Pulse
Risk Management
Fintech
Open Banking
Services
Design Strategy, Visual Design, User Research
Client
National Bank of Abu Dhabi / FAB Bank
Date
January 2016 - June 2016
Overview
This concept emerged from a special investigation I led at the National Bank of Abu Dhabi into a surge of SME “skip” cases—where borrowers defaulted and fled the country. The 2016 crisis exposed deep systemic gaps in how SME credit risk was monitored, particularly the lack of real-time financial visibility and proactive borrower engagement. In response, I led a strategic design initiative to reimagine SME credit monitoring from the ground up. Through stakeholder research with banking professionals, SME clients, and regional financial consultants, I identified critical needs and pain points across the credit lifecycle. This informed the design of Pulse—a mobile-first platform concept that prioritises transparency, early risk detection, and human-centred UX in SME lending.
Key feature // 1
Grounded in real-world insight
After conducting 30+ surveys and interviews with small business owners in the UK and UAE, I mapped out key personas and empathy maps to uncover the emotional, financial, and operational realities behind SME credit risk—informing every stage of the product’s design.
Key feature // 2
Design that reduces operational risk
Drawing on my credit risk background and research with RMs, I designed a borrower-facing dashboard with built-in task reminders—solving a major pain point around covenant compliance. By prompting borrowers directly in-app, the system reduces RM workload and increases the likelihood of timely submissions, replacing manual follow-ups with proactive nudges.
Key feature // 3
Clarity and control for relationship managers
I designed the RM-facing platform to simplify complex credit workflows—translating fragmented data into intuitive, high-impact screens. RMs can now view the health of their entire loan portfolio at a glance, including covenant compliance status, overdue reviews, and high-risk watchlist accounts. Financial insights such as delinquencies, provisions, and NPLs are visualised clearly, while an integrated task view helps RMs prioritise daily credit actions across 50+ clients—bringing structure, speed, and proactivity to credit risk management.
Results
Future-Ready Credit Risk
Grounded in research and domain expertise, Pulse explored how UX and intelligent design could transform credit risk monitoring for banks. The concept addressed pain points on both sides of the relationship—envisioning a system that would streamline RM workflows, prompt borrower action, and enable earlier identification of risk. The result was a well-evidenced product direction with measurable potential to reduce operational burden and strengthen credit oversight.
Conclusion
Pulse demonstrated how combining risk domain expertise with human-centred design thinking can unlock innovation within conservative sectors like banking. The outcome was a solution that addressed both institutional blind spots and customer frustration—showcasing what’s possible when fintech is grounded in real operational challenges and empathy-driven research.