Interracial Friendship
Financial Life Coach dashboard
Willow Inc.
ux/ui | REdesign | web app | internal product

Overview

A platform integrating client management, content creation, and SaaS functionality. It helps coaches communicate and guide clients through Willow’s platform or with their own clients. The dashboard highlights each coach’s experience, dedication, and offerings on Willow’s website.

About Willow

Willow is redefining financial advice for women, NextGen, and underrepresented investors, by matching them with trusted, CE-certified advisors who truly connect with them. Willow’s matching system ensures investors are paired with advisors who resonate on a personal level and meet the unique needs of today’s diverse clientele.

My Contributions

As Willow's sole UX/UI Designer, Krista played a vital role in their brand and developing a design system across the board.

We incorporated user feedback from Willow’s coaches to inform the design. Iterative improvements created a more intuitive and impactful dashboard, helping coaches serve clients effectively while supporting Willow’s goals.

01
the problem

Frustrated woman at work
As Willow scaled, new financial life coaches join to guide women through their life journeys. The previous design saw declining user engagement, highlighting the need for a refreshed interface informed by coach feedback on UX.

02
‍User Interviews

We asked coaches questions regarding the previous design. Some key topics were:
Speech bubble icon
Preferred communication features for clients and partners
Speech bubble icon
Progress and goal tracking
Speech bubble icon
Painpoints or challenges with the existing design
Speech bubble icon
Any particular customization options or personalization feature requests
Speech bubble icon
What worked well with the existing design
Interviews
Key takeaways:
Sad face icon
The interface was not aesthetically pleasing
Sad face icon
Overwhelming and lacked intuitiveness
Sad face icon
Tracking client journeys was challenging
Sad face icon
Lack of community or connection
03
Design Solutions

Create

Meaningful content, curriculum, and products for clients through a content builder and SaaS features

Connect

Build connections and foster a sense of community through useful communication functionalities, forums, and a comprehensive learning center

Inform

Ensure coaches stay informed with timely announcements and client notifications.

Resource

Offer coaches a variety of training sessions and comprehensive guides to better serve their clients
Financial Life Coach Dashboard

04
Information Architecture

Through several sketches, we updated the site map, and dove deeper to create the information architecture.
Information Architecture

05
Wireframes

Below are few main screens that needed feedback.
Client Dashboard Wireframe
Client Curriculum Dashboard Wireframe
Community Dashboard Wireframe
Practice Profile Wireframe
Settings page wireframe
Work Availability Dashboard Wireframe

06
UI Style Guide

Color

Primary
#394950
#d6b88b
Secondary
#8d9f97
#748386
Tertiary
#eaddd9
#3f5873
#777a69
Neutral
#FFFFFF
#e9e9e9
#ece5da
#c1baaf
Success
#9fb483
#9fb483
error
#c24936
#c24936

Typography

Lora
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
R E G U L A R
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Regular, Bold
Montserrat
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
Regular, Bold

Grid System

Grid

07
Hi-fidelity design

Dashboard Homepage Hi-Fidelity Design
Clients page hi-fidelity design
Client Appointments hi-fidelity design
Client Curriculum hi-fidelity design
Edit profile page
My Practice hi-fidelity design

08
Interaction Design

We redesigned the availability tool to address its lack of intuitiveness, as coaches were not updating their availability or syncing calendars, impacting client bookings. We introduced an interactive strategy with sliders and tooltips, simplifying the process of setting recurring availability and syncing external calendars.

09
Iterative solutions

Iterative processes gave coaches flexibility and efficiency, useful tools, increasing engagement with the platform, clients, advisors, as well as other coaches in the community

The Homepage

Before design

The Problem

Sad face icon
Underwhelming homepage UI and doesn't encourage coach's to interact with any helpful tools
Sad face icon
No way to track or utilize an appointments system
Sad face icon
Daily quotes can be motivational, but aren't necessarily helpful to their workflow
Product Solution

The Solution

Sad face icon
Coach's have immediate attention to upcoming appointments with the ability to message client or reschedule
Sad face icon
Able to switch between calendar and list views, allowing them to track and manage appointments
Sad face icon
Created notification center to inform coach's when they are contacted, if anyone has created new curriculum, or if there is recommended content they should assign to clients based on their particular life journeys

Client MGMT

Before Design

The Problem

Sad face icon
UX: Overwhelming navigation system of multiple sections and tabs
Sad face icon
UI: Over-cluttered, confusing, bleak design/styling discouraging user interaction
Client page solution

The Solution

Lightbulb icon
Simplified the user flow and navigation system by styling the primary and secondary navigation headers into clear, separated hierarchies
Lightbulb icon
Designed a 'life journey' component, ensuring coaches are immediately reminded of client details and life experiences.
Lightbulb icon
Combined multiple CTA buttons into a single 'Create' hamburger button

Messaging System

Before design

The Problem

Sad face icon
More navigation tabs
Sad face icon
Email layout is in card format creating bulky UI and too long of a scroll
Client messages solution

The Solution

Lightbulb icon
Combined email & SMS with a drop down when user hovers over "Messages" tab
Lightbulb icon
Designed side-by-side preview as user receives new mail and added a filter and search bar
Lightbulb icon
SMS pop up side bar when clicked on

Coach's Practice

Before design

The Problem

Sad face icon
UX: Same confusing and overwhelming layout
Sad face icon
"My Shop" is unclear
Sad face icon
UI: Difficult to tell what the current page is as every section has same layout and basic color system

The Solution

Lightbulb icon
For clarity, I changed "My Shop" to "My Practice"
Lightbulb icon
Designed Coach Practice Profile in preview mode instead of an input system - improving interaction, creativity, and time saved
Lightbulb icon
Created necessary buttons and call to actions to help guide the coach through the process

10
Reflection

Stay curious
We were reminded how important it is to ask users questions and gather feedback. Engaging with them keeps us grounded, reminding us that we’re designing the platform for their needs, not our own.
Dig deeper
Refreshing the UI alone wouldn’t have solved user problems. By digging into the root issues and listening to users, we shaped a UX approach that truly resonates and delights the platform’s users.
back to top

explore More projects

Henning & Brooks: Brand + Website

Crafting a visual identity for creative entrepreneurs in their family-owned direct-to-consumer business launch
view next
An ipad mockup of Willow's website hero section

B2B & B2C Website

Partnering to grow business by supporting the new majority of investors
view next
Our work
our Services
our story
let's connect
Copyright © 2025 Elliworth creative co. llc