From Paper Forms to Digital Flow

HKEX's FINI platform was meant to digitize Hong Kong's IPO settlement. The prototype just digitized paper — no redesign, no understanding.

The Problem

Billion-dollar IPOs. Paper forms.

HKEX's FINI platform was supposed to digitize Hong Kong's IPO settlement process — cutting the gap from 5 days to 1 day.

The prototype? Just digitized paper. No redesign. No understanding.

What I Discovered

The person filling out IPO forms isn't a "user." They're an assistant to a legal advisor, treating this as work, not play.

Keyboard-only preference. Cautious about every input.

But the form? Confusing button names ("Generate Denomination Table"). Misleading instructions ("Next" that isn't next). No way to undo mistakes.

The design team had worked 9 months. Built a beautiful Material Design system. Missed everything that mattered.

What I Built

Pushed for interviews before sign-off. Usability tests with people who actually fill out prospectus forms.

Redesigned for digital, not digitized:

• ▍Simplified field names
• ▍Reduced redundant form elements
• ▍Clarified instructions
• ▍Keyboard-first interactions

Did It Work?

The project was at 90%. But we convinced the team to revisit the flow before development.

Sometimes the win isn't a perfect solution. It's stopping a perfect disaster.

What I Learned

Digital transformation isn't about replacing paper. It's about understanding why the paper existed in the first place.

And UX is the only thing that bridges that gap.