Overview
Client: Bank of Israel
Role: UX Designer (via Matrix Experience)
Launched: 2023
Platform: Responsive web (mobile-first)
We were tasked with redesigning the official public website for Israel’s national credit data system. The key objectives were:
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To serve as the main source of information about credit data and credit scoring.
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To influence users' financial behavior by helping them understand how credit data affects life decisions.
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To strengthen the association with the Bank of Israel — visually and in tone of voice.
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To publish regulatory documents and provide access to services in compliance with the law.
Project Duration: January - April 2025
Problem Framing
The Israeli Credit Data System is a national infrastructure operated by the Bank of Israel, designed to help citizens and financial institutions make informed credit-related decisions.
But there was a big gap:
While many users searched online for their credit score, the system could only provide credit data — not the score itself.
This mismatch between expectation and reality led to confusion, frustration, and low engagement.
Our challenge:
How can we help users understand what they can access — and why — while giving them a sense of clarity, control, and direction?
Discovery
Instead of a full-scale user research phase, we ran a Lean UX workshop with the client team. This helped us uncover:
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Common user scenarios (e.g. taking a loan, improving credit, accessing a report)
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Key pain points (lack of understanding, legal language, missing score)
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Institutional constraints (such as the legal restriction on sharing credit scores)
We also:
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Mapped the content on the existing site
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Ran a benchmark of financial and government platforms
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Identified opportunities to simplify journeys and restructure information
Target Users & Scenarios
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These personas helped us identify a critical insight:
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Users are looking for clarity, emotional reassurance, and actionable next steps — not just information.
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Most importantly, they want to see their score — but legally, the site can’t provide it.
So instead of organizing the site around institutional categories,
we restructured the experience around real-life questions, emotional pain points, and everyday scenarios.
Content Audit
We also reviewed the content and structure of the existing site, alongside benchmark analysis and key user journeys, to identify gaps and opportunities for improvement.
Professional User
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One-click credit information system (מנ"א בקליק)
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One-click service
Private User
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Downloading a credit report
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Submitting a request for correction / appeal
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Management of information sharing (non-delivery of information)
Accessible to everyone but mainly relevant to the professional Users:
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Legislation, regulation, protocols, etc.
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System participant database
Benchmark Inspiration
As part of our discovery phase, we conducted a visual benchmark of public-facing websites from leading financial institutions, credit bureaus, and government services.
The goal was to learn how others approach:
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Guiding users through complex or regulated content
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Communicating trust and clarity
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Structuring journeys around real user needs
We reviewed platforms such as:
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Central Bank of Ireland
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Experian (UK/US)
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Equifax (US)
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TransUnion (US)
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MABS – Money Advice and Budgeting Service (Ireland)
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Bank Hapoalim’s Financial Education Center (Israel)
Key Takeaways:
TakeAway: Clear segmentation of audiences, use of plain language, guided journeys, and bold calls-to-action
Leave behind: Overuse of legal terms, overwhelming content upfront, lack of mobile optimization
These observations helped shape our own information architecture and content strategy, pushing us to prioritize clarity, empathy, and relevance.
Solution Strategy
We used our insights from user scenarios, content mapping, and benchmark inspiration to build a UX strategy grounded in clarity, motivation, and guided learning.
Our goal was to bridge the gap between what users expect to find (a credit score) and what the system can legally provide (credit data). We defined four core values for the new website:
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Credibility
We are the Bank of Israel
Strengthening institutional trust by matching tone, structure and design with the bank's voice - building credibility through consistency and transparency.
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Gateway to Learning
Learn only what is important
The content writing team created a structured learning path that centers articles to deliver content just in time. Instead of overwhelming users, we framed the experience around real-life questions and step-by-step guidance.
02
User Needs First
We know why you are here.
Most users are not looking to learn - they want clear answers. We focused on clarity over complexity: using simple, direct language to explain financial and legal concepts, without jargon and without a promotional tone.
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Quick access to key actions
For returning users - or those in a hurry - we ensured that the top actions were always just a click away, supported by a floating action button and smart shortcuts.
Information Architecture
To support the new strategy, we designed a clear and intuitive information architecture that helps users quickly access the content or actions most relevant to them.
The homepage acts as a central hub, guiding users to:
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A structured welcome experience with access to The Complete Guide to Credit Scoring
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The personal area for downloading reports
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Common tasks and shortcuts
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A financial education magazine offering deeper insights
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An interactive simulator to explore how credit behavior affects their score
Users looking for more technical or institutional content can access it directly via the main menu — including search, a database of system participants, and legal documents. This structure reflects our shift from a system-based approach to a user-centered flow, grounded in real-life motivations and emotional needs.
Content Strategy
The content and microcopy were developed by the client’s content and UX writing team, based on the UX strategy and structure we defined.
Together, we created two content layers:
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The Complete Guide to Credit Scoring – a step-by-step journey explaining what users can (and can't) see, and why
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Financial Education Magazine – articles, tips, and FAQs tailored to common user questions
The tone was designed to be clear, supportive, and jargon-free — aligned with the user’s mindset and emotional context.
Reflections
This project was a unique challenge: designing clarity and emotional ease within a system that cannot provide users with what they want most — their credit score.
It was an interesting and rewarding experience collaborating with the Bank of Israel, the content team, and the UI designer. I played a key role in shaping the UX concept and content structure, while the content and design teams brought the final experience to life.
Although I don't have visuals of the previous site for comparison, the shift was significant — from a dense, institutional layout to a guided, user-centered experience.
My biggest takeaway?
Even when you can’t give users exactly what they want,you can still design for understanding, clarity, and confidence.