Cosign
Overview
Cosign connects renters who need housing guarantors with individuals willing to cosign lease agreements. As Product Design Intern at Francois Labs, I redesigned the core product experience: dashboards, application flow, and landing page to reduce friction and build trust. The work delivered measurable impact across key business metrics.
The Challenge
Business Impact
Cosign faced a 65% application drop-off rate and 58% landing page bounce rate—both well above industry benchmarks. High support volume
and slow application times were costing conversions and revenue.
User Friction
Users couldn't distinguish between renter and guarantor paths. The dashboard was overwhelming with no clear next steps. Missing trust signals and an 8-step application caused widespread abandonment.
Research
I analyzed user behavior data, support tickets, and competitive platforms to identify friction points. The data revealed three critical issues: confusing flows (30% entered wrong path), dashboard paralysis (40% never took action), and a 12-minute average application time (vs. 5-7 minute benchmark).
Key insight: Users needed clarity at entry, trust signals throughout, and a sense of progress.
Redesigning the Flow
I restructured the application from 8 disconnected steps to 4 logical sections, reducing cognitive load and providing clear progress indicators.
Key decisions:
Separated renter and guarantor paths from the start
Grouped related information together
Added visual progress tracking
Prioritized trust signals (security badges, clear explanations)
Guarantor matching flow — Selection process was confusing
Dashboard Redesign
The redesigned dashboard creates clarity through visual hierarchy. Metrics sit at the top for quick scanning, status cards highlight next actions, and a detailed table serves power users managing multiple applications.
Key features:
Trend indicators showing growth
Prominent "next actions" panel
Modal patterns for quick tasks
Revenue tracking for guarantors
Landing Page
Key Takeaway
Small Changes Compound
Individual UX improvements—clearer headlines, better grouping, prominent CTAs—combined to drive double-digit metric improvements.
Trust Is Non-negotiable
Users couldn't distinguish between renter and guarantor paths. The dashboard was overwhelming with no clear next steps. Missing trust signals and an 8-step application caused widespread abandonment.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time
This project taught me that product design is about solving problems, not making things pretty. The 17% conversion lift represented real people who successfully found housing because the experience no longer stood in their way.
Working on a real fintech product showed me how design decisions directly affect business outcomes, and how removing friction can unlock growth.
