Finlit Spring/Summer 2021
A team of four SIP students took on the task of improving FinLit’s brand image, UX/UI experience, and name recognition. They were also asked to make recommendations for increasing sales.
At the start of the internship, the FinLit team was divided into two groups: One focused on creating a clear brand image and UX/UI experience and the other focused on sales and increasing FinLit’s name recognition.
Throughout the semester, these students worked together with the partner to help the organization better achieve its goal to break the poverty chain by teaching financial literacy best practices in an innovative, accessible format. As a team, they worked to solidify FinLit’s brand image by creating a brand style guide, edited the onboarding process to be more seamless, spread FinLit’s name recognition through sales, reached out to future clients, AB tested the most effective ways to get responses, audited current videos and provided feedback, and helped FinLit increase its social media influence. Find more details about the team’s deliverables below.
On the UX/UI front, Rebekah created a style guide to help unify the company’s branding and colors, and define FinLit's voice. She also created a style guide to send to animators when FinLit hires them, with examples of common motifs and symbols used in FinLit's videos, as well as outlining the style and color palette, to help maintain a consistent style between videos. She performed a deep-dive audit into the usability and aesthetics of FinLit's website and presented a categorized list of suggestions for improvement. She made mock-ups of potential aesthetic and usability changes to the onboarding process, including changes to the welcome email, account setup, and welcome wizard. Rebekah also helped brainstorm ways to better the content, such as gamifying the website with an incentivizing program to help learners become "Money Masters."
The sales team worked on reaching out to many community colleges and trade schools throughout America. Kate, Jilleeann, and Erika used Hubspot to track responses, tasks, and organize who to contact. They created sequences that outlined when to call and email directors, advisors, and administrators at their assigned schools. Kate created an AB test designed for colleges to see what would get the most response rate. This AB test focused on incorporating media, studies, mentioning other financial programs, and changing subject lines. During the internship the sales team shifted from focusing on colleges to non-profit companies. The two primary audiences were youth programs and refugee and immigrant resettlement programs. The sales team modified their AB testing from colleges and customized it to non-profits.
In addition to sales and UX/UI, the team helped increase FinLit’s social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Jilleeann did this by creating a schedule of when and what to post. The goal has been to maintain the same brand and presence on FinLit‘s social media pages as well as provide consistent posts. Posts have included articles on financial literacy, sneak peeks of FinLit’s videos, reputable studies, and personal finance tips.
“I’ve gained so much confidence in my abilities to choose and lead a project.”
Rebekah Rawlings, SIP Team Member
Team Members
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Rebekah Rawlings
Rebekah is a junior studying industrial design. She works as a research assistant, as well as in a Makerspace, where she assists patrons using 3D printers and other technology. When Rebekah is not busy studying or working, you can probably find her rock climbing, hiking in the mountains, or experimenting in the kitchen.
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Erika Rosen
Erika is a harp performance major hoping to double major in finance or accounting. After participating in a social impact case competition, her eyes were opened to the power of impact investing to support people with diverse backgrounds. She joined the Finlit team because of this experience and their mission to help people through finance.
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Kate Lingwall
Kate is a Middle Eastern studies major from Salt Lake City, Utah. She aspires to work for NGOs that advocate for people displaced by war, violence, and political corruption. Kate joined the Finlit team because they make financial literacy accessible to organizations and individuals, relieving one of the many stressors refugee populations face.
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Jilleeann Warriner
Jilleeann is an exercise science major with plans to pursue a Master of Public Health. She believes that education is the most valuable possession a person can have, and hopes to help others expand their education to make people and communities healthier. Her love of learning and passion for education inspired her to join the Finlit team.