Abstract
This study explores how the onboarding experience of design graduates entering the fintech industry may be
improved with a focus on soft skill development. The rapid growth of the fintech sector has created a high demand
for design professionals who possess not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of financial
products and user-focused design principles specific to the industry. Through a user experience design process, this
study highlights the challenges faced by design graduates as they transition from university to the working world,
drawing on interviews with recent graduates and line managers within fintech companies. Additionally, a
comprehensive review of skill development websites and games is conducted to identify best practices and areas
for improvement. The insights reveal that a lack of industry-specific training, not understanding the fintech
workplace and unclear expectations of the workplace often hinder successful onboarding. Based on these insights,
this study proposes an interactive prototype, that allows for collaboration between design graduates and line
managers to improve on the various soft skills graduates require to pursue a career in fintech. The prototype aims
to equip design graduates with the necessary terminology and knowledge of their workplace, while allowing them
to practice pivotal soft skills related to their job thus improving their confidence to thrive in the fintech industry,
ultimately providing line managers within fintech high-calibre design graduates that are ready to thrive in their new
careers. The primary outcomes of this study include a detailed conceptual design that assist design graduates
entering fintech with improving their soft skills, and additionally, it introduces a novel model for assisting userexperience
designers to conceptualise the onboarding process.