LEAD DESIGNER
JAN 2024 - DEC 2024
Chase Apply Flow & Fulfillment
Reducing drop-offs, improving customer confidence to apply and lead submit rates
LEAD DESIGNER
JAN 2024 - DEC 2024
Chase Apply Flow & Fulfillment
Reducing drop-offs, improving customer confidence to apply and lead submit rates
LEAD DESIGNER
JAN 2025 - SEPT 2025
Home Lending Public Experience
Driving a 38% boost in conversions with need based segmentation
Two sides of the story
We set the values for our new design grounding in customer's thoughts, feelings and actions to understand both what we want and what we don't want
We set the values for our new design grounding in customer's thoughts, feelings and actions to understand both what we want and what we don't want
Business side
Quality leads:
Make revenue with customers loans that will benefit the business
Technology:
Limited by how much data about our customers we can leverage, pre-fill and suggest
Cost-effective:
We need to invest more in digital solutions than humans (Home Lending Advisors)
Customer side
Financial commitment:
This is a huge, once-in-a-lifetime financial commitment, customers need to trust the bank and have a long-term relationship
Best deals:
Customers need to get the best rates, personalized offers to make the right decision
Support & guidance:
Customers need help figuring out the process, what to expect, etc.
Drop off rates
While our submit rate was performing pretty well earlier this year, there will still significantly high drop-offs on other pages notably employment, review page, co-applicant info, and surprisingly the landing page. Did customers not intend to apply?
While our submit rate was performing pretty well earlier this year, there will still significantly high drop-offs on other pages notably employment, review page, co-applicant info, and surprisingly the landing page. Did customers not intend to apply?
Customer verbattims
Analyzing exit surveys, we were able to see why customers dropped after clicking apply.
Top reasons for abandonment include: just exploring, credit pull concerns, don’t have all the info & have questions.
CSAT showed that the loan fulfillment experience was complicated, not real-time and unclear
Analyzing exit surveys, we were able to see why customers dropped after clicking apply.
Top reasons for abandonment include: just exploring, credit pull concerns, don’t have all the info & have questions.
CSAT showed that the loan fulfillment experience was complicated, not real-time and unclear
Insights
After analyzing the data for a 2 month period, we saw some clear patterns which became our driving principles
After analyzing the data for a 2 month period, we saw some clear patterns which became our driving principles
Rates before apply
Customers want to see numbers, offers, and the best rate they can be financially confident
Customers want to see numbers, offers, and the best rate they can be financially confident
Applying = committment
Customers don't want a hard credit pull. Purchase customers are looking for preapproval
Customers don't want a hard credit pull. Purchase customers are looking for preapproval
Too much info & SSN
The process of loan fulfillment is unclear and customers don't get why things are asked
The process of loan fulfillment is unclear and customers don't get why things are asked
1-Week Discovery Workshop
We conducted a workshop to deeply understand the problem with empathy mapping, prioritization matrix and assumption mapping ending with high level design concepts.
We conducted a workshop to deeply understand the problem with empathy mapping, prioritization matrix and assumption mapping ending with high level design concepts.
Into the customer's mind
Through customer research, we dived deep into these habits and anxieties such as credit concerns, need education before decision and importance of value before commitment
Through customer research, we dived deep into these habits and anxieties such as credit concerns, need education before decision and importance of value before commitment
Only ask for info after customer has experienced real value
Customers expect Chase to have their data and know about them to give the best pricing and pre-fill details so they know what they're getting into before applying
Customers expect Chase to have their data and know about them to give the best pricing and pre-fill details so they know what they're getting into before applying
Numbers
Is this the right time?
Is this is the best rate for me?
Numbers
Is this the right time? Is this is the best rate for me?
Personalized info
Why Chase?
What do they offer?
What do they know about my home?
Personalized info
Why Chase? What do they offer? What do they know about my home?
Information
What's the process?
Is it easy?
What can I expect?
What if I need help?
Information
What's the process? Is it easy? What can I expect?
What if I need help?
What runs behind the scenes?
This application flow and fulfillment experience had a lot of backend implementations, services, HLA side, data downstream implications, and so much more to understand the feasibility of solving this problem.
This application flow and fulfillment experience had a lot of backend implementations, services, HLA side, data downstream implications, and so much more to understand the feasibility of solving this problem.
Journey mapping
What features do we have to support our customers based on the JTBDs? Consisdering our business needs, we tried to build a digital self-service experience, but with guardrails for support IF and WHEN they need
What features do we have to support our customers based on the JTBDs? Consisdering our business needs, we tried to build a digital self-service experience, but with guardrails for support IF and WHEN they need
Engaging with rates before applying
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I don't have to provide this information…I'm applying for a loan from Chase, so they should already have the information. It shows that they're professional, and it also makes things quicker."
“I thought that was great because it provided a quick snapshot... I also like the end summary because it was timely and told me what it would cover.
Empowering with ease of application
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
Clarity
Intent of “Apply” is clear
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Reduce info asked in employment
Confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Only ask for SSN during soft credit check
Conversational
Less interrogative and more about understanding customer’s needs
HLA will review with you and guide
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Efficient loan fulfillment
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
Clarity
Intent of “Apply” is clear
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Reduce info asked in employment
Confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Only ask for SSN during soft credit check
Conversational
Less interrogative and more about understanding customer’s needs
HLA will review with you and guide
Engaging with rates before applying
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I don't have to provide this information…I'm applying for a loan from Chase, so they should already have the information. It shows that they're professional, and it also makes things quicker."
“I thought that was great because it provided a quick snapshot... I also like the end summary because it was timely and told me what it would cover.
Empowering with ease of application
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
Clarity
Intent of “Apply” is clear
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Reduce info asked in employment
Confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Only ask for SSN during soft credit check
Conversational
Less interrogative and more about understanding customer’s needs
HLA will review with you and guide
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Empowering with ease of application
All the granular changes that led to improve in submit rate, reduced drop-offs and alleviated customer fears
Powerful, goal-oriented
We have mortgages for everyone's unique needs.
Goal based clear "Apply" buttons rather than "Get started" so the intent of initiating apply is clear
Set expectations and confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Someone will help you after you apply
Conversational
Less interrogative and more "simple" "easy" tone
Reducing redundant pages and re-framing address requirements
Less inputs
Highest drop-off page because we even ask for company address. Stripped it down to just employment status and optional details
Soft credit, SSN with purpose
Influenced product decision to change to soft credit check. SSN only IF you say yes to soft credit check rather than as the 4th question of the flow
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Info not final
One of the high drop off pages reduced to most important info surfaced and rest hidden
"Its okay to miss some details"
Efficient loan fulfillment
Setting the stage for eventually creating a fully digital self-service platform. Leveraging better third party integration to show automated real-time updates on documents and tasks. Reduced cognitive load of documents by combining all read-only documents into one task with preview and number of docs.
Engaging with rates before applying
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I don't have to provide this information…I'm applying for a loan from Chase, so they should already have the information. It shows that they're professional, and it also makes things quicker."
“I thought that was great because it provided a quick snapshot... I also like the end summary because it was timely and told me what it would cover.
Empowering with ease of application
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
Clarity
Intent of “Apply” is clear
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Reduce info asked in employment
Confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Only ask for SSN during soft credit check
Conversational
Less interrogative and more about understanding customer’s needs
HLA will review with you and guide
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Ready to apply segment
"Start online" might get clicks, but customers who are actually ready to apply will click "Apply to buy"
Value proposition "Our priority is you" with discounts and benefits to trust Chase
Rates as decision point
Rates was 4 scrolls below in the old page. New page has value (personalized) and rates in 1st scroll
Clear branding (colors, warm tone images, no illustrations) and powerful content to imbibe trust in Chase
Efficient loan fulfillment
Let's analyze the points of friction and the clicks to try to understand customer intent and needs
Clarity
Intent of “Apply” is clear
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Reduce info asked in employment
Confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Only ask for SSN during soft credit check
Conversational
Less interrogative and more about understanding customer’s needs
HLA will review with you and guide
Engaging with rates before applying
We launched a new "HELOC rate tool" so that when customers apply, they can first see their estimated HELOC rate, eligibility for the product and a quick preview of loan option tailored to their information.
"It makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I don't have to provide this information…I'm applying for a loan from Chase, so they should already have the information. It shows that they're professional, and it also makes things quicker."
“I thought that was great because it provided a quick snapshot... I also like the end summary because it was timely and told me what it would cover.
Empowering with ease of application
All the granular changes that led to improve in submit rate, reduced drop-offs and alleviated customer fears
Powerful, goal-oriented
We have mortgages for everyone's unique needs.
Goal based clear "Apply" buttons rather than "Get started" so the intent of initiating apply is clear
Set expectations and confidence
You may skip questions or estimate - info is not final
No hard credit check
Someone will help you after you apply
Conversational
Less interrogative and more "simple" "easy" tone
Reducing redundant pages and re-framing address requirements
Less inputs
Highest drop-off page because we even ask for company address
Stripped it down to just employment status and optional details
Soft credit, SSN with purpose
Influenced product decision to change to soft credit check
SSN only IF you say yes to soft credit check rather than as the 4th question of the flow
Explain why we ask & how info helps
Info not final
One of the high drop off pages reduced to most important info surfaced and rest hidden
"Its okay to miss some details"
Efficient loan fulfillment
Setting the stage for eventually creating a fully digital self-service platform. Leveraging better third party integration to show automated real-time updates on documents and tasks. Reduced cognitive load of documents by combining all read-only documents into one task with preview and number of docs.
A very special call out and thank you to Sanjana for being such an amazing partner and consistently going above and beyond when it comes to projects we are working on. Sanjana has been instrumental in the Encompass build UX, providing solutions and quickly adjusting to our changing needs.
Sonia Zacheo
CMH Product VP
Sanjana!
I wanted to send a special thanks for all your hard work, patience and collaboration this year! You jumped into the Apply world with both feet and I've loved exploring ways to improve our customers' experience. You approach every challenge or change in direction with a smile and you're open to everyone's feedback.
Thank you for always being there and for being a wonderful teammate.
Andrew Kennerley
Content VP
Hello Sanjana, Samuel - This is to appreciate your efforts in running unmoderated customer research towards the discovery item for our AOA Home Lending flow. Amazing work, great insights and nicely presented. Hope to continue the wonderful partnership to deliver quality experience with customer focus in mind.
Keep up the good work.
Saurabh Shreedhar
AOA Product VP
A very special call out and thank you to Sanjana for being such an amazing partner and consistently going above and beyond when it comes to projects we are working on. Sanjana has been instrumental in the Encompass build UX, providing solutions and quickly adjusting to our changing needs.
Sonia Zacheo
CMH Product VP
Sanjana!
I wanted to send a special thanks for all your hard work, patience and collaboration this year! You jumped into the Apply world with both feet and I've loved exploring ways to improve our customers' experience. You approach every challenge or change in direction with a smile and you're open to everyone's feedback.
Thank you for always being there and for being a wonderful teammate.
Andrew Kennerley
Content VP
Hello Sanjana, Samuel - This is to appreciate your efforts in running unmoderated customer research towards the discovery item for our AOA Home Lending flow. Amazing work, great insights and nicely presented. Hope to continue the wonderful partnership to deliver quality experience with customer focus in mind.
Keep up the good work.
Saurabh Shreedhar
AOA Product VP
5.5%
Increase in lead submit after apply flow changes
Credit concerns
Exit surveys reported lower concerns of credit pull
208 leads
HELOC rate tool received 3.1k visits in 10% split with 43 apps
“It’s nice that they kinda outlined…not just what you need but why do you need it...Because sometimes you don’t wanna provide personal information, so its good to justify every step of the way”
“It’s like keep calm carry on…I am a little confident... makes me wanna find out what my rates are..that I’ll hear from someone”
“I like that it says ‘it's okay to estimate and skip’ So don't feel like super committed…like this doesn't feel like it's gonna be such a big thing to go through this page ”
“Breezed through some of the pages…felt like something that would not take too long…I liked that you can be detailed and thorough so you when you have the call it will be worthwhile..I liked the progress bar”
LEAD DESIGNER
JAN 2024 - DEC 2024
Chase Apply Flow & Fulfillment
Reducing drop-offs, improving customer confidence to apply and lead submit rates