The Story about Sigh Financial
I started exploring this space after noticing how few products actually help people act on their debt instead of just tracking it. Roughly 1 in 3 Americans with a credit file has debt in collections, yet the tools available to them are either generic budgeting apps or the collectors themselves. That gap is what led me here.
About Sigh
AI-driven debt repayment, designed for people who'd rather not talk about debt at all. Debt is quiet. People carrying it don't post about it, don't bring it up at dinner, often don't tell the people closest to them. They're avoidant by default, afraid of collectors, unsure who to trust, doing the bare minimum because engaging feels like reliving the problem. Sigh's whole premise: an AI agent that can walk users through the process, lay out their options, and get them debt-free, quietly. I led the UI design across the site, product, and marketing material, mobile enrollment, dashboard, and the AI-driven timeline that became the product's core.
The Core Challenge
Debt carries a stigma most products don't account for. The person using Sigh isn't a typical onboarding user excited to explore a new app, they're someone who didn't want to need this in the first place. Quiet about it, avoidant by default, doing the absolute minimum because every additional step feels like reliving the problem. That reframes the design brief entirely. The challenge isn't "make this usable." It's: every point of friction is a reason to walk away. A confusing screen, an extra form field, an unclear next step, for most products, that's a UX flaw. Here, it's the difference between someone getting out of debt and someone closing the tab and never coming back.
Facebook Ad 1
Facebook Ad 2
Post Sign Up Email
Client Enrollment / Registration Flow
Onboarding had one job: get someone to finish it. Every screen we cut was a chance they wouldn't bail. So the flow runs on as few steps as possible, but fewer steps doesn't mean less information. Each screen shows exactly what's being collected and why, full transparency, no hidden asks. The vibe throughout: nothing to hide, nothing to fear. If someone's avoidant by nature, the fastest way to lose them is to make them feel exposed or confused. So speed and clarity had to do the same job, get them through, and get them through feeling safe.
Getting Started
Basic Info Enrollment
Information first Loading Page
Comprehensive Debt Overview
Getting Started
The Timeline / Chat Interface
This was the product's core. Instead of a dashboard full of numbers and statuses, Sigh talks to you. The AI agent lays out what's happening with your debt in plain language, then tells you what's next: send a verification letter, let the agent call and negotiate with the collector directly, or simply wait while something's in motion.
Credit Report View
A full breakdown of every account the debtor holds, all in one place, and every action they're able to take, right alongside it.
Product Quick Look
Visual Language
Every visual choice answered to one goal: make someone feel safe enough to stay. Soft, rounded shapes. A calm, restrained palette, nothing alarming, nothing that reads like a bill. Icons that soften hard topics: a piggy bank instead of a dollar sign, an umbrella instead of a warning triangle. Nothing here should remind someone they're in debt. It should just feel like help.
