abandonment at a critical moment.
The system stops without clear explanation and forces users to start over.
This creates confusion, anxiety, and high abandonment at a critical moment.
Time + Team
Breakdown: 6 weeks pre- & post-research • 7 weeks IA & design • 3 weeks accessibility audit • 3 weeks compliance review
Product Design Lead (me) • UX Researcher • Accessibility Specialist
Breakdown: 6 weeks pre- & post-research • 7 weeks IA & design • 3 weeks accessibility audit • 3 weeks compliance review
Product Design Lead (me) • UX Researcher • Accessibility Specialist
My role
I worked as the Product Designer and Experience Architect.
I translated research and content guidance into application flows, recovery logic, and system behavior within a regulated banking environment.
I worked as the Product Designer and Experience Architect.
I translated research and content guidance into application flows, recovery logic, and system behavior within a regulated banking environment.
What I learned
A credit freeze is not a user error.
It is a predictable edge case.
When the application fails without context or guidance, users disengage.
Clear language, reassurance, and continuity are required to recover trust.
A credit freeze is not a user error.
It is a predictable edge case.
When the application fails without context or guidance, users disengage.
Clear language, reassurance, and continuity are required to recover trust.
My approach
I designed a recovery experience that treats frozen credit as a pause, not a failure.
The flow explains what happened in plain language.
It guides users to unfreeze their credit without leaving the experience.
It allows them to return and resume without restarting or triggering additional credit checks.
I designed a recovery experience that treats frozen credit as a pause, not a failure.
The flow explains what happened in plain language.
It guides users to unfreeze their credit without leaving the experience.
It allows them to return and resume without restarting or triggering additional credit checks.
Why it matters
Edge cases drive abandonment when they are treated as exceptions.
Handled well, they protect trust, completion, and long-term customer value.
This work shows how research, content, and UX can work together to recover users at the moment they would otherwise leave.
Edge cases drive abandonment when they are treated as exceptions.
Handled well, they protect trust, completion, and long-term customer value.
This work shows how research, content, and UX can work together to recover users at the moment they would otherwise leave.
Core question
How can a credit card application support users through a credit freeze without forcing them to restart or abandon the process?
How can a credit card application support users through a credit freeze without forcing them to restart or abandon the process?
▼ Read the full story to see how it all came together. ▼
Intro / Background:
Designing for a critical edge case that blocks credit card applications
Designing for a critical edge case that blocks credit card applications
Applying for a credit card is usually a fast digital flow.
How can a credit card application support users who need to unfreeze their credit, without forcing them to restart or lose progress?
That breaks down when a user has a freeze on their credit report.
Many people freeze their credit as a security measure and forget it is in place.
When U.S. Bank or a co-branded partner attempts to check credit during the application, the request fails if a freeze is active.
When U.S. Bank or a co-branded partner attempts to check credit during the application, the request fails if a freeze is active.
From the user’s perspective, this failure is abrupt and confusing.
What felt like a simple task turns into a disruption that requires leaving the bank experience, navigating external credit bureau sites, and remembering credentials they may not have used in years.
What felt like a simple task turns into a disruption that requires leaving the bank experience, navigating external credit bureau sites, and remembering credentials they may not have used in years.
The previous system treated a credit freeze as a hard stop.
The application was terminated.
Users had to start over once the freeze was lifted.
The application was terminated.
Users had to start over once the freeze was lifted.
This created two serious problems:
▶ Users were forced to restart the application from scratch
▶ Multiple hard credit inquiries could be triggered, risking a negative impact on credit scores
▶ Users were forced to restart the application from scratch
▶ Multiple hard credit inquiries could be triggered, risking a negative impact on credit scores
As a result, many users abandoned the process entirely.
In 2022, U.S. Bank launched a new platform called React Cloud Apply.
The platform introduced modernized flows, improved security, and the ability to save and resume applications.
The platform introduced modernized flows, improved security, and the ability to save and resume applications.
But the technology alone was not enough.
The experience still needed clear guidance, better messaging, and a safer path forward for users navigating this edge case.
This case study focuses on that problem and asks:The experience still needed clear guidance, better messaging, and a safer path forward for users navigating this edge case.
How can a credit card application support users who need to unfreeze their credit, without forcing them to restart or lose progress?
The Problem:
Credit freezes turn a simple application into a dead end
Credit freezes turn a simple application into a dead end
When a user with a frozen credit file applies for a credit card, the application fails during the credit check.
The system stops without clearly explaining why.
In most cases, the freeze was placed intentionally for security reasons.
Many users simply forget it is still active.
Many users simply forget it is still active.
From the user’s perspective, the experience breaks at the worst possible moment.
There is no clear explanation.
No guidance on what to do next.
And no safe way to continue.
There is no clear explanation.
No guidance on what to do next.
And no safe way to continue.
Where the experience fails
This edge case creates several points of friction:
This edge case creates several points of friction:
▶ A broken journey
Users are pushed out of the application to deal with credit bureaus on their own.
Users are pushed out of the application to deal with credit bureaus on their own.
▶ Unclear messaging
The system does not consistently explain what happened or how to recover.
The system does not consistently explain what happened or how to recover.
▶ High abandonment
Many users give up rather than unfreeze their credit and restart.
Many users give up rather than unfreeze their credit and restart.
Why this matters to the business
Each abandoned application represents a lost customer.
Credit card customers generate long-term value through annual fees, interest, and everyday spending.
Each abandoned application represents a lost customer.
Credit card customers generate long-term value through annual fees, interest, and everyday spending.
Even conservative industry estimates place average customer lifetime value in the low four figures.
When a meaningful percentage of applicants drop off due to frozen credit files, the impact compounds quickly.
When a meaningful percentage of applicants drop off due to frozen credit files, the impact compounds quickly.
This edge case was not rare. It was costly.
The design challenge
The goal was not to bypass security.
It was to handle this moment with clarity and care.
The goal was not to bypass security.
It was to handle this moment with clarity and care.
The challenge was to:
▶ Explain what happened in plain language
▶ Help users unfreeze their credit without confusion
▶ Allow them to resume the application without starting over
▶ Explain what happened in plain language
▶ Help users unfreeze their credit without confusion
▶ Allow them to resume the application without starting over
This case study focuses on designing a safer, clearer recovery path for a moment that previously ended the experience entirely.
Research Goals + Methodologies:
Insights that informed the application recovery experience
Insights that informed the application recovery experience
At this stage of the project, I partnered closely with an in-house UX Researcher to understand how users experience a credit freeze during a credit card application.
The goal was not to test solutions.
It was to understand the moment of failure.
It was to understand the moment of failure.
We focused on three questions:
▶ What users experience when the application stops
▶ What causes confusion or anxiety in that moment
▶ What guidance helps users recover instead of abandoning
▶ What users experience when the application stops
▶ What causes confusion or anxiety in that moment
▶ What guidance helps users recover instead of abandoning
Research approach
The researcher led a qualitative study that included:
The researcher led a qualitative study that included:
▶ Seven remote interviews, each sixty minutes
▶ A follow-up survey with participants who had previously frozen their credit
▶ A follow-up survey with participants who had previously frozen their credit
Participants had either encountered friction while applying for credit or had frozen their credit as a precaution against fraud or identity theft.
While I did not conduct the interviews, I worked closely with the researcher to review findings, identify patterns, and translate insights into design direction.
Applying insights to design and content
The research revealed that the break in the flow felt abrupt and stressful.
Many users did not understand what happened or what to do next.
The research revealed that the break in the flow felt abrupt and stressful.
Many users did not understand what happened or what to do next.
To address this, I collaborated with a content specialist to shape the language used in alerts, modals, and follow-up messages.
Tone and clarity were treated as core design inputs, not finishing touches.
Tone and clarity were treated as core design inputs, not finishing touches.
The goal was to:
▶ Explain the issue in plain language
▶ Reassure users that their application was not lost
▶ Provide clear next steps without pressure
▶ Explain the issue in plain language
▶ Reassure users that their application was not lost
▶ Provide clear next steps without pressure
What this research clarified
The research helped establish a shared understanding of the full recovery journey.
It identified where the experience broke down, what needed to be communicated more clearly, and how design and content could work together to reduce abandonment.
The research helped establish a shared understanding of the full recovery journey.
It identified where the experience broke down, what needed to be communicated more clearly, and how design and content could work together to reduce abandonment.
These insights directly informed how the recovery flow was structured, messaged, and measured.
My Role + Scope
I worked as the Product Designer and Experience Architect (XA) on this edge case initiative.
My responsibilities included:
▶ Translating research insights and content guidance into application flows, interaction patterns, and system behavior
▶ Designing the information architecture, end-to-end user flows, and high-fidelity wireframes
▶ Collaborating closely with a UX Researcher and an Accessibility Specialist
▶ Designing within a regulated enterprise banking environment with strict compliance and platform constraints
▶ Designing the information architecture, end-to-end user flows, and high-fidelity wireframes
▶ Collaborating closely with a UX Researcher and an Accessibility Specialist
▶ Designing within a regulated enterprise banking environment with strict compliance and platform constraints
Tools used:
Figma • Jira • PowerPoint • Zoom
Figma • Jira • PowerPoint • Zoom
The Solution:
Turn a hard stop into a recoverable pause
Turn a hard stop into a recoverable pause
This edge case required only a small number of screens.
The impact depended on clarity, tone, and system behavior, not surface area.
The impact depended on clarity, tone, and system behavior, not surface area.
The core shift was simple.
A frozen credit file should pause the application, not terminate it.
A frozen credit file should pause the application, not terminate it.
React Cloud Apply made this possible by allowing applications to save progress mid-flow.
The design needed to make that capability clear and usable.
The design needed to make that capability clear and usable.
Explain what happened without creating alarm
Early concepts used red alert styling.
A/B preference testing showed this made the situation feel more severe than it was.
Early concepts used red alert styling.
A/B preference testing showed this made the situation feel more severe than it was.
Users interpreted red as:
▶ An error
▶ A security issue
▶ A failed application
▶ An error
▶ A security issue
▶ A failed application
The design was revised to use calmer visuals and neutral language.
The goal was reassurance, not urgency.
The goal was reassurance, not urgency.
Messaging focused on three things:
▶ What happened
▶ Why the application paused
▶ What to do next
▶ What happened
▶ Why the application paused
▶ What to do next
The experience needed to feel understandable and recoverable.
Give users clear options and control
The alert modal presents two clear paths:
The alert modal presents two clear paths:
▶ Contact the credit bureau by phone
▶ Follow a direct link to the bureau’s site or app
▶ Follow a direct link to the bureau’s site or app
This gives users control over how they resolve the freeze.
No pressure. No guessing.
No pressure. No guessing.
Content was written in collaboration with a content designer to stay clear, supportive, and action-oriented.
Resume without restarting
Once users unfreeze their credit and return, the application resumes.
The alert closes.
The user selects Resubmit application.
Once users unfreeze their credit and return, the application resumes.
The alert closes.
The user selects Resubmit application.
The system rechecks credit and continues processing without forcing a restart or triggering additional inquiries.
This moment reinforces trust.
The application feels paused, not broken.
The application feels paused, not broken.
Why this mattered
This solution addressed a common failure state with real business impact.
Even though it touched only one screen and two actions, it removed a major source of abandonment.
This solution addressed a common failure state with real business impact.
Even though it touched only one screen and two actions, it removed a major source of abandonment.
The result was a clearer experience that respected users, protected progress, and aligned with how the platform actually worked.
Above: Primary application entry paths across desktop and mobile.
Left: This flow shows users entering the credit card application from a standard U.S. Bank Visa card page.
Right: This flow shows users entering through a special invitation link.
Right: This flow shows users entering through a special invitation link.
Both flows converge on the same application steps.
The key difference is how users enter and how the system must handle recovery when a credit freeze is detected.
The key difference is how users enter and how the system must handle recovery when a credit freeze is detected.
Experience architecture across a multi-team system
Beyond the recovery screens, a core part of my role was defining the experience architecture across the full credit card application system.
I worked across five design teams within the PTA Apply group to align information architecture and user flows. Each team owned different parts of the application, often at different stages of design and approval.
My first step was to consolidate these fragmented flows into a single master diagram. — [see above]
This created a shared view of the entire application ecosystem and exposed gaps, overlaps, and dependencies across teams.
This created a shared view of the entire application ecosystem and exposed gaps, overlaps, and dependencies across teams.
Designing within a platform migration
This work took place during a broader migration to a new internal platform, React Cloud Apply.
The platform improved security, stability, and performance, but it also required rethinking how the application worked end to end.
The platform improved security, stability, and performance, but it also required rethinking how the application worked end to end.
The migration created an opportunity to:
▶ Modernize legacy patterns
▶ Apply updated UX and accessibility standards
▶ Design a more coherent application experience
▶ Modernize legacy patterns
▶ Apply updated UX and accessibility standards
▶ Design a more coherent application experience
The goal was not just technical parity.
It was to raise the quality and clarity of the digital credit card application experience.
It was to raise the quality and clarity of the digital credit card application experience.
Where the frozen credit flow connects
Within the master IA, the frozen credit flow appears as a deliberate connection point rather than an isolated exception.
Within the master IA, the frozen credit flow appears as a deliberate connection point rather than an isolated exception.
In the diagrams, the blank or gray placeholder represents where the frozen bureau scenario intersects with the main application flow.
This marks the moment where a credit check cannot be completed, and the recovery experience must take over.
This marks the moment where a credit check cannot be completed, and the recovery experience must take over.
Treating this as part of the system, not a side path, ensured:
▶ Continuity across teams
▶ Consistent behavior across entry points
▶ A shared understanding of how the edge case fits into the broader experience
▶ Consistent behavior across entry points
▶ A shared understanding of how the edge case fits into the broader experience
A system-level view
The user flow represents one segment of the larger React Cloud Apply credit card application system. — [see below]
It illustrates how individual flows connect within a shared architecture and how the frozen credit scenario is handled without breaking the experience.
The user flow represents one segment of the larger React Cloud Apply credit card application system. — [see below]
It illustrates how individual flows connect within a shared architecture and how the frozen credit scenario is handled without breaking the experience.
This work ensured that a small but critical edge case was designed in context, aligned across teams, and supported by the underlying platform.
Challenges + Learnings:
What this work clarified about highly-regulated design environments and defined scope
What this work clarified about highly-regulated design environments and defined scope
This project required working within a highly specialized UX team in a regulated banking environment.
Roles were clearly defined across research, content, accessibility, and product design.
Midway through the work, I took on additional experience architecture responsibilities after the team’s dedicated XA role became unavailable.
This expanded my scope to include greater ownership over flow structure, system behavior, and cross-team alignment.
This expanded my scope to include greater ownership over flow structure, system behavior, and cross-team alignment.
Operating in a role-specific model required a more deliberate approach to alignment and handoff.
I was not embedded in research sessions and relied on summaries and structured feedback loops.
This sharpened how I asked questions, interpreted insights, and stayed aligned without overstepping ownership.
I was not embedded in research sessions and relied on summaries and structured feedback loops.
This sharpened how I asked questions, interpreted insights, and stayed aligned without overstepping ownership.
The work also reinforced the importance of designing within enterprise constraints.
Accessibility, compliance, and handoff structure were not checkpoints.
They were foundational requirements that shaped every decision.
Accessibility, compliance, and handoff structure were not checkpoints.
They were foundational requirements that shaped every decision.
This project marked my first deep exposure to accessibility as a core input.
It changed how I think about contrast, scale, and clarity, especially in high-stakes financial flows.
It changed how I think about contrast, scale, and clarity, especially in high-stakes financial flows.
While I did not have access to long-term conversion data after handoff, the work established a clear path to reduce drop-off caused by frozen credit.
It replaced a hard stop with continuity and guidance during a critical edge case.
It replaced a hard stop with continuity and guidance during a critical edge case.
More broadly, this work reinforced a key principle.
Edge cases are not secondary.
They are where trust is earned and where product decisions have an outsized impact.
Edge cases are not secondary.
They are where trust is earned and where product decisions have an outsized impact.
Impact + Results:
Measured improvements in clarity, confidence, and recovery
Measured improvements in clarity, confidence, and recovery
Evidence from post-design research
The following results are based on a qualitative study that included user interviews, design feedback sessions, and a follow-up survey:
The following results are based on a qualitative study that included user interviews, design feedback sessions, and a follow-up survey:
▶ Confidence unfreezing credit: 6.71
Most participants felt confident unfreezing their credit unless they had prior issues such as unauthorized charges or bureau errors.
Most participants felt confident unfreezing their credit unless they had prior issues such as unauthorized charges or bureau errors.
▶ Helpfulness of communication: 6.43
Users responded positively to clear, friendly messaging that explained what happened and what to do next.
Users responded positively to clear, friendly messaging that explained what happened and what to do next.
▶ Likelihood to resubmit immediately: 6.00
Most participants said they would return to complete the application after unfreezing, though some preferred to verify status with the bureau first.
Most participants said they would return to complete the application after unfreezing, though some preferred to verify status with the bureau first.
Users consistently emphasized the importance of knowing:
▶ Which bureau caused the freeze
▶ Whether their credit was impacted
▶ When it was safe to return
▶ Which bureau caused the freeze
▶ Whether their credit was impacted
▶ When it was safe to return
Status updates and reminders were viewed as supportive rather than intrusive.
Product and business impact
Reduced user friction during credit card applications blocked by frozen credit files
Streamlined recovery flow that supports unfreezing and resubmission without restarting
More supportive and recoverable experience, reducing abandonment at a critical edge case
WCAG-aligned application flows, improving accessibility across keyboard navigation, contrast, and error handling
Inclusive design embedded early, through close collaboration with an Accessibility Specialist
Projected multi-million dollar revenue impact driven by higher completion rates and long-term customer value
Streamlined recovery flow that supports unfreezing and resubmission without restarting
More supportive and recoverable experience, reducing abandonment at a critical edge case
WCAG-aligned application flows, improving accessibility across keyboard navigation, contrast, and error handling
Inclusive design embedded early, through close collaboration with an Accessibility Specialist
Projected multi-million dollar revenue impact driven by higher completion rates and long-term customer value
Revenue context and benchmarks
▶ Industry benchmarks: Each approved credit card generates an estimated $500–$1,200 in annual customer lifetime value (CLV)
▶ Industry benchmarks: Each approved credit card generates an estimated $500–$1,200 in annual customer lifetime value (CLV)
▶ Impact potential: Even modest gains in completion rate represent several million dollars in year-over-year revenue
▶ Business alignment: The redesigned experience supports U.S. Bancorp’s broader digital growth, including a 7.8% increase in credit card revenue to $1.63B in 2023
(Source: U.S. Bancorp Corporate Investor Relations, 2023)
(Source: U.S. Bancorp Corporate Investor Relations, 2023)
Postface:
Scope, continuity, and ongoing iteration
Scope, continuity, and ongoing iteration
My scope on this work focused on defining the recovery experience, system behavior, and application flow architecture.
That work concluded before downstream phases such as final visual refinement, QA, and long-term performance tracking.
That work concluded before downstream phases such as final visual refinement, QA, and long-term performance tracking.
The solution was designed with iteration in mind.
Positive early signals did not mark an endpoint.
They established a foundation for continued testing and refinement.
Positive early signals did not mark an endpoint.
They established a foundation for continued testing and refinement.
If the work had continued, the next priorities would have been usability testing, behavioral analysis, and incremental improvements based on completion and return rates.
This project reflects a common product reality.
Strong solutions are not finished.
They are handed forward with clarity, intent, and room to evolve.
Strong solutions are not finished.
They are handed forward with clarity, intent, and room to evolve.
Interested? Let’s connect.