The Challenge

A regulated industry, an underserved audience, and no digital foundation

Blue Casa Communications served a predominantly low-income, older, Spanish-speaking customer base in California — a population that was skeptical of online payments and accustomed to paying bills in person. The company needed not just a payment portal, but an entire brand voice and visual system built for a heavily regulated environment that demanded legal notices, rate disclosures, and compliance materials alongside everyday customer communications.

The Approach

Testing with real users before writing a single line of code

Rather than assuming what would work, I went directly to the customers who paid their bills on-site and had them test early image-based HTML prototypes. Their feedback shaped every decision — from the visual hierarchy of the payment flow to the language used in both English and Spanish. Legal notices, regulatory disclosures, and financial aid forms were designed to reflect the company's tone while meeting compliance requirements. Every piece of communication — digital and print — was built on the same visual and voice foundation.

The Outcome

A 40% drop in call center volume and a 10% bump in autopay adoption

The payment center was adopted by a customer base that had never paid a bill online before. Call center volume dropped by 40% as customers became self-sufficient. Autopay enrollment increased by 10%, automating a significant portion of the billing process and freeing the team to focus on retention and new products. The brand system created in this engagement became the foundation for all future customer communications.