Sarah Stone
Sarah Stone
Strategic Communication and Marketing Specialist, NC State University
Sarah Stone serves as the strategic communications and marketing specialist for NC State’s Wilson College of Textiles. In that role, she does a bit of everything, including UX design, content strategy, video production and research communications.
Before starting her career in higher education, she spent three years as a producer for Savannah’s leading local news station.
In May 2025, Sarah graduated with an M.A. in digital communication from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her thesis explored how UX design can make information about college costs more accessible to first-generation college students. She earned a B.A. in broadcast journalism from the University of South Carolina in 2018.
Designing for Financial Clarity: UX Lessons from First-Gen College Students
IMAX (Lightning Talks), Thursday 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm
From credit scores to tuition estimates, financial interfaces are often confusing, overwhelming and mistrust-inducing. This is especially true for users encountering them for the first time.
In this talk, I’ll discuss findings from a usability study with first-generation college students as they tried to navigate university websites to learn about cost and financial aid. The obstacles they faced – jargon, inconsistent navigation and information overload – go beyond higher education.
I’ll share design recommendations for reducing cognitive load, increasing transparency and supporting equitable decision-making. These actionable insights and suggestions will have value and relevance for anyone working in financial UX, civic tech or user education.
