Increase contribution volume
Drive growth in autopayment adoption
Designing the VTB NPF Client Personal Account
VTB NPF stands as one of Russia's largest non-state pension funds, serving 11 million clients and managing their long-term savings.
I led a comprehensive redesign of the legacy system informed by a UX audit, crafting the product logic to focus on supporting clients in achieving their long-term financial objectives.
The project commenced with a UX audit covering the entire digital client journey at VTB NPF—from the corporate website and contract signing process to the personal account.
Unlike other touchpoints, the personal account was a legacy product that only allowed users to view contract status and perform basic operations, offering limited guidance on program understanding or next steps.
This presented a business challenge: pension programs are designed for long-term client relationships, with conditions largely regulated by the government and similar across funds.
Hence, delivering a superior client experience became a critical competitive differentiator.
Business Objectives
The goal was not only to modernize the interface but to transform the digital service into a tool that fosters sustained client engagement.
Enhance user engagement
Provide savings forecasts and personalized recommendations
Redesign the legacy product
Deliver a modern, mobile-first experience with PWA capabilities
Research
The UX audit revealed that incremental interface tweaks were insufficient.
The personal account required a fundamental rethinking—from a data display service to a proactive tool for managing savings and achieving financial goals.
This principle guided the subsequent design process.
Opaque Savings Model
Users saw only the final balance without clarity on its composition—personal contributions, government funds, or investment income—undermining transparency and trust.
Lack of Financial Goal Navigation
Users lacked guidance on optimal contribution amounts and frequency to maximize benefits; the interface displayed status but offered little actionable insight.
Unavailable Actions in Interface
Users encountered scenarios they could not execute due to contract restrictions, causing false expectations, errors, and increased support requests.
Poor Mobile Web Adaptation
Despite 76% mobile traffic, the interface was inadequately optimized for small screens.
I was responsible for designing core personal account components: contract and account pages, profile, authorization, and registration.
After establishing foundational patterns, I independently designed contract termination, payouts, heir appointment flows, and integrated new business and regulatory requirements.
Transparent Savings Model
Users gain clear insight into savings structure and dynamics, fostering trust and encouraging regular top-ups.
Distinct separation of income sources within the balance
Savings Modeling and Motivation
Users comprehend how their actions impact final savings, prompting more targeted behaviors.
Visualization of progress and projected savings
Contextual Actions
I developed a system of widgets and contextual tips guiding users from onboarding through contract management.
The service explains co-financing conditions, recommends goal setting, encourages increased contributions, and promotes autopayment activation.
Results
Redesigning key flows transformed the personal account from a passive data viewer to an active tool focused on goal achievement, including savings forecasting and autopayment facilitation.
The MVP launch is planned for November. The redesign's impact on total pension assets, retention, and support load will be evaluated after release, while the UX improvements have already been assessed through comparative usability testing.
↑ Task Success
Increased successful completion rates for autopayment setup
↓ Time on Task
Reduced time required to complete key user journeys.
↓ Error
Rate
Reduced user errors by eliminating unavailable actions and dead-end flows.
I extend my gratitude to the VTB NPF team for their responsiveness, openness to our proposals, and collaborative spirit despite demanding timelines.
