Case Study

Xoom brand refresh:
Aligning with PayPal’s design system

I led a redesign of the Xoom app and website to align with PayPal's new branding, creating a cleaner and more trustworthy experience for users.

Role: Lead Designer
Timeline: 2024-2025
Team: PM, Eng, UXC, legal
Tools: Figma, FigJam, Miro

Overview

As the sole designer, I led a complete visual overhaul of Xoom's product suite, aligning its web and mobile experiences with PayPal's new design system and brand guidelines. Over time, Xoom's user interface had become inconsistent, featuring mismatched components and outdated patterns that affected user trust and internal efficiency. I conducted a thorough audit of every screen, identified elements that were misaligned, and redesigned all core flows, sending, reloading, tracking, and settings, using updated PayPal system components while maintaining Xoom's unique functionality.

This cross-platform refresh encompassed not just the product user interface but also marketing pages and store assets, ensuring visual and user experience consistency across all touch-points. I collaborated closely with engineers, project managers, and PayPal's design systems team to deliver a scalable, accessible, and modern experience without disrupting existing functionality.

Problem

User interface combines old and new styles.
Design differences across web, and mobile app reduce usability and trust.
Xoom’s look doesn’t match PayPal’s updated branding, weakening its presence.
Outdated patterns increase development work and slow growth.

Goals

Improve visual and UX consistency across the product.
Build user trust by aligning with PayPal’s rebranded identity.
Create a modern, cohesive interface to enhance brand trust and align with PayPal's standards.
Enable long-term design system scalability.

Process

Research & Insights

While this wasn’t a traditional "blue sky" project, thoughtful planning was crucial. I began by:

Auditing every screen to categorize components by age and style.
Identifying gaps where the PayPal design system didn’t fully support Xoom’s unique use cases.
Proposing consistent alternatives that preserved both functionality and brand integrity.

Key Trade-off:

In some cases, the PayPal system didn’t account for certain patterns used in Xoom. I worked closely with engineers and PMs to find acceptable workarounds that didn’t compromise the user experience.

Exploration & Patterns

Scope of Work:

Updated all user flows (send, reload, track, activity, settings, get started).
Aligned marketing pages and mobile store assets.
Ensured accessibility, localization, and responsiveness.
Maintained parity across platforms (Mobile App, Web)

Collaboration was constant: weekly syncs with PMs and engineers kept the work moving, while regular reviews with the PayPal Design System and Web teams ensured alignment across platforms. We validated every change through analytics and visual QA, making sure the new experience felt consistent, accessible, and friction-free.

Outcomes

We delivered a complete visual refresh of Xoom across web, iOS, and Android, fully aligned with PayPal’s new design system and brand identity. I balanced modernization with reliability, ensuring every update maintained UX consistency while breathing new life into the interface.

The reaction was immediate. Customers praised the cleaner, more modern look, while internal teams recognized the update as a pivotal step in strengthening brand trust and unifying the product family. Early results pointed to higher user satisfaction and a more cohesive brand presence, laying the foundation for long-term impact.

Xoom brand refresh:Aligning with PayPal’s design system