Robinhood: safe start feature

Helping beginners invest with confidence

Prototype

SafeStart

ROLE

UX Designer

EXPERTISE

UX/UI Design

YEAR

2024

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Background

Robinhood Safe Start helps first-time investors build confidence by simplifying the investing process and offering accessible tools for financial growth.

Problem

  • Users struggle to start investing due to lack of knowledge, competing financial priorities, and unclear guidance.

Target Audience

  • First-time investors, young professionals, and mid-level users seeking guidance on investing strategies.

Why It Matters

  • Many users feel overwhelmed by financial decisions and miss opportunities to build wealth early.

Impact

  • Safe Start empowers users with personalized guidance and simple tools to confidently begin their investment journey.

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High-Fidelity Prototype

High-Fidelity Prototype

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Safe Start Feature

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High-Fidelity Prototype

Want to see more?

Scroll on for more project details or…

View working prototype here

Safe Start Feature

Research & Planning

To design the Robinhood Safe Start feature, we conducted comprehensive user research to identify barriers to investing and opportunities to simplify decision-making for new investors.

Methods

  • User Interviews: Conducted 5 remote interviews to explore financial goals, challenges, and investment habits.

  • Affinity Mapping: Analyzed patterns in user needs and concerns to identify key opportunities.

    Link to affinity mapping


  • Competitive Analysis: Reviewed competitor platforms to highlight gaps in trust-building, education, and user onboarding.

    Link to competive analysis

Key Insights

  • Goals & Hesitations: Users prioritize saving for large purchases, paying off debt, and avoiding the perceived complexity of investing.

  • Risk Tolerance: Diverse preferences for high-risk vs. conservative strategies underscore the need for flexible tools.

  • Automation & Trust: Users value simple tools to guide decisions but want transparency and trust-building features.

  • Education: Beginners seek accessible resources that build confidence in making investment choices.

  • Ethical Investing: Many users prefer socially responsible investments that align with their values.

Data Points

  • 100% of participants emphasized the importance of simple, user-friendly investment tools.

  • 80% showed interest in automated recommendations tailored to their financial goals.

  • 60% indicated a preference for ethical investment options.

User 1

College Student

College Student

"I want a tool that helps me understand how much I can invest each month without risking my savings—it feels overwhelming to figure it out on my own."

User 2

Freelancer

Freelancer

"I need an option that helps me invest conservatively while feeling confident I’m making the right decisions."

User 3

Young Professional

Young Professional

"As someone learning about investing, I’d value a feature that explains the basics clearly and makes it easy to start with small, safe investments."

Define

Synthesized research to define user needs, created POV statements, explored solutions with "How Might We" questions, and prioritized features to address critical investment challenges for beginner investors.

Synthesis

  • Created user personas to represent beginner investors like Mia, James, and Anna, focusing on their challenges, such as balancing debt, savings, and starting investments.

    Link to user personas

POV Statements

  • Mia, a student, needs a way to invest small amounts while managing student loans.

  • James, a young professional, needs guidance to balance debt, savings, and investments.

  • Anna, a professional, needs a simple way to diversify investments and grow long-term wealth.

How Might We…?

  • HMW help Mia invest $5/month while managing student loans?

  • HMW give James a roadmap to balance debt, savings, and investments?

  • HMW simplify investment diversification for Anna?

Feature Priorities

  • Compound Interest Tool: Shows how small investments grow over time with visual projections.

  • Smart Roadmap: Guides users to prioritize savings, debt, and investments.

  • Automated Deposits: Enables recurring small investments with ETF options (SPY, VOO, IVV).

  • Budget-Friendly Tips: Quick in-app tips on balancing investing and budgeting.

Design

Developed user flows, branding, and wireframes into high-fidelity prototypes for the Safe Start feature, focusing on guiding users through recurring investment setup.

Decisions

  • Flows: Designed intuitive pathways for discovering the feature, exploring projections, and completing setup.

    Link to user flows


  • Branding: Maintained Robinhood’s visual identity while introducing feature-specific illustrations for clarity.

  • Wireframes: Iterated from low-fidelity to polished designs, incorporating user feedback for seamless navigation and functionality.

Deliverables

  • High-fidelity screens for onboarding, project submission, and mentorship.

  • Prototypes for usability testing.

  • High-fidelity screens.

  • Prototypes for usability testing.

Low-Fidelity Wireframes

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Test

Testing was essential to validate the Safe Start feature’s usability, identify areas for improvement, and ensure it meets the needs of first-time investors.

Methods

  • Conducted unmoderated usability tests with 10 participants using low- and high-fidelity prototypes.

Key Findings

  • The Safe Start feature achieved an 85.7% success rate, with a low drop-off rate of 14.3%.

  • Navigation was rated highly intuitive, with all users giving a perfect 5/5 for ease of navigation.

  • User Familiarity:

    • 63% of participants were new to Robinhood, emphasizing the feature’s relevance for onboarding first-time investors.

  • Positive Feedback on Flow and Simplicity:

    • Participants praised the feature’s easy-to-follow structure and clear design.

    • Suggestions included adding a progress indicator to improve clarity and set user expectations.

  • Suggested Improvements:

    • Back Navigation: Users wanted the ability to revisit previous screens for added flexibility.

    • Investment Customization: Participants noted frustration with the inability to adjust example investment amounts, indicating the need for personalization.

Implemented Changes

  • Added a progress indicator to display current steps and improve clarity.

  • Introduced back navigation to allow users to revisit and revise inputs.

  • Enhanced customization options for investment amounts, providing a more flexible user experience.

    Link to priority revisions

Task #1

Locate the Safe Start Feature:

Find and open the Safe Start feature from the main dashboard.

  • Objective: Assess discoverability of the feature.

  • Success Criteria: User finds it within 15 seconds.

Task #2

Go Through the Safe Start Process
Navigate through the Safe Start process by reviewing investment goals, inputting financial details, and viewing the growth projection.

  • Objective: Evaluate clarity, ease of navigation, and motivation to invest.

  • Success Criteria: User successfully completes the process with minimal guidance.

Task #3

Set Up and Confirm a Recurring Investment
Select an investment amount, view the projection, and confirm the recurring investment setup.

  • Objective: Test the ease and confidence of finalizing the recurring investment.

  • Success Criteria: User completes the setup confidently and understands the next steps.

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Results

The Safe Start feature simplifies the investment process for beginners, balancing clear guidance with user flexibility to build confidence in financial decisions.

Challenges

  • Balancing simplicity with the complexity of financial information.

  • Ensuring clarity for new investors through iterative design.

Lessons

  • Designing within an established design system fosters creativity while ensuring consistency.

  • Iterative testing refines user experience and highlights pain points early.

Future Goals

  • Enhance user customization options for investment plans.

  • Build features for advanced financial insights while maintaining clarity for beginners.

Takeaways

  • User research and feedback are vital for addressing real pain points.

  • Simple, step-by-step guidance empowers users to take confident financial actions.

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Final Design

Final Prototype

SafeStart

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