3-4 min read
ComparaJá.pt · 2021 · 3–4 weeks
I helped design a platform for a home loan operations team to replace fragmented tools and Excel-based workflows used to evaluate client viability for bank loan proposals.
The platform was used daily by agents, analysts, and partner managers to collect client data, assess risk, and decide whether a process could be sent to banks
My Role: Product Designer
Team: 1 PM, 1 Product Designer, 1 Backend Engineer, 2 Frontend Engineers
The operations team relied on large Excel documents and multiple platforms to manage client processes, which created inefficiency and cognitive overload during live calls with clients.
The main issues were:
Excessive scrolling and manual data entry
Repeated information across different tools
Low visibility of key client and viability data
Difficulty understanding if a client was viable for specific banks
This slowed decision-making and increased operational friction
I started with research by shadowing the operations team and conducting interviews to understand their real workflows, constraints, and pain points.
To validate design decisions I've:
Observed agents handling real client calls
Mapped the full process and required fields for bank rules
Built low-fi prototypes focused on clarity and speed
Ran 2 usability testing rounds (10 agents, then 5 agents in call-based scenarios)
The main focus was reducing cognitive load and helping agents access critical information instantly during live conversations.
We replaced the Excel-based workflow with a centralized platform structured around two core views:
Process view with all relevant client information and journey context
Viability tool showing calculated values, bank eligibility, and key decision indicators
The main improvements:
Consolidated all client data into a single interface
Surfaced crucial values (effort rate, loan amount, viability) at the top
Reorganised fields for faster scanning and completion
Added contextual explanations when a client was not viable
Enabled dynamic calculations that updated based on field changes
This allowed agents to understand client viability in real time while on calls, instead of switching between tools.
01
Understanding the domain complexity was a major challenge. Every field impacted financial calculations and bank rules, which required deep collaboration with the product manager and operations team.
02
Another constraint was time. The project moved quickly in a fast-paced environment, forcing prioritisation and pragmatic design decisions.
03
Technical Constraints
Additionally, we were constrained by an external UI library (Vuetify), which limited visual flexibility and required adapting designs to existing components rather than designing freely.
This project replaced Excel-based workflows with a centralized platform used by the operations team, reducing the time spent finding key client and viability information by around 50% in usability sessions. It also enabled real-time client viability assessment during live calls, improving agents’ confidence and speeding up decision-making.
This is a project snapshot
Contact me to know more. I’m happy to talk through the full process, constraints, and decisions behind the work.
contact@joanapedreira.com
