Transformative student loan fintech platform.
Graduates in the US face an estimated $1.6 trillion in student debt, often resulting in years of financial burden, stress, and stigma. RKS recognized a need for a solution that not only aids repayment, but fosters emotional support and social connectivity.
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.
Emotional journey maps for borrowers and supporters
Psycho‑Aesthetics® positioning: trust, dignity, and hope
Market assessment of crowdfunding and gift giving behaviors
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.
We architected a robust SaaS platform enabling direct contributions to student loan providers, automating match tracking and secure payment processing. Built in analytics allowed borrowers to assess the impact of even modest recurring gifts, like $60/month potentially reducing a 10 year debt by 4 years at 6.8 % APR.
Functional beta release with secure payment APIs
Dashboard analytics engine and notification systems
Backend infrastructure for campaign management and employer portals
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.
Interactive UX prototypes and dashboards
Branding elements: campaign templates, icons, microcopy
Social sharing UX to foster engagement across networks
Realizing that individual fundraising alone wasn’t sufficient for most debts, RKS pioneered a B2B strategy integrating LoanGifting into HR and benefit platforms. We collaborated on merger discussions with Finnita, enabling employers to add student loan repayment as a benefit, and partnered with ADP Total Source for employee benefit integration.
Employer facing dashboard prototypes
Benefit package UX flows
Partnership proposal decks and integration specs
Status: Platform piloted as Finnita; featured in ADP Total Source benefit packagesRKS Design+1RKS Design+1
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.”
Monthly contributions can shave years off repayment timelines
Users report reduced stigma and emotional support
Employer Impact: Served as an innovative employee benefit—enhancing retention and financial well-being
Strategy
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