Elevating User Experience
Smarter365
Company: Smarter365.com
Sector: Finance
Role: Director of UX
Duration: 4 months
Website: smarter365
Overview
Smarter365, operating within the financial sector, provides a platform focused on streamlining the mortgage process. Recognising the strategic importance of user experience, I was engaged as UX Director for a focused period to elevate their user-centricity and mature their UX practices
Goal
My primary goal was to instill a strong user-first mindset across Smarter365, enhance the maturity and frequency of user research, drive design consistency across customer-facing products, and initiate the expansion of their UX team.
My key challenges
Upon joining Smarter365, I identified several key challenges that needed to be addressed to achieve these goals
Director
UX
Inconsistent user experience
The various customer-facing products exhibited inconsistencies in design and interaction patterns, potentially leading to user frustration and a fragmented experience.
Underdeveloped user research practices
Some user research was being conducted, but lacked consistent application, strategic depth, and a clear process for translating findings into actionable design improvements.
Limited stakeholder buy-in
Gaining full commitment from senior stakeholders to prioritise user experience and allocate the necessary resources required a clear articulation of the business benefits and a persuasive demonstration of UX ROI.
Smartre365
CEO
Director
Product
Director
Engineering
VP
Engineering
Dev
Engineering
Nascent UX team
Nascent UX Team: There was a limited dedicated UX resource within the organization, hindering the ability to proactively drive user-centered design initiatives and scale UX efforts.
Strategic planning
To overcome these challenges and achieve my goals, I implemented a multi-faceted approach.
Stakeholder influence
I proactively engaged with senior leadership, including the CEO, CTO, and Product Owners. Through data-driven presentations, case studies of successful user-centered companies, and clear articulation of the potential business impact of improved UX (e.g. increased user satisfaction, higher conversion rates, reduced support costs), I successfully advocated for a greater prioritisation of user experience in strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
Elevating user research practices
I championed the adoption of a wider range of user research methodologies, including in-depth user interviews, usability testing sessions, and the analysis of user analytics. I established clear processes for planning, conducting, documenting, and disseminating research findings across the product and development teams, ensuring that user insights became a central input into the design process. I also mentored team members on the value and techniques of effective user research.
Driving Design Consistency through a Design System
Recognising the need for a unified user experience, I initiated the crucial first phase of developing a comprehensive design system. This involved conducting a thorough audit of the existing user interfaces to identify inconsistencies, defining core UI components and interaction patterns, and creating initial design guidelines. I fostered a collaborative approach with designers and developers to promote the adoption and contribution to this evolving design system.
Initiating UX team expansion
To build a sustainable UX capability within Smarter365, I defined the requirements and initiated the recruitment process for a Junior Designer role. This first step was critical in increasing the team's capacity to address user experience needs and in establishing a foundation for future team growth and mentorship, ultimately aiming to embed user-centered design expertise more deeply within the organisation.
Some key features highlights…
Capture FactFind data once: that can be shared with lenders and avoid re-keying in different portals.
Seamless DIPs and FMAs: Send applications directly to lenders, saving up to 20 minutes per application. Save up to 1 hour with our fully integrated SmartrConnect.
Client-Centric: Promotes client engagement by involving them in the process, fostering better communication and trust.
Robust Reporting: Provides robust reporting capabilities, allowing for data-driven decision-making and performance analysis.
Stay on top of your workflow with a fully integrated suite of software, CRM, app and client/introducer portals.
Monitor cases on the move with our innovative workflow, where you can drag and drop and filter on cases.
Share client information and documents easily via our secure online portal.
Automate efficient email communication, stay in touch and send information requests with the click of a button. Track your tasks within each case.
Submit and store time-stamped documents securely with ISO-certified protection.
Receive automatic client notifications at key stages during the buying process.
Managing challenges
What do you do when told by the Board…?
”You are not moving fast enough with releasing features and updates”
We adopted a change in delivery rhythm to 1-week sprints,
and addressed key features with big impact and least time spent building.
Lockdown priority list
We mapped out key priority features and top user pain points, and divided that over 6 weeks - with sign-off from the Board.
One-Week Sprints
To achieve this deadline and release, we changed to this model.
Design and build over 4-days,
with 1-day left for QA and release
Success!
We achieved out goal and delivered nearly all the priority list - and keep the Board Members happy :)
Cherished moments
I really like being a hands-on design leader. Not long after I joined, we had an enthusiastic development engineer, called Mathew, who wanted to learn and also help implement a better and quicker way to build pages for user testing.
Problem we were trying to solve
We were wasting time mocking up pages in Adobe UX and then handing them over to Mathew. I wanted to improve the way we work.
Solution
Prepare a user story with enough information and acceptance criteria – and possibly a rough pencil sketch. Mathew would then have a first draft attempt, and we would have a few hours a week to review and tweak.
Conclusion
During my focused engagement as UX Director at Smarter365, significant strides were made in cultivating a stronger user-first culture and establishing the foundational elements of a more mature and impactful UX practice. By strategically influencing senior stakeholders, elevating the rigor and impact of user research, initiating the development and adoption of a design system, and taking the first steps in building a dedicated UX team, I contributed to a more user-centric approach that positions Smarter365 for enhanced user satisfaction, improved product usability, and sustained success in the competitive financial technology landscape.
Sad to leave :(
I left smarter365 after 4-months to follow my dream
Work in the health sector, Healthily - livehealthily.com
And work alongside a friend and highly respected Director of Product, Justin.