Verification assessment
Internal Danske Bank platform to improve work efficiency for employees who handle loan applications in Sweden.
Problem Statement
Challenge: Danske Bank employees managing loan applications faced significant inefficiencies due to the outdated tools, leading to redundant tasks and potential human errors.
Significance: The repetitive nature of their tasks caused frustration and wasted valuable time, impacting their productivity and decision-making accuracy.
Primary Users: Danske Bank employees
Overview
The goal of this project was to develop an efficient and user-friendly platform for Danske Bank employees working with the Swedish market. These employees handle numerous loan applications daily, using outdated tools like Excel and the slow Kapri software. These tools necessitated redundant data entry and increased the risk of human error. Our objective was to create a streamlined platform with an intuitive UX and clear UI to help employees work more efficiently, reduce errors, and enhance overall productivity.
Research
Methods: To understand the problem, I collaborated closely with a business analyst. We held recurring weekly meetings with our primary users to dissect every detail of their workflow. By observing their interactions with the old systems and asking detailed questions, we gathered comprehensive insights.
Participants: We consistently worked with four key participants throughout the research phase.
Key Findings: We mapped out the entire user process, identified the rationale behind each step, and pinpointed areas for workflow optimization. Techniques such as user journey mapping and persona development were utilized to gain a deeper understanding of user needs and pain points.
Ideation
Brainstorming: After gathering the necessary information, we listed out the steps involved and designed a fully functional version of the process. This included mapping out their workflow to find the most efficient solution that would be simple to use and adaptable for future features.
Key Ideas: Our solution focused on:
Clearly displaying the case being handled and relevant customer information.
Navigating through the main steps of the process seamlessly.
Allowing users to write work notes and make decisions at each step.
Sending forms to the property valuation team without redundant data entry.
Assessing decisions and communicating with customers without manually writing emails.
Selected Idea: We implemented a tab structure and customer information card, ensuring that all steps were in order, easy to navigate, and minimized the need for excessive movement within the application. This idea was chosen through a combination of brainstorming sessions and collaborative sketching with stakeholders.
Design Process
Initial Concept: We aimed to design a solution similar to existing tools to avoid confusing our users with a completely new interface.
Wireframes: Numerous wireframes were created to follow the required flow, which were iteratively tested with users. We used low-fidelity wireframes initially to focus on layout and functionality without the distraction of design details.
User Flows and Information Architecture: The design was organized with weekly user feedback sessions, ensuring each iteration aligned with user needs. Information architecture was meticulously planned to ensure intuitive navigation and ease of access to critical information.
Prototyping
High-Fidelity Prototypes: These prototypes facilitated user testing, making it easier for users to follow the proposed workflow. They were instrumental in early-stage feedback collection, enabling quick iterations.
Later we covered the entire process flow and it were reviewed by the users to get a final confirmation and by the whole team, including front-end and back-end developers, product owners, and other employees who are working with this project. High-fidelity prototypes helped in fine-tuning the design details and ensuring technical feasibility.
Final Solution
Final Design: The comprehensive assessment screen process was finalized with user satisfaction. The full vision of the assessment screen was planned for a year-long development, which we then narrowed down to release versions.
Key Features:
Quick access to customer and co-applicant information.
Easy document review.
Decision-making capabilities for loan applications.
Property value assessment.
Customer affordability analysis.
Making final decision
Yet development is still on going. Not all features are available yet for full user flow.
Results and Impact
Outcomes: The new system enabled users to finalize approximately 60% more cases per day, significantly reducing human errors and eliminating redundant data entry. Key performance indicators (KPIs) were established to measure the success of the solution.
User Satisfaction: Users expressed high satisfaction with the solution, highlighting its efficiency and ease of use.
Achievement of Goals: The solution successfully met the project goals and user needs, demonstrating the effectiveness of a user-centered design approach.
Reflections and Learnings
Learnings: This project enhanced my ability to see the big picture, improved my communication skills with users, and prepared me better for user interviews. It also strengthened my collaboration with front-end and back-end teams and my ability to find technical solutions.
Challenges: Meeting tight deadlines and solving complex problems were significant challenges, requiring extra hours and innovative thinking. Managing stakeholder expectations and ensuring alignment across teams was crucial.
Influence on Approach: This project made me more comfortable gathering information from users, asking the right questions, and uncovering additional areas for improvement. It was a critical experience that touched all aspects of UX design, from collaboration to communication, user mapping, and testing. This experience solidified my understanding of the importance of a user-centered design approach and the value of iterative testing and refinement.
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2024 vision prototype used for testing
Here you can watch the full process how loan application is being handled by bank advisors. This is one of the 3 steps. Customer information is fake and please do not share it with anyone since it is private platform of Danske Bank. Please take into consideration that this is not a final version and development is still in progress. Our users have similar system which is live, and this is just a test version.