Forten

Forten was an ambitious digital challenger bank aiming to offer a modern, mobile-first alternative to traditional banking. Built for simplicity, transparency, and user empowerment, it targeted underserved customers with intuitive money management tools.

ROLE

Lead Product Designer

PRODUCT EXPERIENCE TEAM

Yuliia Kondratenko, Enes Gundogdu, Oksana Parii, Sevde Gundogdu

TEAM

Product Team

PROJECT

Forten Mobile App, Forten Customer Contact Center

TOOLS

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The Challenge

Build a mobile app, a customer contact centre and a desktop experience from scratch. We had nothing —no users, no product, no brand, and no data. There was no existing visual identity or design language. We couldn’t conduct user testing in the early stages, so we had to rely on domain knowledge, stakeholder input, and fast iteration to shape the product from the ground up.

My focus

As Product Design Lead at a fintech startup, I was responsible for shaping the design practice from the ground up and driving product strategy through design. My key contributions included:
  • Established the design function within the organisation, building and mentoring a team of UX/UI designers with varying levels of experience.
  • Built and evolved a mobile-first design system, collaborating closely with development and product teams to create a consistent, scalable design foundation.
  • Led the end-to-end UX and UI design of the mobile banking app, from early concepts to final delivery.
  • Introduced a design QA process alongside testing and development, ensuring design intent was preserved through implementation.
  • Promoted user-centred design by facilitating internal workshops and embedding UCD principles despite early-stage limitations around access to users.
  • Encouraged a culture of growth and autonomy, empowering each designer to contribute meaningfully to the design language and product experience.
  • Maintained strong cross-functional relationships, aligning closely with product owners to ensure our design decisions supported business goals.
  • Actively contributed to product strategy, participating in high-level planning and executive discussions shaping the product roadmap.

Outcome

Although the company closed due to funding pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact was real. We launched a fully functional banking MVP, crafted a compelling brand from scratch, and built scalable design foundations. I’m especially proud of mentoring a talented team and delivering a strong product vision under tight constraints.

What I learned

Forten taught me how to lead through uncertainty—how to shape product vision from zero, collaborate across disciplines, and balance design leadership with hands-on execution. It deepened my knowledge of fintech and gave me a lasting appreciation for the power of good design in complex domains.