Freddie Mac CreditSmart Redesign
Redesigning the web experience showcasing Freddie Mac’s premier educational resource for renters & homebuyers, CreditSmart
Context
CreditSmart is a free educational program that teaches financial literacy skills, such as building credit, managing debt, and preparing for homeownership. It empowers individuals to make informed financial decisions, helping them achieve stability and access opportunities like renting or securing a mortgage. The main products are two distinct courses: Essentials and Homebuyer U.
The Problem
The main issue lies in how CreditSmart is presented on its landing and detail pages; users often fail to recognize it as an educational course, leading to confusion and high drop-off rates before they fully explore what the program has to offer them.
How might we… effectively convey CreditSmart as an educational course platform to keep users engaged?
My Observations and Approach
I started by outlining my initial observations and approach to understanding the challenges with CreditSmart’s web experience. On paper, I identified the core problem: users struggle to recognize CreditSmart as an educational platform, often leaving the site before engaging with the content.
I also considered what users are looking to gain from the platform and brainstormed potential improvements to better communicate its value and retain user interest. This initial exercise set the foundation for a deeper exploration of the problem and informed my research and design recommendations.
Spreadsheet containing breakdown of Fannie Mae’s HomeView and comparing to UX of CreditSmart