Project
Digital Home Mortgage Application
Client
PNC Bank
Role
UX Director and Project Lead
Design tools used
While working with PNC Bank, I was the Director of UX Design, specializing in digital transformation of banking and finance. In addition to leading the UX design for the digital mortgage team, I was responsible for the creation of responsive design systems and content frameworks, evangelization of design leadership, establishing collaboration, inspiring innovation and cultivation of design thinking across multiple desktop and mobile applications. Projects ranged from Home Lending, Home Refinancing, Home Equity Line of Credit, Auto Loans, Investment Lending, Credit Cards, Business Lending, Developer Portal and the Open Banking Platform.
The Challenge
Digitally Transforming the Mortgage Business
The current mortgage process offers a tedious and overwhelming experience for customers to complete long forms, which are prone to user errors. In addition, the process uses inefficient and antiquated back-end business practices, that involves a multitude of man power. Overall, the application period is time consuming, due to multiple layers of approvals and communications throughout the line of business.
Before
After
The need to reinvent the wheel
The current government regulated Fannie Mae 1003 mortgage form contains over 200 fields. These fields, may or may not apply to the customer. Initial testing showed this form created cognitive overload and gave a sense of worry and concern to potential customers.
The progressive form experience
The new progressive form experience only displays information that pertains to the customer; based on prior inputs. The form structure drastically diminished cognitive load, along with reducing the completion time. Testing proved a greater ease of use.
Understanding the customer
Designing and Developing to Real Personas
In addition to designing a customer facing application that adhered to both business and government regulations, it was vital to understand new customers, along with their mortgage needs. Over 15 customer related personas were identified, based on historical PNC customer analytics, along with meeting face-to-face with real customers.
Accelerating the customer experience
Applying API Accelerators to the Flow
To reduce user error and limit time consuming fact-checking from multiple sources, I implemented accelerators throughout the application. Employment and financial account information, along with customer assets could quickly transfer using secure connections between banks and government entities.
Pre-filled user data, based on existing customer accounts details
One click verification of your employment and income
Instant connection to all your financial assets
Creating a design system
A Standardized UI Kit
The experience of the Mortgage Application was the flagship for all lending products to follow. In order to assure consistency across all products, I created an extensive UI Kit, based on Atomic Design Principles. This UI kit allowed designers to create consistent experiences across all lending applications, while increasing velocity in the work flow.
The outcome
An Overwhelming Success
When the application launched in late 2019, it was an immediate success. At the beginning of 2020, Dynatrace scored the mortgage application higher than any other federal banking institution, overtaking its rivals Rocket Mortgage and Wells Fargo. Customers across the US can now apply for a mortgage in less than 10 minutes, resulting in an instant pre-approval for a loan.
Leads Generated
6 months from launch
2X
Over 2018 FY
Applications Funded
6 months from launch
3X
Over 2018 FY
Application Submissions
6 months from launch
5X
Over 2018 FY