Helen West

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Helen West

A clearer way to refinance

A clearer way to
refinance

Role

Design lead

Discipline

UX design & research

Working with 4finance, I led the UX design of ReCredit, a refinancing product for existing Vivus customers in Poland. Developed in response to changing lending regulations, the challenge was to make a complex refinancing proposition easier to understand, apply for and manage.

Mobile on desk showing screen of finance app

01. Project overview

The challenge

Changes to Polish lending regulations would restrict customers' ability to extend short-term loans. 4finance needed an alternative for customers struggling to repay, with clear communication of the costs, repayment terms and relationship between two lenders.

My role

I led UX from discovery to testing, collaborating with researchers, designers and business and technical teams. Alongside hands-on design, I guided the team in adopting user-centred practices and using customer evidence to inform decisions.

The outcome

80% of customers offered ReCredit signed up, and loan defaults fell by 19%. Research-led design also improved customers' understanding of their repayment obligations.

02. From discovery to refined design

Defining the proposition

Facilitated a workshop in Warsaw to establish customer needs, challenge assumptions and prioritise hypotheses using user-centred methods.

Understanding customers

Worked with a researcher to survey 507 customers about borrowing behaviours, repayment challenges and loan extensions.

Mapping and prototyping

Led journey mapping with business and technical teams, then developed interactive prototypes covering the Vivus and ReCredit experience.

Testing and refining

Used successive rounds of usability testing to challenge assumptions, resolve disagreements and refine the design based on customer evidence.

03. Selected work

Defining the proposition
Exploring the experience
Refining the application
Research-informed recommendations
Presenting the refinancing offer
Managing repayments

Defining the proposition
Exploring the experience
Refining the application
Research-informed recommendations
Presenting the refinancing offer
Managing repayments

04. The solution

Clearer refinancing offers

Made loan costs and repayment terms explicit. When a stakeholder favoured a less transparent approach, I proposed comparative user testing. Observing a customer respond to the alternatives helped secure agreement on a clearer solution.

A guided application

Designed a streamlined application using existing customer information, with clearer loan terms, supporting documents and next steps.

Transparent repayment admin

Designed account views showing balances, payment schedules and history, with clear feedback for missed, partial and additional repayments.

05. The outcome

Clearer terms, measurable results

80%

Offer sign-up rate

19%

Fewer defaults

Of customers offered ReCredit, 80% signed up, while loan defaults fell by 19%. These results reflected the overall product proposition, including its financial terms, rather than UX improvements alone.

Usability testing demonstrated improved understanding of repayment obligations and reduced confusion about loan terms. Research findings also helped shape wider product decisions.

Helen West

Helen West

A clearer way to refinance

A clearer way to
refinance