a grad school glow up
A fresh take on student loans—discover the design that almost made it live.
designed at.
Wells Fargo
focus.
B2C
role.
CX Designer
The Graduate Student Center (GSC) was an initiative to update the look, feel, and content of seven graduate loan pages on the Wells Fargo website. I was brought in mid-project as a CX Designer to modernize the visual experience and align the design with recent updates made to the undergraduate loan pages. Although the project was ultimately placed on indefinite hold, my work focused on interaction design, visual direction, and component-based redesign within an accelerated timeline.
objectives
Improve clarity and emphasis on loan details, particularly rates
Create a single destination for B2B provider focused and B2C consumer focused article
Refresh content to reflect new student loan offerings and messaging
design constraints
INCREASE WHITE SPACE to improve readability
Complete visual and UX design within ~ 3 MONTH TIMELINE
Emphasize KEY PRODUCT FEATURES, especially rates
Leverage new
BRAND-ALIGNED COMPONENTS for a more modern aesthetic
Ensure CTA VISIBILITY remains high throughout the user flow
research + discovery
To kick off the project, I worked with stakeholders to better understand the design gaps, content needs, and expectations for the updated Graduate Student Center experience. I conducted an audit of the existing GSC pages alongside the recently refreshed undergraduate loan pages, identifying key inconsistencies in layout, branding, and tone. These insights helped frame our design direction and ensured alignment with current brand standards. I also contributed to internal design critiques, using feedback loops to quickly identify opportunities for improvement and refine early concepts.
The Wells Fargo graduate student loan center is no longer in compliance with the new brand.
the team
This was a focused design/content collaboration. I worked closely with a Content Strategist to align layout and language, using new design system components as a baseline for modernizing the experience.
MY ROLE, MY CONTRIBUTION
role.
Design • Content Author
I joined the Graduate Student Center (GSC) project mid-way through, after the team expanded the scope beyond content updates to include a full visual refresh. Initially, the focus had been solely on revising the page copy, but following the successful redesign of the Undergraduate Student Center using Wells Fargo’s new design components, there was a clear need to align the GSC pages with the updated brand direction. As the CX Designer, I led the interaction and visual design effort—responsible for creating wireframes and high-fidelity assets for the GSC landing page and six associated product pages. I collaborated closely with the content strategist to ensure our layouts complemented the new messaging, and I packaged the final designs for delivery in anticipation of development.
my tasks and responsibilities.
CX Designer – Interaction & Visual Design
I served as the CX Designer responsible for both the interaction and visual design of the Graduate Student Center experience. My role involved translating updated brand guidance into layouts that were accessible, user-friendly, and visually consistent with Wells Fargo’s newly refreshed undergraduate pages.
Wireframe & Asset Delivery
I created, packaged, and delivered detailed wireframes and high-fidelity visual assets for stakeholder review and potential development. Each asset was built with consistency in mind, leveraging reusable components from the new design system to ensure scalability.
Content & Layout Alignment
Working closely with the content strategist, I ensured that layout decisions supported copy intent and content flow. This collaboration helped balance visual clarity with messaging goals—particularly around rates, product benefits, and CTA placement.
Multi-Page Design Execution
I designed across seven pages total: the GSC landing page and six graduate-focused loan product pages. Each page was built with modularity in mind, allowing for future flexibility if content needs changed.
Design Reviews & Iteration
Throughout the process, I participated in internal design critiques and rapid iteration loops to refine the work. Feedback was integrated across multiple rounds, ensuring alignment with stakeholders and brand expectations.
Scalability & Optimization Readiness
Although the project didn’t go live, I ensured each page structure supported potential A/B testing and performance tracking. This included thoughtful hierarchy, CTA placement, and layout flexibility to accommodate future testing efforts.
Image Selection & Visual Storytelling
I was also responsible for selecting imagery used across the redesigned pages. Using Getty Images, I curated visuals that supported the narrative and purpose of each page. For the landing page, we chose an image of a student at graduation—symbolizing the ultimate goal of our borrowers. For product-specific loans, I selected contextual imagery to match the audience (i.e. a medical student in a hospital). Throughout the process, I ensured that the imagery reflected diversity in gender, race, and age to better represent the range of students we aimed to serve.
process
After a round of stakeholder interviews and an evaluation of the existing GSC experience, we reframed the problem around aligning with the updated undergraduate loan pages and improving how information—especially rates—was presented. The design process centered on quick concepting, content collaboration, and iterative refinement.
stakeholder interviews
existing page audit
discover
define
problem framing
design critique
ideate
wireframing
layout exploration
working sessions
early team feedback
prototype
high-fidelity mockups
design critiques
iterations
UserTesting.com was planned for first impressions
test
designs were prep'd for handoff but not launched
implement
VISUALS
VISUAL COMPARISON: BEFORE + AFTER, LANDING PAGE REDESIGN
To modernize the Graduate Student Center landing page, we implemented several key layout and content updates, shown in the side-by-side comparison. The updated design used Wells Fargo’s new large promo component to keep the primary CTA above the fold, ensuring high visibility. The four featured loan products were reorganized into a 2x2 column layout for better visual balance and scanability. While most components were refreshed, the right-rail remained unchanged to preserve the existing feedback form, which was not yet part of the new design system. Below the product section, we introduced a three-part resource section—"Before You Apply," "Repayment Options," and "Additional Resources"—followed by a section outlining borrower responsibilities to support informed decision-making. Wells Fargo's new Large Promo component.
Graduate Student Center landing page circa 2019 (left) and the proposed new designs (right)
Graduate Student Center landing page circa 2019 (left) and the proposed new designs (right)
VISUAL COMPARISON: BEFORE + AFTER, PRODUCT PAGE REDESIGN
The redesigned graduate loan product page introduced a more structured and user-focused layout to help prospective borrowers find key information quickly. At the top, a static hero image anchored the page, followed by a clear display of the loan rate, giving users immediate access to essential financial details. A benefits callout section highlighted key selling points—including flexible payments, interest rate discounts, and zero fees—reinforcing the value proposition early in the experience. A prominent CTA encouraged users to apply, while a dedicated banner emphasized co-signer benefits, which were a priority for marketing. To reduce content overwhelm, we added show-hide functionality for expanded loan information, including details on rates and discounts, eligibility, borrowing limits, and application requirements. The page wrapped with a set of additional resources, featuring budgeting tips and a webinar to help users explore other ways to pay for graduate school.
Graduate Student Center Private Graduate Student Loan product page circa 2019 (left) and the proposed new designs (right)
PAIN POINTS + LESSONS LEARNED
design inconsistency
GSC pages looked outdated and inconsistent compared to the recently refreshed undergraduate pages.
Updated all visual components to reflect the current design system and create alignment across loan product pages.
low visual clarity
Content-heavy layouts lacked spacing, making important info (like rates) easy to miss.
Introduced more white space, visual groupings, and emphasized rates and CTA placement through layout.
compressed timeline
Tight 3-month turnaround from design kickoff to asset delivery.
Prioritized wireframes and rapid iterations, working in parallel with content strategy to speed alignment.
limited brand imagery
Wells Fargo's existing image library had very few relevant or up-to-date visuals for graduate-focused loan content.
We sourced imagery from Getty Images, securing a budget for licensing, and were intentional with selection—repurposing images across components (e.g., using the same image as both the static hero and thumbnail) to maximize impact and value.
project terminated midstream
Wells Fargo’s business decision to exit student loans paused the project indefinitely.
All designs were packaged for potential handoff, and the work remained a strong design artifact for future initiatives.
user acceptance testing, LAUNCH AND EVALUATION
If the project had launched, testing would have focused on
SCOPE AND FOCUS AREAS
MULTIVARIATE TESTING
Real-time performance testing via A/B multivariate testing (control + 2 challengers)
USER FEEDBACK
User impressions via UserTesting.com to capture first-glance reactions
ENGAGEMENT METRICS
Tracking KPIs like page exits and loan application starts
GOALS + INSIGHTS
Understand how users respond to changes in layout and language
Determine whether redesigned product pages drive better engagement
Optimize content hierarchy based on real user behavior
next steps
Though the project was eventually shelved, the next steps had it launched would have included:
key next steps (would have been).
A/B Testing
Running multivariate tests to refine page elements (e.g. rates, CTA placement)
User Testing
Conducting user testing to evaluate trust and clarity
Conversion Metrics
Measuring conversion metrics like loan starts and page retention
POST PROJECT REFLECTION
While the project never reached production due to shifting business priorities, it served as an opportunity to apply visual strategy, UX principles, and design system thinking under a compressed timeline. The collaborative approach with content and stakeholders led to a complete, production-ready asset set that could have enhanced the student loan experience—had the product remained active.