16 Sep Embedding Design into the Fiber of Fintech
Welcome to the first article in our Design Impact Series, where we explore inside stories from our portfolio companies. From internal team structure to design philosophy to UX, this series looks at the ways design can lead to greater impact.
How Stripe changed the game
Stripe exists because Patrick and John Collison decided to fix the overly complex process of moving money online. Since its founding in 2010, Stripe has evolved from a developer-focused payments platform to a 14-product suite that facilitates an array of financial interactions online, supporting businesses and entrepreneurs around the globe.
Like any successful start-up, there’s the mythology and then there’s the messy reality. Reality is hard to distill into a sound bite, but it’s what helps founders and designers tackle the challenges and decisions they face in their own companies and lives.
Design has had an impact at Stripe because it is valued, nurtured from the top, and focuses on making a positive impact on people. Success takes being intentional about how design works within the company at every stage of growth. And it takes an unimaginable amount of grit.
In order to share some of the unique characteristics and dynamics at play there, we talked to a few of Stripe’s designers, both past and present: Malthe Sigurdsson, Stripe’s first Head of Design; Everett Katigbak, Executive Producer of Stories; Megan Crabtree, Design Program Manager; and Katie Dill, Stripe’s new Head of Design. What we’re sharing here are a few insights and anecdotes that illuminate how design has helped Stripe succeed.