QUANTLY

Problem

Entering the world of quantitative finance can feel like an insurmountable challenge due to the field's notorious steep barriers to entry. Elite institutions, costly preparation, and insider networks leave aspiring professionals from underrepresented backgrounds at a disadvantage.

Solution

A platform aimed at dismantling structural barriers through centralizing quality resources and creating a non-exclusionary digital hub for building networks.

Timeline

Fall 2023 → Began journey in innovation program to complete our MVP.

Spring 2024 → Accepted into Launch Labs, a startup accelerator, to take a beta version to market.

My Role

Branding: Designed the logo and overall visual identity of Quantly.
User Research: Led the team through user research from ideation to testing.
UX/UI Design: Single-handedly designed all screens.
Front-end development: Got my hands dirty in the development process, making sure design details were implemented correctly.

Design Strategy

The visual identity of Quantly is straightforward, slick, and warmly confident. Our main users, computer science and finance students, aren't interested in design clutter, and often express slight indifference to design choices. That is where our design strategy excels. The design quietly yet confidently uplifts functionality. It is friendly enough to be intuitive and encouraging, but straightforward enough to reflect a 'no bluff' commitment to content.

The landing page diverts from dark mode as a way of inviting all types of users in. It is a lighter and fresher Quantly waving a warm hello!.

Motivate Learners

Incentivize and track learners through badging, celebration animations, and positive feedback loops. Success shouldn't be dull!

Balance Visuals

Core features, such as the list of questions and online IDE, are not overwhelmed by gamification elements. these sticky screens are co-designed with computer science students to ensure a frictionless experience.

Create Confidence

A consistent and confident visual identity holds the user throughout every moment of the experience. Leveraging MUI alongside subtle neon accent colors offers invisibility without sacrificing a distinct identity.

Research

Hypothesis

'As a student wanting to pursue a career in quantitative finance, I want a centralized hub containing reliable practice questions, means of managing and proving my skills, and industry insights so that I can more easily improve my job readiness.'

Process

Feature validation experiment gathering input from 56 responders via survey. Pre-development, we launched this survey to do a pulse check on our core features, with an impressive 87% of responders expressing interest in features across the board.

Product Analysis gathering input from 53 responders via survey. After confirming the success of our core features through prior testing, this gav our team insight into what to build next and how to better fit our users' learning styles.

Structured one-on-one interviews throughout three main stages of development: problem, solution, and usability testing.

Jobs → Confirmed students are actively trying to prepare for quant finance roles by studying technical and behavioral content, networking, and finding relevant resources.

Pains → Confirmed they face scattered resources, unclear interview expectations, lack of support, and limited access to insider networks or referrals.

Gains → Confirmed they want centralized prep tools, relatable career guidance, and access to a motivating network that makes quant finance feel achievable.

“My main issue currently is that I have to use a bunch of different sources to find the information I need. I can’t find everything in one place.”

“I ended up going for investment banking instead because I did not know how to code.”

“If I was exposed to a more clear path early on in this industry it may have helped me push through.”

Usability Testing

Utilized the Single Ease Question (SEQ) method developed by measuringU which asks users to rank an observed task on ease of completion. In total, our chosen tasks averaged around a 6 total score out of 7, a great result for our first iteration of the product.

Informing Our Design Strategy

Our research played a major role in ensuring features aligned with user needs. However, what proved even more vital to our design strategy was understanding the underlying feelings of confusion and burnout users experienced throughout their journeys. This insight led us to realize our design gold standard wasn't just functional and frictionless, it needed to motivate.

The founder first came to me with his vision of Quantly and this logo. I am extremely proud of my role in the growth of Quantly's visual identity.