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Overview

Problem

Research

Ideation

Prototyping

Testing

Contributions

Final Delivery

Reflections

Purpose

Groundid

My role

Product Designer,
UX Research

Timeline

Jun 2025 - Present

Replace doomscrolling: A place for hot takes, fact-checked content, and personal growth.

Replace doomscrolling: A place for hot takes, fact-checked content, and personal growth.

I created the idea of Groundid because I wanted a way to replace mindless scrolling with an alternative that inspires human connection and critical thinking.

How I want Groundid to differentiate itself from other social media: is academically-reviewed and focuses on user ratings, instead of numbered engagement, but each interaction is an opportunity for connection. It's exactly for people who intentionally want a daily dose of intellectual stimulation, whether it's sharing hot takes or finding new ways to experience life.

DESIGN SYSTEM COMPONENTS

1

Notification-system components handed off with fully customizable properties.

UX WRITING DELIVERABLES

12

Copies handed-off for notifications and different categories of alerts.

PROTOTYPE TURN-AROUND

<2

Weeks of moving from ideating and iterating, to prototyping in Figma.

THE PROBLEM

Mindless scrolling has become increasingly normalized, and our brain function is the price.

A doom-scrolling addiction is rising while AI slop trends circulate, and a perceived growth in anti-intellectualism and misinformation arises. And what's the outcome?

The rising addiction of doomscrolling is affecting our
brain function and ability to critically think.

Finance teams needed to juggle different tabs to track important information, leaving workers feeling inefficient and slow.

Why do I care?

[draft] I do unfortunately enjoy a little mindless scrolling here and there, but I notice how badly echo chamber algorithms can affect our ability to think independently, even in small doses. As I grow older, it becomes more important to me to preserve my ability to learn but also satisfy my itch to critically think. I minored in Children and Mental Health Studies in college, and topics like trauma in adolescence and metacognition have always intrigued me because how we think also shapes how we control our lives. Creating Groundid for me offers a place to explore and nurture those skills by engaging with disputable opinions, partaking in meaningful conversations, and intentionally consuming academically-reviewed content.
[draft] I do unfortunately enjoy a little mindless scrolling here and there, but I notice how badly echo chamber algorithms can affect our ability to think independently, even in small doses. As I grow older, it...
[draft] I do unfortunately enjoy a little mindless scrolling here and there, but I notice how badly echo chamber algorithms can affect our ability to think independently, even in small doses. As I grow older, it...

IDEATION

Groundid was inspired by a multitude of late 2024 to early 2025 when conversations about TikTok's federal ban in America became increasingly controversial.

Maintaining open communication with the research team, I mapped their insights onto a user journey map in order to pinpoint successes and limitations of their current workflows.

RESEARCH AND DISCOVERY

First, we wanted to get a better sense of our users' current workflows.

First, we wanted to get a better sense of our users' current workflows.

Prior user interviews and research had been conducted before I joined this project. To reopen and kickoff this project, I focused on synthesizing our existing efforts and data in order to discover improvement opportunities, current strengths, unseen pain points, and deeply understand our finance teams.

"How are customers currently working with alerts?"


Using Dovetail, UserTesting, and user interviews, I observed repeated complaints, successes, and behavioral patterns with users that work with our alerts daily to guide my understanding of the situation.

Using Dovetail, UserTesting, and user interviews, I observed repeated complaints and behavioral patterns with users that work with our alerts daily to guide my understanding of the situation.

USER JOURNEY MAP

To understand the bigger picture, we closely analyzed the physical and emotional journey of their workflows.

Maintaining open communication with the research team, I mapped their insights onto a user journey map in order to pinpoint successes and limitations of their current workflows.

KEY INSIGHTS: FINANCE CONTROLLERS

We concluded that our users were confused and mentally overloaded with the separation of "email-alerts" and "platform-actions."

PAIN POINTS

"As a user, I'm frustrated that:"

  1. PRODUCT: Important items are too easily forgotten or delayed.

    • Finance controllers checked emails for alerts, but had to log into the WEX platform to investigate issues

    • Risks: sensitive finances, delayed responses, and missed urgent items

  2. PROCESS: Recording important information relied on controllers' DIY solutions.

    • Had to manually record it elsewhere for future use, no centralized place for older alerts

ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS

"As a user, I want to:"

  1. Review issues in full details immediately

  2. Easily take relevant action after being alerted

  3. Conveniently track and revisit alerts

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: INDUSTRY PATTERN EXPLORATION

To circulate different ideas into our process, we analyzed notification design patterns in the fintech industry.

Through signing up for demos and discovering patterns from fellow fintech companies, we analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of their patterns, informing our ideation, visual cohesiveness, and future direction.

DESIGN FOCUS: USER NEEDS + GOALS + CONSTRAINTS

As effective guidelines for success, I illustrated the priorities that should be reflected in our future solution.

To ideate an effective design solution, it was important to see the full picture. Bringing in what I learned from our research, I carefully mapped our user needs, business goals, and technical constraints to guide my ideation.

To make sure I was aligned with the team, I discussed with our stakeholders and PMs what our desired outcome of this project may look like, which also helped me accomodate longer-term future goals.

IDEATION + OPPORTUNITY

We saw an important opportunity to ease the transition between "awareness" and "taking action."

Help finance teams move from alert to action more clearly and efficiently?

How might we

Help finance teams move from alert to action more clearly and efficiently?

How might we

IDEATION: WIREFRAME SKETCHES

After establishing our goals and focus, I began freely sketching my ideas on paper.

I set up a timer for 10-minutes and began sketching away. Once I finished, I added notes and sought feedback by discussing my thought process and expanded the conversation by applying considerations to constraints and goals.

Then I formed my professional opinion: 'Inbox,' so that our team could have a clear direction.

By benchmarking our key insights, user journey map, interviews, and design focus, I was able to advise to stakeholders that an 'Inbox' may be most suitable. The 'Inbox' addresses workflow needs, industry patterns, and as a bonus, aligns with technical backend constraints. (Ideally, I'd create low-fi digital prototypes to test and validate, but there were deadline priorities that needed to be adhered to.)

PROTOTYPING: MID-FI PROTOTYPES

After aligning with the team, I iterated and refined to create mid-fi prototypes.

As a team, we ensured open communication and checked in with one another, so that the designs remained consistent and on-track.

After completing multiple iterations and receiving feedback, like refining positioning and adding necessary elements, I turned my wireframes to mid-fi prototypes; we were then given the greenlight to move forward with testing.

UX WRITING

Assuring users stay on top of their finances easily and clearly.

Following the effective principles of UX writing and researching how competitors write their alerts, I focused on communicating the urgency and clarity of the content without fearmongering.

TESTING: STAKEHOLDER + PM FEEDBACK

Validating usability & uncovering blindspots

Heading into the final stages, we synthesized feedback from our internal stakeholders after walking them through the mid-fi prototypes. It was decided that the Popover design would be set aside for future consideration, and we were going to prioritize the Inbox design. My team and I were on-track with the project, given my internship was wrapping up soon. Heading into the final stages, we performed usability testing, then walked through the stages of the mid-fi prototypes.
Heading into the final stages, we synthesized feedback from our internal stakeholders after walking them through the mid-fi prototypes. It was decided that the Popover design would be set aside for future consideration, and we were going to prioritize the Inbox design. My team and I were on-track with the project, given my internship was wrapping up soon. Heading into the final stages, we performed usability testing, then walked through the stages of the mid-fi prototypes.

Contribution Highlights

Actionized UX research and ongoing feedback.
Validated design decisions and consolidated takeaways to inform future implementations.
Users no longer need to rely on email-alerts.
Automatically access the most urgent alerts and take action right away.
Delivered responsive components with dynamic properties.
Reusable in different contexts and future development.

Final Deliverables

Reflections

Working for WEX was deeply rewarding, especially on a project that supports thousands of people feel more in control and more confident. Throughout this process, I learned to validate design decisions with constraints, while balancing unexpected changes and evolving feedback. I'd also like to mention how working alongside senior talents has allowed me to see my strengths and gaps, inspiring me to continue expanding my own skillset. When I work on future projects, this one will serve as a reminder that there's such thing as a bad idea in ideation, and effective UX is a non-linear process.
Working for WEX was deeply rewarding, especially on a project that supports thousands of people feel more in control and more confident. Throughout this process, I learned to validate design decisions with cons...
Working for WEX was deeply rewarding, especially on a project that supports thousands of people feel more in control and more confident. Throughout this process, I learned to validate design decisions with cons...