Empowering Military Families Through Design
The USAA mortgage application is more than a form; it's a gateway to one of life's biggest milestones for our military members and their families. Faced with an outdated system causing user frustration and high abandonment rates, we embarked on a complete redesign. This case study explores how a human-centered, data-informed approach transformed a stressful process into a clear, confident, and successful experience, delivering significant wins for both our members and our business.
+18%
Uplift in Completed Applications
-27%
Reduction in Support Calls
4.6/5
New User Satisfaction Score
+45%
Engagement with Help Content
Understanding the Member Struggle
Our discovery process began with a deep dive into the existing mortgage platform. Through a combination of UX audits, analytics, and direct member interviews, a clear picture of the problem emerged. The system was failing our members at critical moments, leading to confusion, frustration, and abandonment.
Fragmented & Confusing Navigation
Users felt lost, overwhelmed by jargon, and uncertain about the next steps. A lack of clear progress indicators made the lengthy process feel endless.
Lack of Educational Content
Critical terms were unexplained, and guidance was absent. This resulted in high call volumes from members needing basic clarification.
Outdated & Inconsistent UI
The design system was old, leading to an inconsistent visual language, accessibility issues, and a general lack of trust in the platform.
A Leaky Funnel
Analytics revealed a critical drop-off point. The confusion was so significant that about one-third of all applicants abandoned the process during pre-qualification.
A Human-Centered, Modular Approach
Our strategy was to rebuild the experience from the ground up, focusing on clarity, guidance, and empathy. We created bite-sized, digestible modules tailored to the user's context. Below is an interactive example of one of our key improvements: Just-in-Time Guidance.
Mortgage Application
This is a simplified demonstration of the "Just-in-Time Guidance" feature. Click the '?' icon to see how we provide contextual help exactly when and where members need it, reducing confusion and building trust.
Quantifying the Success
The redesigned mortgage application delivered clear, measurable results across the board. By focusing on the member experience, we not only improved user satisfaction but also achieved significant business objectives. The data below highlights the transformational impact of our work.