Money is one of the hardest things to talk about. Through Breaking Bread, Building Legacy, Vanguard partnered with The Washington Post to design an experience that made those conversations feel safe, personal, and human.

Overview

Money is one of the hardest things to talk about. Breaking Bread, Building Legacy was an awareness initiative designed to turn one of America’s most avoided topics, money, into a meaningful, values-driven conversation. By blending storytelling, UX design, and behavioral insight, the experience invited users to reflect on their financial mindset and take simple, human next steps toward financial confidence.

Goal

1. Business Goals

• Strengthen Vanguard’s presence in values-driven financial conversations by connecting brand purpose with real human behavior.

• Drive awareness and engagement with Vanguard’s educational and advisory resources through meaningful storytelling.

• Build a repeatable framework for editorial partnerships that combine insight, empathy, and measurable engagement.

2. User Goals

• Create a safe, relatable space to reflect on personal financial values without judgment or jargon.

• Encourage dialogue about money across families and communities.

• Provide clear, optional next steps to learn or connect with an advisor.

3. Experience Goals

• Design a conversational UX flow that feels guided, not gated.

• Include off-ramps to let users explore at their own pace and comfort level.

• Balance editorial storytelling with actionable design — blending reflection and forward motion.

My Role

• Role: Lead UX Strategist & Designer (Vanguard)

• Partners: Vanguard Brand Strategy & Insights × The Washington Post Creative Group

• Timeline: 8 weeks

The Challenge

Research revealed that 65% of Americans avoid talking about money, even with those closest to them, a silence that can limit financial growth and legacy. Vanguard wanted to open that conversation in an authentic, approachable way that emphasized community over conversion.

Approach

As lead UX strategist and designer, I partnered across Brand Strategy, Insights, and The Washington Post to design a digital experience that encouraged curiosity and connection:

• Mindset Framework: Collaborated with Insights to create non-rigid “money mindset” archetypes that encouraged reflection without labels.

• Conversation Flow Design: Crafted a guided quiz experience that felt like an invitation — using storytelling and progressive disclosure to mirror a natural dialogue.

• Navigation Strategy: Designed off-ramps that gave users agency to pause, explore stories, or move toward advisory resources when ready.

• Call-to-Action Alignment: Partnered with The Washington Post to craft contextual CTAs leading to a Vanguard microsite with next steps and educational materials.

Impact

• +27% increase in engagement duration and +18% higher quiz completion rate after implementing adaptive quiz paths and clearly designed off-ramps that respected user autonomy.

• 3× lift in positive sentiment toward Vanguard’s brand voice — users described the experience as “approachable,” “human,” and “easy to relate to.”

• 25% increase in click-throughs to the Vanguard microsite, driving meaningful exploration of educational resources and advisor connections.

• Streamlined collaboration model across UX, Brand Strategy, and Editorial — creating a repeatable framework for future insight-led awareness campaigns..