Led global settings redesign
Rocket’s product strategy was evolving from a “storefront” with distinct access points for each product to an integrated “platform”, with one centralized hub called “MyRocket”.
I led design on the initiative to centralize and standardize settings experiences to improve cross-sale opportunities and deliver on the integrated platform strategy.
Paul Gehrig, Product Designer
Platform Design, Content, and Engineering
Product Executives
Problem
Missed sales opportunities due to siloed settings data and disjointed client experiences
Variety of access and navigation patterns
Each product had their own design patterns in place to access and adjust product settings. A centralized platform should establish a universal pattern.
No centralized account
Settings were managed by each individual product, leading to duplicate entries from users and data inconsistencies across the company.
Ideation
How might we simplify settings access and management across core products?
Approach
Information architecture
Determine the hierarchy and flow of information.
Competitive analysis
Learn how similar companies handle settings management across products.
Sketch & gain buy-in
Illustrate how this affects each product. Who benefits the most?
Design & beta test
Establish a test case and integrate it with existing architecture.
Strategy: Unite products under a collective platform to promote cross-product adoption
Consolidation of products under one roof would increase users' product adoption by proactively identifying opportunities to serve users across key financial moments.
Products managed data independently, leading to missed cross-sale opportunities.
Information architecture
Mapped information architecture
We structured a centralized settings data architecture, where changes made at the Account level would reflect across individual product settings. For this to happen, all settings needed to be (technically) managed under one domain.
To appropriately map changes across products, all settings needed to be technically housed within the Rocket Account domain (preferences.myrocket.com).
⚙️ Newly devised information architecture and flow of information.
Competitive analysis
Learned from industry-standard settings patterns
We conducted competitive analysis, examining how other design-forward companies with similar product suites organized their settings.
Central account settings managed in a separate experience with dedicated navigation, product-specific settings managed in context.
Secondary navigation menu for product specific settings
Separate account settings experience (link from product settings)
Secondary navigation menu for product specific settings
Separate account settings experience (link from product settings)
Secondary navigation menu for product specific settings
Separate account settings experience (link from product settings)
Sketch & gain buy-in
Explored different settings patterns
Based on newly devised data architecture and its associated limitations, and referencing industry best practices, we started exploring different design patterns and organization structures.
Despite being on the same domain, we aimed to set clear distinctions between product settings and account settings experiences to prevent confusion.
Fully separate settings experience
Rejected
Faced pushback from stakeholders who wanted to preserve the primary navigation menu.
Integrated experience, dual menus
Rejected
Users disoriented by 2 vertical menus, some menu items confused (too similarly named and located)
New top navigation menu for account-level actions
Accepted
Position of settings access better aligned with user expectations, improved sign out (user pain point)
Design & beta test
Beta test: Mortgage Settings
Nearly half of mortgages have more than one borrower. Users expressed difficulty managing information for multiple borrowers on the same loan. A separate profile to distinguish between users seemed like a prime opportunity to promote clarity while providing a controlled environment to test the new architecture and usability in context.
We process mapped contingencies between back end systems to ensure compatibility and a clear and seamless user experience.
🗺️ High-level process map for how updating a user’s profile would apply to their mortgage settings
Solution
An intuitive and modern settings experience
Intuitive navigation elements
Access to settings from the top right is more aligned with user’s expectations and prevents confusion between account and product level activities.
Consistent design patterns
Tabbed navigation within account and product settings aligns with navigation patterns across the platform. This consistency reduces cognitive load.
