Project Overview

• Role: Lead UX/UI Designer
• Services: Multi-Persona UX Research, Credit Application Funnels, Portal Redesign, Design System
• Industry: Fintech / PropTech / Mortgage & Real Estate Financing
• Tools: Figma, Miro, Usability Testing

1. Context & The Challenge

Mortgage applications are historically one of the most complex, document-heavy, and stressful financial processes for users and credit executives alike.

The Problem:

The legacy mortgage portal had a fragmented journey that led to high drop-off rates during initial pre-qualification and slow processing times for bank executives evaluating applicant risk.

Key Pain Points Identified:

• Borrower Anxiety & Drop-offs: Applicants lacked visibility into loan eligibility requirements, interest rate calculations, and real-time application status.
• Document Management Chaos: Uploading tax forms, income statements, and property appraisals was friction-heavy, leading to invalid or missing documentation.
• Executive Overhead: Loan officers spent excessive time manually verifying applicant data across non-standardized internal tools.

2. My Approach & Process

I led the UX/UI strategy to bridge the gap between applicant simplicity and executive operational efficiency.

Phase 1: Dual-Persona Journey Mapping

• Conducted discovery sessions with home buyers (to map emotional anxiety and information needs) and mortgage executives (to map risk assessment workflows).
• Mapped end-to-end touchpoints from initial mortgage simulation to final loan approval.

Phase 2: Mortgage Simulator & Onboarding Optimization

• Designed an interactive mortgage simulator enabling users to customize loan terms, down payments, and monthly installments transparently.
• Restructured the multi-step application into progressive disclosure stages, allowing users to save progress and upload documents seamlessly.

Phase 3: Executive Risk Portal & Design System

• Developed an internal dashboard for loan officers to review applicant profiles, verify documents, and update approval statuses in real time.
• Created a clean, accessible design system in Figma following WCAG contrast standards for financial disclosures and status trackers.

3. Key Solutions Implemented

• Transparent Loan Simulator: A real-time calculator that helps applicants explore mortgage scenarios before committing to a formal application.
• Progressive Document Vault: Guided upload steps with instant validation feedback to reduce document submission errors.
• Executive Loan Management Dashboard: A centralized portal for credit officers to prioritize, evaluate, and track applicant files efficiently.

4. Impact & Results

• Reduced Funnel Friction: Streamlined simulation and pre-qualification flows significantly increased completed mortgage applications.
• Faster Processing Times: Improved document organization and executive tools accelerated loan evaluation cycles.
• Enhanced Transparency: Real-time status indicators minimized applicant support inquiries regarding approval updates.

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