YieldX · Case study

Driving product-market fit with strategic user research

User research & personas
YieldX user personas laid out on a table
4.2/5product satisfaction score from users
13advisors, managers and investors interviewed and tested
5proto-personas that aligned the executive team
1stuser research practice at YieldX

Context

A fintech reimagining fixed income

$36M

in VC funding before YieldX was acquired by FNZ, a global wealth management platform, in 2023.

YieldX logoYieldX (now FNZ) offers smart workflows, AI-powered analytics and a reimagined experience that help financial firms expand their fixed-income offerings.
My roleScale Product Design, establish a user research practice, and align the team around a user-centric approach.

The problem

Leadership wasn't clear on who the product was really for.

  • Design was UI-focused, without research behind it
  • Unclear users led to misaligned product priorities
  • Fixed income was an underexplored space with no playbook

Methods I introduced

Stakeholder interviewsAligned leadership on goals and priorities
User interviewsWith prospective and existing users
PersonasActionable profiles of the main user groups
Usability testingEvaluated key workflows across the platform

Who we're designing for

Proto-personas to align the executive team

Wealth managersmanage mixed-asset portfolios
Financial advisorsguide and allocate client funds
Family officesoversee wealth for HNW families
Portfolio managersinvest for institutions and funds
Product leadsdrive product at fintechs
Persona: Samuel Reyes, wealth manager
Samuel, wealth manager
Persona: Mia Kantor, product lead
Mia, product lead

Green lightAfter I presented the personas, the executive team approved YieldX's first round of user research.

Research plan

Talking to users for the first time

1Understand users' needs, daily routines, pain points and challenges
2Identify strengths and weaknesses of the current platform
3Confirm whether YieldX's solutions meet users' needs

Contextual inquiry with open-ended questions, followed by a usability test with four tasks covering each YieldX product, and follow-up questions.

User interview plan
Interview plan
Participants: 6 financial advisors, 3 portfolio managers, 3 wealth managers, 1 family office investor
Participants

Key insights

What we learned

01Users need tools for investing across diverse asset types
02Simpler workflows are critical for broader adoption
03Personalization and automation are highly valued
04Users new to fixed income need education
Usability insight: users missed the exit app button
Many users missed the "exit app" button
Usability insight: users wanted to pick more than one credit quality
Users wanted to pick more than one credit quality

Impact

Research became a strategic driver

Highlights and user quotes with a 4.2 out of 5 satisfaction score
4.2/5 satisfactionUsers called the platform modern, intuitive and efficient.
Clearer alignmentLeadership understood its personas and product-market fit, leading to more strategic decisions.
Culture shiftUser research became a guiding force, and design became a strategic partner, not just execution.