Problem
We needed to quickly create a suite of calculators that should mirror our competitors.

Solution
Create a simple set of calculators that are easy to update while minimizing development cost.

As a 'contractor' it was important to hit the ground running. There were already stories that had been pointed and needed design work.

Define The Problem

We received feedback from users and clients that the current calculators were inadequate. A third-party development team was already working on these calculators, which posed a significant challenge. With the clock ticking, I stepped in at the 11th hour to develop superior, customizable, and brand-friendly calculators for over 40 clients, each needing unique content and branding.

Competitor Review

There are 100's of calculators out their, our main aim was to collate the ideas that we thought worked and what didn't work. working with the Product Owner we started looking at what the market was doing and dropped post its in figma to list out what we like and what we didn't then create 3 universal principles of online calculators:

Ease of Use: Calculators should be intuitive and easy to use for all users.
Accuracy: Calculators must provide accurate and reliable results.
Customization: Calculators should be customizable to fit different branding and user needs.

Max Loan Calculator

This was considered the most basic calculator, the BA had a good idea of what a Max Loan Calculator should look like, but it was important to explore to ensure that the simple MVP was definitely the way to go.

Input fields for income, expenses, and loan term
Calculation of maximum loan amount based on inputs
Display of monthly payment amount
Option to include or exclude taxes and insurance
Graphical representation of loan amortization
Ability to save and retrieve previous calculations
Responsive design for mobile and desktop use

Rent vs Buy

This calculator helps users decide whether it is more financially beneficial to rent or buy a property. It takes into account various factors such as rent, home price, mortgage rate, and other expenses.

Input fields for monthly rent, home price, down payment, mortgage rate, and loan term
Calculation of total costs for renting vs. buying over a specified period
Display of break-even point where buying becomes more cost-effective than renting
Option to include or exclude property taxes, insurance, and maintenance costs
Graphical representation of cost comparison over time
Ability to save and retrieve previous calculations
Responsive design for mobile and desktop use

Max Loan Amount

The current Max Loan Calculator isn't really calculating the maximum loan amount, so we set out to make something that helpfully showed what the user could afford.

Input fields for income, expenses, and loan term
Calculation of maximum loan amount based on inputs
Display of monthly payment amount
Option to include or exclude taxes and insurance
Graphical representation of loan amortization
Ability to save and retrieve previous calculations
Responsive design for mobile and desktop use

Loan Amortization

One of the most commonly requested tools for Loan officers and users.

Input fields for loan amount, interest rate, loan term, and start date
Calculation of monthly payment amount based on inputs
Display of amortization schedule with breakdown of principal and interest payments
Graphical representation of loan balance over time
Option to export amortization schedule to PDF or Excel

Initially, there was no plan to create a new calculator home page. However, it became evident that a temporary solution was necessary until a permanent location was determined. This interim page served as a central hub for all calculator tools.

ProblemWe needed to quickly create a suite of calculators that should mirror our competitors.

SolutionCreate a simple set of calculators that are easy to update while minimizing development cost.