EarnUp Student Loans
| 5 minutes read
EarnUp Student Loans Dashboard
This UX case study showcases how ShopAI designed and prototyped a student loans dashboard experience for EarnUp using a human-centered design sprint. The project demonstrates how ShopAI demos and prototypes can simplify complex financial workflows and help users make confident, informed decisions. Through a realistic, end-to-end prototype, ShopAI delivered a demo solution that transforms student loan repayment from a stressful, opaque process into a clear, guided journey.
If you are looking for ShopAI prototypes or demo solutions to validate a product idea, this project illustrates our approach in action.
Problem
Student loan repayment is one of the most confusing and emotionally charged financial experiences users face. Borrowers often deal with fragmented loan data, unclear repayment plans, and fear of making costly mistakes. Many financial products overwhelm users with calculators and terminology before helping them understand their options. EarnUp needed a demo prototype that clearly showed how users could understand their loans, compare repayment strategies, and move forward with confidence. This challenge aligns with the type of problems ShopAI demo solutions are built to address: turning complexity into clarity before full product development.
Design Sprint Approach
ShopAI led a structured design sprint to rapidly move from problem framing to a high-fidelity dashboard prototype. The sprint balanced business goals, UX research, and real-world constraints, ensuring the demo was both credible and actionable.
The sprint included:
- Stakeholder alignment and product framing
- UX research and persona definition
- Journey mapping and information architecture
- Ideation and concept validation
- High-fidelity prototyping for demo presentation
This sprint approach is central to how ShopAI demos and prototypes help teams validate ideas before committing to full builds.
UX Research and User Persona
Research revealed that users do not think about student loans in technical or mathematical terms. Instead, they frame decisions around outcomes like paying less overall, reducing monthly stress, or paying off debt faster. We designed the prototype around Rosie, a representative user who wants guidance, reassurance, and transparency rather than advanced financial controls.
Key user needs:
- Clearly understand what loans exist
- See repayment options compared side by side
- Feel confident choosing a plan
These insights informed every design decision and reinforced ShopAI’s belief that strong demos start with human understanding, not technology.
User Journey and Flow Design
The student loan flow was designed as a progressive journey that mirrors how people naturally learn. Rosie is welcomed with a personalized onboarding moment that establishes trust. She is then guided through finding and linking her loans before being introduced to repayment options. Each step builds context before asking her to decide. This type of guided experience is a core pattern in ShopAI demo solutions, where clarity and narrative matter more than feature density.
Information Architecture and Content Strategy
The dashboard uses progressive disclosure to reduce cognitive overload. Information is revealed step by step, allowing users to focus on one decision at a time. Plain language replaces financial jargon, and content framing is intentionally optimistic. Headlines like “We found your student loans” and “We see savings in your future” shift the emotional tone from anxiety to opportunity. This content-first approach is a key differentiator in ShopAI prototypes, especially in regulated or high-stress industries.
Loan Discovery and Account Linking
Loans are grouped by servicer to align with existing user mental models. This makes information easier to trust and faster to understand. Clear balances and simple actions reduce friction and reinforce credibility, ensuring the demo feels realistic and grounded in real user behavior.
Repayment Options UX Design
Instead of complex calculators, repayment options are presented as clear comparison cards aligned with user goals. Users can evaluate options based on:
- Lowest total cost
- Highest monthly savings
- Lowest immediate monthly payment
Each option shows monthly payment, loan term, total cost, and savings in a consistent layout. A recommended option is highlighted to guide decision making without removing user agency. This decision-support pattern is commonly used in ShopAI demo solutions to help stakeholders quickly grasp value and usability.
Visual and Interaction Design
The visual design prioritizes clarity, trust, and calm. Consistent layouts support comparison. Color is used strategically to highlight savings and positive outcomes. Interactions are minimal and predictable, keeping attention on content rather than motion. Primary calls to action remain clear throughout the flow, reinforcing momentum and confidence.
Validation and Iteration
The prototype was iterated through internal reviews and usability walkthroughs. Refinements focused on simplifying language, improving hierarchy, and ensuring the experience worked for users with one or multiple loans. Accessibility and readability were considered throughout, reinforcing ShopAI’s commitment to inclusive, production-ready demos.
Results and Impact
The final EarnUp prototype demonstrates how ShopAI demos and prototypes can help teams align on product direction, user experience, and business value before development. By prioritizing clarity, transparency, and human-centered design, the demo turns a complex financial decision into a calm, empowering experience. This case study highlights how ShopAI demo solutions help organizations validate ideas, communicate vision, and accelerate product confidence.
Key Takeaways
- Clear demos reduce user anxiety
- Human-centered design improves financial decision making
- Prototypes build trust with stakeholders
- Strong demos clarify value before engineering
Looking to build your own demo or prototype?
If you are exploring ShopAI demos, ShopAI prototypes, or custom demo solutions to validate your product or service, ShopAI helps teams turn ideas into clear, compelling experiences.
Visit the ShopAI homepage to learn more and start a conversation.