Rocket Mortgage + Nexsys Technologies
Role: Designer + Researcher + Application Support Analyst
Timeline: May 2021 - August 2021
Overview
For the first portion of my internship, I collaborated as an Application Support Analyst Intern for Nexsys, part of Rocket Companies, innovating the mortgage process. This included support for Clear HOI, Clear Path, and Clear Sign. I was then able to collaborate with another team at Rocket…
For ~3 months, I served as a UX Intern at Rocket Mortgage, the largest mortgage lender in America, collaborating with the Team Member Experience Design Team (TMX). Our focus was on crafting integrated systems utilized by bankers throughout Mortgage Origination. Working closely with product, engineering, and business partners, we researched, designed, and implemented enhanced product experiences for Team Members across the mortgage process.
So what did I do, exactly?
I helped 4000+ Bankers close loans.
I led UX research and revamped the 'Product and Pricing' section of the enterprise tool utilized by Bankers to advise clients on loan options. My goal was to simplify and optimize the loan review process by improving information architecture and usability. This aligns with our team's overarching objective of reducing loan-to-close time and enabling bankers to offer optimal loan solutions to clients.
Where does the process begin?
Coordinating the challenge with cross-functional teams.
To create a coherent strategy that all of us can implement, our Design team meets with our product, engineering, and business partners regularly. This helps to facilitate agile project planning.
The Problem
Bankers heavily rely on the old "AMP" loan origination system when advising customers on lending products. The new cloud-based user interface system known as "Rocket Logic" replaces "AMP" as it is phased out. The new portion of Rocket Logic where clients are recommended loan options is called Product and Pricing, where bankers express displeasure.
Why is relying on the old system bad?
Bankers' cognitive load increases while alternating between the two systems, which causes more task redundancy and slower loan processing times.
The Goal
To lessen bankers' reliance on AMP, identify and address any pain points they may have with Rocket Logic's product and pricing process.
Research Methodology
Empathizing with bankers' experiences was crucial.
I studied bankers' operations and pinpointed areas that needed improvement to create efficient design solutions and address their problems. I chose semi-structured, remote contextual inquiry shadow sessions to watch bankers in the real world and learn about their motivations, issues, and routines.
How did this process work out?
Shadow sessions
I asked each banker to show me their screens and walk me through the product and pricing process as if they were answering a phone call from a customer. Through this practical observation, I identified problem areas and comprehended how bankers use the tool.
Semi-structured contextual inquiry
Following each shadow session, I utilized a flexible script tailored to the product and pricing tool. This approach ensured a focused conversation while allowing room for spontaneous insights.
Which pricing and product system—AMP or Rocket Logic—do you prefer to use?
Which of the main screen's vital data fields are required for your tasks?
How is information on the secondary goal incorporated into your workflow?
How do you apply county limits to your decision-making process?
Explain how you plan to save your work on the current page.
What challenges, if any, do you run into while comparing Rocket Logic products?
What enhancements would you add to the page if you could make any changes at all?
If so, how do you use graphs to help you make decisions?
The Process
First things first, send a banker a direct message.
User Interviews
~1 hour per banker
30 minutes for shadow session + 30 minutes for contextual inquiry.
Notes
An example of how I summarized each session.
Each call with a banker was screen-recorded so important information could be referenced.
Research Synthesis
I generated an affinity map based on feedback from bankers, highlighting three common areas of concern:
Trust Issues
There's inconsistency in loan prices between AMP and Rocket Logic.
Efficiency Challenges
Bankers find it quicker to navigate through AMP compared to Rocket Logic.
Information Architecture Issues
Bankers encounter difficulty locating data fields in Rocket Logic, disrupting client interactions. Additionally, the screen lacks responsiveness.
Stakeholder Alignment
Findings were presented to the Product, Engineering, and Business teams.
Design requirements were then finalized through a “How Might We” exercise.
The Designs
Original Design (June 2021)
Redesign
Design Changes
Bankers may navigate more easily and quickly to relevant data points thanks to the revised interface.
To improve customer interaction and reduce banker errors, Sales Benefits, and Shortage Information have been moved to the side of loan product alternatives.
The data points have been rearranged to conform to the structure of the previous system (AMP) and reflect banker training.
The screen is now completely responsive, which is convenient for bankers who frequently use smaller screens.
Redundancies have been removed, including the huge RKT Logo, the Secondary Goal, the Primary Goal, and an additional support button.
The color scheme and UI have been modified to correspond with Rocket Logic's themes and Call-To-Action buttons.
Further Discovery
Product and Pricing section of Rocket Logic is still ongoing and research + designs were handed off to other current team members.
I am proud that Rocket Companies allowed me to explore the team outside of Rogue Squadron (Application Support at Nexsys). I was able to grow into a support analyst and a designer.
I also met legends like Detroit Lions Offensive Tackle, Penei Sewell! 🏈
