PROBLEM
Users couldn't tell if they could afford their debt, or how DebtBusters could help.
SOLUTION
One widget showing both: where they stand, and their way forward.
OUTCOME
Highest-converting dashboard feature: 20% of conversions from 14% of leads.
MY ROLE
Led UX and UI design
Consulted on usability testing plan with the UX research partner
Reframed a UI fix brief into a new lead journey
TEAM
PO
RP
D
Me
TIMEFRAME
May - August 2025
USABILITY TESTING
Heuristic Analysis
User Interviews
AI Prototyping
Figma Mockups
South Africans are under severe debt stress.
DebtBusters, the country's leading debt counselling service, offers a free dashboard showing users where they stand through their credit report.
Debt Sustainability Indicator (DSI)
Debt-to-income ratio measures how much of someone's income goes to repaying debt. Below 40% is sustainable. For context, the average South African owes 112% of their annual income.
DebtBusters calls this the Debt Sustainability Indicator on their customer platform. Users found it confusing.
The brief asked for a UI fix, but a heuristic analysis revealed a missed conversion opportunity.
Two halves of the story, split across two pages: what users owe, and what they could save.
Research methods:
Findings
A powerful question, lost in jargon, disconnected figures and an undefined CTA. Cognitive load buried what users needed to know: can they afford their debt, and what can they do about it?
Opportunity
Users were looking for the solution. It already existed, one page away. The Solutions page showed what they could save, while the dashboard only showed what they owe.
Hypothesis
Our research partner hypothesised that merging the Credit Snapshot and Monthly Savings tables would give users a clearer view of their situation and its solution, generating more leads.
This pointed to the same fix as my heuristic analysis, so I proposed the DSI widget as the place to bring them together, turning a UI fix into a lead journey.
One widget combining both halves of the story: where users stand, and how DebtBusters can help.
Flow
The original flow was short but ended in a mismatch. The redesign adds steps, and each one builds understanding before the ask, so the callback lands as expected.
Round 1 Iterations • Pre-testing
The first round explored how to show both halves of the story in one widget. The last design went into testing.
Validation
Moderated remote usability testing was conducted by our research partner from a plan I developed, seeking to validate:
We tested both DSI states, the solution view and the calculation sheet. Users valued simplicity above all, and one read a fully green scale as room to take on more debt. I consolidated feedback on a Lucidchart board.
Actionable insights
From the feedback, I prioritised 5 actionable insights to carry into the final design:
Area | What users said | What changed |
|---|---|---|
Colour | A fully green scale read as room to take on more debt | Reserve green for the safe zone only |
Threshold graph | The original gradient hinted at a limit, but never showed it | Show the 40% safe zone in every state |
CTA copy | "Apply now" and "Find out more" felt too generic | Labels that name the outcome |
Solution view | The savings felt abstract, with users unsure what the solution involved | More context on what the solution is |
Slideover sheet | Users valued transparency, but the calculation felt dense | Progressive disclosure for the calculation |
Round 2 Iterations • Post-testing
Chosen "D" combined what worked across the round: A's status-first hierarchy, B's elevated solution view, and a horizontal scale with a threshold marker showing the safe zone. Outcome-led CTA copy set clearer expectations.
Final design
Users toggle between their situation and their solution. Green appears only inside the 40% safe zone, which is marked in both views. CTAs name their outcome, and the solution view spells out what DebtBusters offers.
Prototyped in Figma Make to capture the toggle's animation for dev handoff.
For users under debt stress, we chose transparency over pressure. Progressive disclosure explains the DSI using their own numbers, and eligible users can continue straight to an application from the slideover.
The DSI widget became the Dashboard's highest-converting feature.
20% of Dashboard conversions
from just 14% of leads
Users want context before commitment. Seeing the solution within their own situation built the trust to take the next step – speaking to a consultant, and beginning their debt counselling journey.
Next steps
Lighter variants: Since launch, we've explored more lightweight versions of the widget.
Closing the loop: Showing users what to expect once they request a callback, so the expectation set by the widget carries through to the call.
This case study reflects my contributions to a feature built as part of my role at Confluent Services. All product assets and trademarks remain property of their respective owners.
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