I designed a loan request and monitoring flow for small business owners in financially sensitive moments. The goal was to create an experience that feels clear, supportive, and emotionally safe, not more stressful.

Small business owners like food vendors and retailers often struggle with traditional funding platforms, they’re either too complicated, too cold, or too intimidating.

The friction usually comes from:

Overwhelming forms, Unclear repayment terms, No feedback or progress cues and A lack of empathy in copy and flow

These gaps reduce trust, increase drop-off, and add to user stress, exactly what loan applicants don’t need.

A clean, 3-step loan experience that:

Breaks the process down into manageable pieces with progress indicators

Shows fees and repayment terms upfront to build trust

Gives users control through confirmation screens and clear dashboards

Designed with empathy at the core, every state, microcopy, and interaction helps users feel guided, not judged.

Reduce anxiety and cognitive load

Build clarity through visual hierarchy and simple language

Increase completion rate by breaking steps into chunks

Create an emotionally aware product that adapts to user states

Busy entrepreneurs like food vendors, shop owners, and service providers, who need a quick, transparent loan flow that doesn’t overwhelm them.

I built the experience around a fictional user: Simon, a shop owner in Portugal, trying to make ends meet during a slow month. Everything was designed with him in mind, from drag-and-drop uploads to success modals that feel human, not robotic.

1. Emotionally Supportive UX

Chose green for growth and psychological safety

Clear feedback for skipped or failed actions

Landing page with simple and clear messaging: “Running a business is hard. Getting a loan shouldn’t be.”

2. Clean, Guided Loan Flow

Progress bar across four clear steps

Straightforward forms for business info, loan terms, uploads, and review

3. Transparent Financial Decisions

Repayment options with visible fee percentages

No hidden info, no guesswork

Final screen shows all info side-by-side before submission

4. Adaptive Dashboards

Pending state = uncluttered, supportive

Advanced state = all loan statuses shown clearly

Users can track and plan without friction

This flow reflects strong product thinking:

Reduces drop-off by simplifying each step

Builds emotional trust through honest design

Encourages re-engagement and user self-confidence

Makes financial tools feel like a partner, not a barrier

Designing for financially stressed users means every detail counts. A tone, a color, a form layout, all of it impacts how safe and in control someone feels. Emotional design is not soft; it’s strategic. When people are stressed about money, design can either overwhelm or empower. I chose the second.

If you're building tools for vulnerable moments, I’d love to help make them clearer, calmer, and more human.