Deferit

Redesign website for Deferit

Website
Motion Design
Illustration
Social Ads

Overview

Deferit empowers users to pay bills on their own terms by splitting payments into four interest-free instalments. As the brand prepared to scale across the US and global markets, it required a robust, cross-platform visual language to build consumer trust and differentiate itself to new audiences.

Key Results

300k+New sign-ups in US
74%Retention rate
$200M+Bills managed

Role

Illustrator
Interaction Designer
Web Designer

Team

Creative Director
Brand Designer
Product Manager
Engineers

Timeline

6-8 months

PROBLEM

Limitations of a localised identity and website

After scaling to over 500,000 active users in Australia, Deferit required a strategic plan to expand into the US market. However, the original brand identity and website structure lacked the scalability needed for global growth. The US market demanded distinct messaging, different product features, and unique compliance language that a single localised site could not support.

THE GOAL

A scalable global design system and flexible website architecture

Establish a scalable global design system and flexible website architecture to support our US launch. This requires updating our visual identity, adapting content messaging for US audiences, and meeting local legal and data compliance standards.

VISUAL SYSTEM

Type and colour

I helped define an accessible typography system and main color palette—originally established by a brand designer—for the website and app. I achieved this by testing color combinations and typefaces directly within the digital product.

Typography

A modern, approachable serif typeface optimised for diverse platforms and applications.

Colour Palette

A versatile colour scheme designed to represent varied financial solutions and user needs.

Imagery

Blending structural patterns with lifestyle photography to create an accessible, humanised financial service.

Motion Design

Dynamic animation that transforms a standard fintech utility into an inclusive digital companion.

PATTERN

A motif for financial flow

The pill pattern symbolises financial flow across three distinct scenarios: quick, ease, and steady—reflecting how Deferit adapts to different financial needs. I adhered to this motif to create cohesive imagery for the website.

IMAGERY

Humanising the website

I created website imagery blending structural pillar patterns with lifestyle photography — humanising Deferit as an accessible, approachable financial service.

STRUCTURE

Mapping the core pages

Working with the product manager and creative director, I kept the first-release information architecture for the second-release site. The homepage still leads from Hero to How it works, then Value proposition, the bills Deferit covers, Customer reviews, an Upload-a-bill banner, and Footer.

EXPLORATION

Exploring page directions

Conducted market research to build mood boards and visual references
Prioritised critical sections - Hero, HIW, Bill types etc.
Collaborated with brand designer on imagery and animation direction

Hero Section A/B Test

To build trust and reduce skepticism among first-time visitors, I redesigned the landing page hero section with a focus on information hierarchy. I collaborated with our growth lead to run an A/B test exploring different text-block layouts and their impact on the primary CTA click-through rate. The variant (V2) — which integrated prominent social proof, including 500k active users, App Store ratings, and total review counts — outperformed the control (V1) and drove higher conversion traffic.

How It Works: The Hybrid Approach — Merging People and Product Features

While the second version took a strictly technical route by highlighting isolated product images, Variant 1 was deliberately crafted to reflect our core company values. By blending authentic human imagery with targeted product features in a sequential motion layout, V1 bridged the gap between utility and empathy. The team ultimately chose V1 because it was inherently more engaging, capturing and delivering our users' real-life stories the exact moment they land on the page.

MOTION DESIGN

Bringing the website to life

Dynamic animated icon, micro-interaction to humanise the fintech experience across the website.

Simplify a complicated financial features - such as splitting bills in four instalments - through short, clear animations
Animated pill elements to dynamically showcase the bill types Deferit supports

FINAL DESIGN

Prioritising orientation and trust signals

Trust above the fold by placing key proof points to reduces visitor skepticism, lowers bounce rates, and immediately proves credibility

500k users
App store badge and ratings
Review counts

FINAL DESIGN

Feature-led navigation

The US site introduced a feature-led navigation — Credit Builder and Bill Savings became their own pages rather than buried in the homepage. Visitors self-navigate to the product most relevant to them, reducing drop-off from users who didn't see themselves in the core bill pay message.