Simplifying Complexity

Managing taxes is inherently complex, and many users approach the task expecting a difficult and time-consuming experience. untied aimed to simplify this through a product that supports users across the full tax journey. However, the experience was amplifying this complexity through unclear terminology, fragmented flows, and inconsistent messaging. Users struggled to understand where to start, what information was required, and how the steps connected across the journey.

A quote from one user perfectly encapsulated the core challenge faced:

This highlighted the need to reduce cognitive load and create a more structured, guided experience that could support users with varying levels of confidence.

Key issues identified

A review of the existing experience revealed several structural issues, driving confusion, misdirection, and drop-off across key journeys.

Confusing hero section

The hero failed to clearly communicate the product’s value, while calls to action directed users away from relevant content, leading to early drop-off.

Lack of feature explanation

Key features were poorly explained, leaving users unclear on the platform’s value and how to progress. Additionally, there were no clear CTAs to guide users through their interactions.

Confusing pricing table

The pricing structure relied heavily on jargon and lacked a clear hierarchy, making it difficult for users to compare options and select the right plan.

These issues highlighted a need to improve clarity at key entry points, strengthen guidance across the journey, and align messaging with user expectations.

Key design decisions

To address the issues identified, I restructured the experience to improve clarity at key entry points, strengthen guidance across the journey, and establish a more scalable foundation.

Restructuring the hero

The hero was restructured to clearly communicate the product’s value, and action-oriented CTAs were introduced, reducing early drop-off and providing a clear entry point into the experience. Supporting elements, such as testimonials, were introduced to build trust and reinforce credibility from the outset.

Clarifying features

Complex features were broken down into concise, digestible explanations, supported by clear calls to action that guided users through the experience. This improved understanding of the platform’s value and encouraged deeper engagement.

Simplifying the pricing model

The pricing structure was redesigned to reduce reliance on jargon and introduce a clearer hierarchy. Key information was prioritised, allowing users to compare options more easily and make informed decisions. Clear calls to action were introduced to support progression and reduce friction at this stage.

Structural foundation

Alongside these changes, I restructured the site’s information architecture to improve navigation and support future growth, redefining the menu and hierarchy around user needs and key tasks.

I also reworked page templates, moving away from campaign-driven structures towards more consistent and reusable page layouts. This created a scalable foundation that could support new features without structural rework.

Brand system

Alongside the structural changes, I evolved the visual identity to create a more consistent and approachable experience. This included updating the brand style guide and introducing a set of custom illustrations, establishing a cohesive visual system that could scale with untied’s growing offering.

Validating and refining the experience

Following launch, I ran A/B tests to validate key design decisions and refine how users engaged with the experience. These tests focused on improving clarity, messaging, and calls to action across high-impact pages

Gig Workers Campaign

A/B testing showed that gig workers responded more strongly to direct, action-oriented CTAs such as “Try for free.” This informed a shift in messaging, resulting in increased engagement from this audience.

Freelance Hairdressers Campaign

Testing revealed a preference for task-focused CTAs such as “Pay HMRC,” which aligned more closely with users’ immediate needs. By prioritising more direct, user-driven language, we improved clarity and saw a measurable uplift in conversions on this page.

Reflection

This project reinforced the importance of validating clarity at key entry points and ensuring users understand what to do next without hesitation.

As the experience evolved, it became evident that clarity alone was not enough. A/B testing revealed that different user groups respond to messaging in distinct ways, with audiences such as gig workers and freelancers engaging more with direct, task-focused calls to action. This reinforced the need to tailor messaging to user context.

These learnings also highlighted how closely content, structure, and visual design are connected. Improvements in clarity were not driven by a single change, but by aligning these elements into a cohesive system that could scale with the product.

If revisiting this project, I would place more emphasis on testing navigation and content structure earlier to reduce ambiguity and support clearer user journeys from the outset.

Overall, this experience strengthened my focus on designing for clarity and guidance, particularly in complex domains where users need confidence to take action.