Ask A Lender

Role: Design, Web Development

Ask a Lender was launched in 2017 as a sister company to Scotsman Guide. Built off the longstanding connections Scotsman Guide has in the mortgage lending industry, Ask a Lender was conceived as a consumer-facing site for connecting borrowers with lenders in a free and transparent way.

As of 2018, the company is defunct, but features originally implemented in Ask a Lender have been adapted to the newly revamped Scotsman Guide website

Otto the Owl

Ask a Lender's mascot Otto the Owl was hatched to provide a friendly face to the new consumer-facing brand. The character and logo was created by former staff illustrator Dennis Wunsch and I was tasked with expanding a series of Holiday variants for the site to change things ala the Google Doodle.

Lender Search

Lender Search is at the heart of the site’s functionality and business model. Users can search through lender and company profiles, and directly contact a lender without leaving the site. We went through numerous iterations to solve the problem of giving the access to highly specific customization options while not overcrowding the interface and overwhelming the user.

Topic Landing Pages

Built for SEO, topic landing pages were designed to draw traffic to the site and educate borrowers on the ins and outs of lending.

Reflection

Although Ask a Lender ultimately didn't succeed, it marks a key turning point in the Scotsman Guide business model towards more digital content. It was a valuable experience to see what improvements were made in the design and development process between 2017 and 2019.

Credit

Jeffrey Sabourin: Design, Web Development