Managed Solutions
How might we simplify complex capabilities across multiple experiences to create a more efficient workflow for associates to deepen and broaden client relationships?
Introduction
Overview
At Fidelity, I have been operating as a group contributor in our User Experience Design (UXD) Chapter to support the Wealth Management Domain Managed Solutions.
Due to the secure nature of financial services and security to protect our clients, I have signed a non-disclosure agreement and will not disclose further details publicly. Instead, I’ll share some high-level key contributions with our cross-functional teams and overall lessons learned.
My contributions
While my primary focus has been on a web platform for associates known as AdviceHub, I supported 6 contributing squads in our product area by practicing Agile Methodology with UXD as part of the product development lifecycle.
Notable deliverables include: journey mapping, information architecture, wireframes, interactive prototypes, user interviews, detail design, design system contributions
Timeline
10-months
Role
Senior UX Designer
Problem
A lack of cohesion across various tools for advisors has created a complex and challenging ecosystem to navigate. As Fidelity’s Personal Investment evolves to support clients with a more robust comprehensive wealth management experience, the resources our associates need in support of those discussions must evolve.
Wealth management contains up to 50+ different web and desktop tools. Associates need to navigate between disconnected experiences while working with clients. The lack of integration across applications creates confusion, inefficiency, and manual errors. Legacy platforms are costly to maintain and divert from new associate resources.
Goals
01
Simplification
Consolidate tools needed by integrating and sharing information in a centralized view to streamline associate actions on behalf of clients.
02
Cohesion
Align business and design requirements to create a cohesive user experience for associates across tools.
03
Tailored
Leverage role-based access control to determine edit and view permissions for users.
Constraints
Critical
Platform stability dominated team velocity.
The quality of design implemented became impacted by our need to prioritize platform stability. Our team prioritized enhancements and defects based on our users’ ability to complete tasks. Visual styles for spacing, color, and placement informed our backlog prioritization to address when our platform is more stable.
Medium
Our design system is limited and cannot fully support new capabilities in our complex data sets.
Our complex data set patterns determined a need for components not currently available in our design system. Our team explored, ideated, and developed new web components by partnering closely with our design system and accessibility teams to inform guidelines and requirements.
Research
We decided to test and learn how our proposed navigation can scale to support our evolving user groups and their needs. By validating our IA, we measured the effectiveness of our proposed sitemap before starting development, which can cost more to update if we develop without any user feedback.
Methods
Throughout 2-weeks, another designer and I partnered with our Client Business Solutions (CSB) to recruit 15 associate participants. Five users for Front, Back, and Middle Office Associates were engaged to validate our proposed Information Architecture (IA).
User insights
Key findings
- Overall, users responded very well to the simplified navigation, describing it as “Simplified” or “Easy to use.”
- All back-office participants strongly favored direct access to specific workflow tools/features (initiating out of client context) when they needed them.
- All participants saw value in a functional home page highlighting their “next best area of focus.”
- The majority of the participants thought the overall experience was simple and easy to navigate.
- Most participants would expect to see customized information related to them and their role on the home page, especially high-risk items that need their attention.
- Most of the participants (all back-office participants) saw value in the concept we showed them — where they could access apps for frequently done tasks that don’t need clients in context.
Solution
Enhanced information architecture
By understanding our core capabilities, we informed a client first paradigm to determine access based on role type.
Large datasets
We consolidated data sets from various applications to reduce navigating systems and instead focus on client relationships.
Key features
Enhanced Worklist
Ability for our users to create saved user preferences for data sets.
Enhanced user alerts
We implemented automated events for new or updated work items.
Design System
Latest design system update to align with our enterprise design strategy.
Outcomes
2800+ work items processed in 2021
94% increase from 2020
1000+ new users in 2021
80% increase from 2020
2100+ days of total wait time saved
Result consolidated systems
Reflection
Continue to advocate for end-to-end user experience and not just support MVP-only approaches.
Next steps
- User testing: ease-of-use metrics to measure effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.
- Iterative design: modify the design based on user testing insights.
- Implementation: partner with architects to create even more component and API integrations to support modular reusability across the firm.
Takeaways
Challenge available design systems and component availability if it’s for a more viable user experience, even if this means taking on a net-new component contribution.
I partnered closely with our scrum master to help influence and shape design as part of our product development lifecycle.
Other bits from this experience:
- Leverage existing UX sources to help educate and influence stakeholders, especially on accessibility and extensive complex patterns like multi-select and bulk edit operations.
- Familiarize yourself with the terminology used for product engagement conversations.