A US startup wanted every type of retirement account (IRA) in one place. I was the only designer. Using the startup’s color set and logo, I built the visual style, the design system and the screens for two kinds of users: account holders, and the custodians who process their requests.
The challenge
An IRA looks like a bank account but runs on paper. Almost no startup had put all account types in one place, so I had little to learn from. The few existing tools were electronic forms that work badly on a phone.
I used a familiar idea, the bank card, to make accounts easy to scan. Then I designed the whole process for a phone, with AI guiding it.
Who it’s for
Two people sit in every request, and they want different things. The account holder wants it simple and safe. The custodian wants it complete and on the record.
Account holder: “When I need to move retirement money, I want to send a correct request from my phone, so it isn’t sent back for fixes.”
Custodian: “When a request arrives, I want details, documents and fees in one place, so I can decide quickly and keep a record.”
Before designing any screens, I mapped the information architecture for both sides. The account holder manages a retirement plan, tracks balances and drafts transfers. The custodian reviews and acts on those requests. Putting both structures side by side showed where their paths overlap, where they split, and what each person needs within one or two clicks. Every screen builds on this map.
Key decision: every IRA looks like a bank card.
Retirement accounts feel abstract, so I borrowed an object everyone knows. Each account is a card that people recognize and scan quickly.
Each card shows cash and asset balances together.
Selecting a card updates the sections below it. Transactions show for that account only.
A larger “All IRAs” card combines all cash and all assets in one view.
Color shows the account: gold for All IRAs, white for Simple IRA, navy for Traditional IRA. The colors match on web and mobile.
Six quick actions sit in one place: transfer, rollover, contribution, distribution, buy and sell.
The “All IRAs” card was the risky part, because it breaks the one-card, one-account idea. After interviewing users, I found it was one of the most useful parts of the screen.
Dashboard. Web Version
Home Screen. Mobile
Key decision: a Jira-style page with everything about a request in one place.
The client asked for this. Custodians wanted to see everything at once and skip the jumping between screens. I designed one dense page that stays readable.
Details, documents, assets, fees, transactions and history sit on one page. The menu stays fixed while the content scrolls.
A large status button at the top changes the request’s status. A request passes through many stages, depending on how fast the account holder fills in correct data, sends the money or completes other steps. Custodians need flexible status changes.
The page shows how long a request has stayed in its current status. Custodians spot stuck requests and process them faster.
The next step varies a lot between requests, so a large set of action buttons sits on the right.
The activity timeline records every change.
Transfer Request. Custodian View
Activity Timeline Tab
Key decision: a short guided flow with AI replaces a paper-heavy process.
An IRA transfer involves many documents. I combined a stepper form with AI help to simplify it.
The form has five steps: Details, Receiving custodian, Review and sign, Custodian check, and Done. You see one decision at a time.
AI scans the transfer form and fills in the custodian details, so you type less.
A built-in AI assistant explains terms like “partial transfer” in plain words and checks the request before you submit.
Drafts keep unfinished requests. Each card shows progress as a stroke along its top edge, so you see the step at a glance.
The custodian receives a more complete request, so fewer come back for fixes.
Tranfer Request Flow from Account Owner Side
