UX/UI for Fintech: Making Complex Data Simple

Finance is full of numbers, charts, and tricky terms. That’s why designing fintech products feels so different from working on e-commerce or social media apps. In fintech, the real challenge isn’t just making things look nice. It’s about turning all that data into something users can actually understand and trust.

At Stubbs, we’ve worked on fintech products where dashboards were packed with charts, risk indicators, and transaction logs. The key lesson we’ve learned is simple: users don’t want less data, they want data they can make sense of.

Why Fintech Data Feels Complicated

Most people don’t think twice when browsing a shopping app or scrolling social media. The content is simple, visual, and easy to digest. But fintech is different. Finance apps need to show numbers, risks, predictions, and rules all at once. That’s what makes things more complicated.

There are a few main reasons fintech products feel overwhelming:

1. Too much data, too little context

Numbers without explanation don’t mean much. A user might see “P&L: –7%” or “APY: 5.3%” but not know what it means for them. Without the right framing, even basic metrics can feel intimidating.

2. Regulations and disclaimers

Financial products are highly regulated. That means screens often include legal language, disclaimers, and warnings. While necessary, these elements add clutter and make interfaces harder to scan.

3. High-stakes decisions

Unlike liking a post or adding a product to a cart, actions in fintech apps involve real money. Every decision feels heavier, so users want clarity before they act. If the UI doesn’t give them confidence, they hesitate or leave.

4. Multiple data formats

Fintech combines charts, tables, logs, and real-time updates. Switching between these formats quickly can be mentally exhausting for users if the design doesn’t guide them smoothly.

From what we’ve seen, fintech data seems complicated mostly because of how it’s shown, not just the number of charts. Casual users get frustrated if dashboards aren’t clear or easy to follow. Advanced users want well-organized data so they can dig deeper but still see the big picture. The real challenge is building dashboards that help both groups: quick insights for everyone, with details available when needed.

Common UX Challenges in Fintech Design

One of the biggest pitfalls in fintech is trying to show everything at once. Teams often want a massive product with dozens of features and data points from day one. The result is overloaded dashboards, endless tables, and charts stacked on top of each other. Instead of clarity, users get lost.

From our design work, we’ve seen that the first step is defining the core goal of the section the user is currently in. Is it about trading? Monitoring accounts? Providing credit insights? Without a clear focus, the product risks feeling like five tools crammed into one.

Clickable prototypes are especially helpful in this stage. When we map out screens early, it’s easier to see what’s most important for the first release and what can be added later. In one project, we started with lots of analytics tables, charts, and logs. Everything was fighting for attention. By prototyping and prioritizing, we focused on a main summary view with drill-down options. The result was still powerful, but much easier to use.

Navigation is another common challenge. Some fintech apps break tasks into too many tiny steps, while others cram everything onto one busy screen. Both approaches can frustrate users. It’s better to create clear, predictable steps, with breadcrumb navigation and simple back buttons. Users should always know where they are and how to get back without worrying about losing their place.

Finally, overloaded text-heavy screens often harm usability. Adding icons, spacing, and visual cues can dramatically improve scannability. In fintech, where trust is everything, making interfaces less intimidating directly improves user confidence.

Design Practices That Make Complex Data Simple

When you design for fintech, clarity is the product. Users don’t just want numbers; they want to feel confident making decisions with them. Here’s what we focus on when designing fintech products:

Make the important stuff stand out

Show balances, key stats, and the last few transactions first. Everything else can wait. If something is secondary, let it collapse or sit further down the screen. That way, users don’t have to dig through noise just to see the basics.

Keep dashboards useful, not overwhelming

A good dashboard works like a summary page: quick insights up top, with details only when someone asks for them. Use filters, tooltips, and consistent colors so charts are easier to scan. The less mental effort it takes to read a chart, the more confidence people have in using it.

Make navigation obvious

Finance apps often have multi-step flows like onboarding, payments, KYC, and trading. These steps should feel guided, not confusing. Breadcrumbs, clear back buttons, and predictable layouts help a lot. Users should always feel comfortable and confident as they move through the app.

Think mobile-first

Most people check balances or approve payments on the go. That means dashboards and charts must resize smoothly, buttons should be easy to tap, and information has to be concise. If users have to scroll endlessly just to find a key stat, you’ll lose them.

Accessibility equals trust

Readable fonts, good contrast, and quick feedback when someone takes an action are essential. If a user transfers money, they need instant confirmation. Small details like this help people feel secure. In fintech, trust is everything.

From our design practice, one of the most effective techniques is starting with wireframes that force prioritization. This makes it easier to decide what information should be visible immediately and what can be accessed with one click deeper. It prevents overloaded screens and helps teams focus on the real user journey instead of trying to show everything at once.

Our Go-To Principles

Every fintech product has its own specifics. To make this less abstract, let’s look at one of our recent projects: MuesliSwap, a decentralized exchange for trading and staking crypto. The platform needed to handle lots of financial data, from orders and markets to liquidity pools, without overwhelming users.

Based on that project, we’ll walk through a few design principles that helped us simplify the experience and can be applied to fintech products in general.

1. Clarity first, complexity second

Traders need detailed data, but showing everything at once just adds clutter. In MuesliSwap, we kept a clean summary view with balances and key actions up front. Analytics, pool stats, and advanced insights were still there, but only if users wanted to see more.

2. Tables should work, not just look good

In fintech, tables do most of the heavy lifting, tracking trades, orders, and markets. We built ours with filtering, sorting, and responsive performance using TanStack Table and React Window, so even large datasets stayed manageable. The focus was on reliable functionality, not flashy visuals.

3. Keep flows predictable

Swaps, staking, and adding liquidity are all multi-step processes. Instead of cramming everything into one overloaded form, we broke them into clear steps with simple navigation. That way, newcomers didn’t feel intimidated, and experienced traders could still move quickly.

4. Mobile isn’t optional

A big part of the audience checks balances and trades on mobile. We adapted layouts to small screens, prioritized key stats, and added a dark mode for comfort. Features like this are not just nice extras; they directly affect whether users stay active.

5. Familiar style, refined details

Financial apps rely on trust. That’s why we didn’t reinvent the visual identity. Instead, we refined it. Cleaner outlines, consistent accent colors, and a more minimal layout made the platform easier to navigate, while still feeling familiar to existing users.

These principles apply far beyond crypto. Whether it’s banking, trading, or personal finance, the same rules hold true: make core information easy to find, support details without clutter, and never forget that users need clarity and confidence before they act.

Conclusion

Great fintech design isn’t just about charts and tables. It’s really about trust. When people see a simple, clear interface that helps them each step of the way, they feel more comfortable making financial choices.

For product teams, the payoff is huge: fewer drop-offs, smoother onboarding, and users who keep coming back because the experience feels reliable and professional.

If you’re working on a fintech product and want to make complex data simple, Stubbs can help. We design web and mobile apps that balance functionality with clarity, so your users stay informed and confident at every step.