SoFi Round-Up Repayment
Time:
Sep 2025 - Dec 2025
Role:
Product Builder
Tools:
Figma (Make), Gemini
I worked on this project during the Technology-Driven Innovation course at CMU. By addressing a problem we care about, I focused on reimagining the student loan repayment journey to help borrowers save on interest and reach debt freedom faster.
Problem
The "Invisible" Progress of Repayment
1 in 5 Americans are dealing with student debt. The average borrower owes nearly $40k, and repayment can drag on for 20 years. Because the finish line feels far away, paying it off seems like a distant dream. When progress is invisible, it’s easy to lose motivation.
👥 The Average Borrower
Average Debt
Nearly $40K
Monthly Payment
Nearly $300/Month
Repayment Term
Around 20 Years
😞 User Reality
~Barbara, 62-years-old (Source: The Guardian)
Borrowed $60K for her master’s degree in nursing
Has already paid over $66K, but still owes $61K due to interest
At this pace, she won’t finish paying until age 91
User Research
The Power of the "Extra" Amount
During research, I kept seeing the same pattern in success stories from Reddit: borrowers found that chipping away at the principal could shave years off their loan terms. This proved that small actions can lead to a big impact over time.
How might we help people feel less stressed about collecting that “extra” amount while they are already dealing with heavy monthly payments?
Opportunity
Round It Up, Pay It Down
To reduce the 'pain of paying,' I was inspired by the Round-Up model. Research shows that people are willing to part with that extra amount because spare change feels less significant.
➡️ The market has validated that small change is a low-friction way to commit money.
Users are already accustomed to rounding up—whether it's donating, investing, or saving during daily spending.
After considering business models, user trust, and market constraints, I decided to situate the solution within an existing banking ecosystem. This project is a conceptual feature for SoFi Bank, which has helped over 515K members refinance more than $46 billion in student loans.
How can the Round-Up feature benefit SoFi’s Loan Business:
Why not design a standalone app?
1. Though Round-Up repayment apps like Changed or the defunct Qoins exist, they rely on subscription models ($3–$15/month). For borrowers already counting every penny, paying extra fees is burdensome. 2. Standalone apps face challenges in navigating banks, loan providers, and building user trust from scratch.
Why collaborate with SoFi?
1. Leveraging SoFi's student loan roots, the Round-Up feature serves as a unique selling point to attract users to refinance. 2. SoFi’s existing banking infrastructure allows for seamless round-up repayment integration.
Ideation
Integrating a Round-Up Feature into the SoFi Ecosystem
To visualize the concept, I started by mapping the critical user journey to identify daily interaction touchpoints. From there, I prototyped the four key screens that anchor this experience and conducted rapid user interviews to gather early feedback.
💡I used Figma Make to rapidly generate the prototype's skeleton -
But since good design lives in the details, I chose not to spend hours prompting AI to fix visual inconsistencies. Instead, I manually crafted the final layers to ensure a cohesive, professional experience.
Iteration
User Feedback & Visual Refinement & Brand Alignment
Without the official design system, I studied the app's patterns to align with SoFi’s brand identity. This allowed me to create a seamless interface that maintains visual harmony and hierarchy.
What Changed:
Users feel more motivated to engage when seeing the tangible balance upfront
Round-Up entry looks like an ad banner ➡️ Moving the balance to the top and showing the actual number makes users more likely to click
What Changed:
1. Increased transparency on fund location
"Where is this balance held? Checking account?" ➡️ Added a Tooltip to confirm funds are secured in a separate "Vault," building trust without cluttering the UI
2. Motivated action with value-driven copy
Users were confused by the redundancy: "If auto-pay is set for Jan 1, why is there a 'Pay Now' button? ➡️ Highlighting "100% goes to principal" hands control back to users, letting them accumulate funds and choose their own moment to pay
What Changed:
1. Visualized the ROI of Spare Change
Users had to read a separate text card to understand the chart's meaning ➡️ Placing the "X days saved" insight directly on the chart creates a visual connection between money saved and time earned
2. Enhanced Discoverability & Control
The original design felt like a static indicator ➡️ Redesigned as an obvious interactive slider, inviting users to experiment with different amounts to visualize a realistic payoff timeline
Final Design
Without the official design system, I studied the app's patterns to align with SoFi’s brand identity. This allowed me to create a seamless interface that maintains visual harmony and hierarchy.
Reflection
Beyond Design: The Era of Product Builders
As AI blurs the lines between disciplines, it empowers me to evolve into product builders. The question is no longer about my specific role, but rather: "What problem am I solving, and how can I use every tool available to build it?"
💬 Pivot: From Standalone App to Banking Feature
The project pivoted after “reality checking” with a VC. Since interest is the primary revenue source, helping users save it directly conflicts with business profitability. The solution was to reframe the feature as a user acquisition strategy for banks. This taught me to prioritize business logic alongside user experience.
🤖 AI Accelerates Output, Not Outcome
AI tools allow me to create screens easily, but I realized that velocity is not a proxy for quality. Good design still lives in the details.