Challenge
High drop-offs before document upload, unclear status, and inconsistent UI increased member effort and call volume.
Objective
Create a guided, compliant, and accessible mortgage experience with clear progress, smart help, and faster completion.
Scope
Eligibility → Application → Docs → Verification → Underwriting → Closing. Design-system migration included.
Background
Signals & Insights
- 52% drop-off pre-upload; 27% rise in “Where is my loan?” calls.
- Users lacked progress cues and got stuck on validation errors.
- Benchmarking showed simpler guided patterns at competitors.
Success Metrics
- ↑ Application completion rate
- ↓ Support calls per loan
- ↓ Time to complete
- WCAG 2.2 AA & regulatory compliance
Proposal Highlights
Goals
- Mobile-first guided flow with explicit steps & real-time status
- AI-assisted calculators & contextual help
- Secure, resilient document intake with instant validation
- Migrate to the Reveille Design System for consistency
Progress tracker
Inline validation
Accessibility
Design tokens
Methodology
Phase 1 — Discovery
- Member interviews (first-time buyers & military families)
- Analytics + call-center mining for drop-off moments
- Competitive teardown (Rocket, Better, NFCU)
Phase 2 — Design
- User flows → wires → interactive prototypes
- Step-by-step application with smart defaults
- Usability tests (n=12), iterations each sprint
Phase 3 — Documentation
- Annotated specs for engineering
- Accessibility & compliance checklists
- Component updates back to design system
Flows & Key Screens
Eligibility flow — image placeholder
Application steps — image placeholder
Document upload — image placeholder
Outcomes
Completion
+23pts application completion within 60 days of launch.
Support
−18% related call volume; clearer self-service status.
Speed
−7 minutes average time to complete application.
Full Proposal (PDF)
Prefer deep details? View the original strategy and phased plan below or download the PDF.
