Building an Award-Winning Design Team

1. Design as an equal partner in Product Development 

When I first joined Finix, product design was brought in late in the development process—typically after solutions were already defined. Given Finix’s roots as a developer-first company, the emphasis was naturally on building powerful APIs rather than polished user experiences. However, as Finix evolved toward a dashboard-first approach, we realized that design needed a seat at the table from the start. 

This meant embedding designers early in the product lifecycle—before the solution was even defined. For example, when designing our low-code and no-code payment solutions, designers collaborated with internal as well as existing and churned customers to understand how less technically savvy users would engage with the product. This upfront involvement with domain experts and subsequent research with customers allowed us to break down complex problems, explore diverse solutions, and prioritize user-centricity from the outset.

Today, designers at Finix are integral to defining product requirements, conducting customer research, and shaping solutions. The result? Features that are not only more cohesive and intuitive but also require fewer iterations. This approach has increased efficiency across the product team and significantly improved the overall user experience of the product.

2. Building a Design System from the Ground Up

Consistency is the backbone of great user experience. A critical part of establishing design as a successful function at Finix was creating a consistent, scalable design system. We built our design system from scratch, focusing on scalable, reusable components. This not only allowed us to maintain cohesive design patterns across the product but also significantly reduced design and development time. 

For example, every table or “list page” in the dashboard leads to a detail page with a consistent structure: a header, a context bar, and detailed information. This predictable flow ensures users can always find the information they need in the same place.

For this initiative to be successful, collaborating with front-end engineering was critical. Every design component was coded as a reusable module, which helped us move quickly without compromising quality. This partnership didn’t just streamline our processes; it fostered a sense of shared ownership and problem-solving between design and engineering. 

3. Prioritizing Deep Customer Research

At Finix, we believe that great design starts with understanding the user. This meant going beyond customer interviews to also engage with internal teams like operations, underwriting, sales, and support. These conversations uncovered significant usability issues that were affecting customer satisfaction and retention. 

One standout example was our month-long research initiative to understand how users approved and reconciled settlements—a small but critical feature. By addressing the frustrations we uncovered, we simplified workflows and significantly improved usability. Another insight came from customers requesting more detailed payment analytics directly within the dashboard. This feedback inspired a large-scale redesign of the homepage, which now offers richer insights and filtering options. These changes drove a measurable increase in key metrics like Net Promoter Score (NPS).

4. Empowering Designers to Lead

A key ingredient to our success was empowering designers to take ownership of their work and have a seat at the table in critical product discussions. At Finix, designers are not just responsible for executing ideas—they are involved in shaping them. Whether it’s brainstorming solutions in the early stages of a project or working directly with front-end developers to review their PRs and see a feature through to implementation, our designers are leaders in every sense.

This empowerment has been a game-changer. It has fostered a culture where designers feel confident pushing boundaries, experimenting with new ideas, and iterating quickly. At a startup like Finix, where speed and agility are critical, this approach ensures we can adapt and deliver without sacrificing quality.

5. Recognition and Beyond

Our design philosophy didn’t just resonate with our users—it earned us international acclaim. Here’s a glimpse at the awards we won:

• UX Design Award (2024): Recognized for our in-depth user research and polished interface, this award highlighted our ability to address complex business needs with elegant solutions.

• London Design Awards (2023): Two Silver Awards for Business to Business Design and Financial Products underscored our commitment to creating intuitive tools for businesses of all sizes.

• Indigo Design Award (2024): A Gold and Silver Award for Digital Tools and UX celebrated our focus on usability and customer-centricity.

While these awards brought global recognition, the real reward was the trust and pride they inspired internally. These wins validated our approach and motivated our team to continue to push harder.

Looking Ahead

As we look forward to the challenges and opportunities in the coming months, the design team at Finix is more motivated than ever. Our commitment to building user-centered products, coupled with a solid foundation of design systems and processes, has positioned us to tackle even bigger projects in the future. We’re incredibly proud of the team’s achievements and the recognition we’ve received, but our focus has always been on delivering value. By embedding design early in the product lifecycle, fostering collaboration, and listening closely to our customers, we’ve transformed how Finix builds products—and we’re just getting started.

Whether you’re a designer, a product manager, or a founder, the key takeaway is this: thoughtful, user-focused design isn’t a luxury—it’s a strategic advantage. Invest in it, empower your team, and watch what’s possible.