Transforming debt into community driven empowerment.
Graduates in the U.S. face an estimated $1.67 trillion in student debt, often leading to prolonged financial strain, stress, and stigma. In response, RKS developed Finnita as a community-driven platform that reframes repayment as a shared, human-centered experience. Since launch, Finnita has helped reduce more than $100 million in student debt, scaling into an AI-driven system that uses intelligent insights to personalize engagement, support better repayment outcomes, and adapt to individual financial behaviors, while remaining grounded in trust, empathy, and transparency.
Research Insights & Discovery
Key Outputs
- Emotional journey maps for borrowers and supporters
- Psycho‑Aesthetics® positioning: trust, dignity, and hope
- Market assessment of crowdfunding and gift giving behaviors
RKS initiated this as a mission driven internal project, using ethnographic research and Psycho‑Aesthetics® to explore the psychological and emotional toll of student debt. We mapped users’ feelings of embarrassment, isolation, and relief, and matched this context with crowdfunding trends, discovering an opportunity to frame debt relief as an act of giving and support.
How We Used Psycho-Aesthetics™ to Identify Unique Opportunities in the Project.
Using our proprietary Psycho-Aesthetics® 2.0 framework, we conducted in-depth interviews and ethnographic observation in diverse lab settings. We identified key emotional and usability pain points, such as intimidation with complex interfaces, workspace clutter, and trust in precision. These insights guided both the form and interface strategy, ensuring approachability and confidence in operation.
Brand Identity & Definition
Key Outputs
- Distinctive logo combining graduation cap and gift
- Cohesive color palette and visual guidelines developed
- Scalable identity assets for digital and print
The brand identity for Finnita/LoanGifting was crafted to communicate trust, empathy, and empowerment for individuals navigating student debt. At the core of the system is a logo that merges a graduation cap with a heart, symbolizing both achievement and compassion. This visual foundation was supported by a cohesive color palette and flexible design guidelines, ensuring consistency across digital and print touchpoints. Together, the identity creates a professional yet approachable brand that resonates with users, employers, and partners alike.
UI/UX Design Development
Key Outputs
- Interactive UX prototypes and dashboards
- Branding elements: campaign templates, icons, microcopy
- Social sharing UX to foster engagement across networks
Our design team crafted a social dashboard interface where borrowers could share personal debt stories and create gifting campaigns for birthdays, graduations, or special occasions. With intuitive controls and clear financial visuals, users could manage debt goals, monitor contributions, and send reminders all with emotional transparency and guidance that promoted trust.
Software Development
Key Outputs
- Secure onboarding process increased user trust
- Automated payroll integration for recurring loan payments
- Intuitive interface simplified loan tracking and progress
The development of LoanGifting (Finnita) focused on building a seamless, human-centered software experience to simplify student loan repayment through trust, automation, and accessibility. Journey mapping and pain-point analysis revealed that users needed reassurance in connecting their financial accounts, as well as simplified logistics for recurring payments. This research directly shaped the platform’s onboarding process, loan provider integration, and communication touchpoints.
Key Outcomes and Results
Key Accomplishments
- Monthly contributions can shave years off repayment timelines
- Scaled from internal incubation to national platform
- AI-enabled personalization supporting borrower outcomes
- Finnita has helped provide students over $150 Million in debt reduction
Status: Platform piloted as Finnita; featured in ADP Total Source benefit packages.
Media & Recognition: Highlighted on California By Design (KCBS Los Angeles, KPIX SF). Earned strong endorsement from users like Claire Azzam:
“Loan gifting gives people a tool to help relieve some of that debt… It’s a no brainer.”
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