KeyBank

Real Estate Capital

How might we increase efficiency and conversion rates by creating a client self-service platform to track their transaction property loan applications?
Role UX Lead
Channel Web
Timeframe 2 months

Overview Led UX modernization for KeyBank Real Estate Capital to consolidate fragmented tooling and streamline underwriting workflows, focusing on transparency and automation for commercial and multifamily lending.
Contribution Co-led design thinking workshops, produced user journeys and personas, and developed wireframes and a proof of concept for a Client Portal that consolidated multiple tools into a unified experience.

Problem Underwriters, vendors, and clients navigated up to 50 systems, causing inefficiency, lack of centralized data, and long transaction timelines.
Hypothesis A centralized client portal integrating CRM, document storage, and e-signature systems would reduce manual entry, improve transparency, and accelerate underwriting.

 

Disclaimer: Due to compliant restrictions, details have been omited. Let's connect for more details!

Overview

As one of the nation’s leading commercial and multi-family real estate finance providers, KeyBank focuses on building relationships with our clients and offering financing options for short and long-term goals.As a squad, our goal is to address the end-to-end experience by optimizing the process and automating the input, flow, transaction, and information output. Creating a streamlined and automated process will considerably reduce pain points for both clients and employees.

Problem

Too many systems created fragmented workflows for borrowers, relationship managers, and underwriters.System inefficiencies lengthened transaction timelines and increased manual work and user error.
  • 01
    Too many systems

    Users needed to navigate dozens of tools to gather and review loan information.

  • 02
    System inefficiencies

    Complex transactions and manual processes hindered centralization and tracking.

Output from an empathy map canvas exercise
Output from an empathy map canvas exercise
Our parking lot to narrow focus
Our parking lot to narrow focus
Design ideation session
Design ideation session
Mapping the experience
Mapping the experience
Crazy 8's fast sketching exercise
Crazy 8's fast sketching exercise
Low-fidelity wireframe
Low-fidelity wireframe

Solution

Platform modernization integrating Salesforce, CRM, Box.com, and DocuSign, and bulk processing flows to minimize manual entry.
  • 01
    Platform modernization

    Integrated with key enterprise systems to centralize data and workflows.

  • 02
    Bulk process user flows

    Reduced manual administrative entry by streamlining upload and edit capabilities.

Approach

Ran co-creation workshops with 15 participants (borrowers, relationship managers, underwriters) to map journeys and prototype low-fidelity solutions; partnered with a researcher for onsite sessions.

Insights
  • Communication and document collection could take up to 32 days.
  • High manual repetition across systems increased error rates.
  • Borrowers lacked transparency about application status and timing.
  • Competitors offered more flexible onsite collection and digitization.
  • There was an opportunity to reduce paper and centralize documents.
Recommendations
  • Reduce application time by improving underwriter and vendor processes.
  • Provide transparency via status tracking for borrowers.
  • Enable omnichannel support including onsite handheld tools.
  • Digitize documents into a centralized repository.
  • Integrate with CRM to orchestrate next steps.

Journey map
Journey map

James"Time is money, I don't want to miss on a great rate!"

50 years oldMassachusettsBusiness owner / Borrower

James manages a portfolio of properties and must track loan status, lock competitive rates, and upload required documents quickly. He values clear timelines, minimal administrative friction, and predictable closing dates.
  • Secure favorable loan terms quickly
  • Minimize administrative overhead
  • Understand exact timeline to closing
  • Provide information
  • Review documentation
  • Email and video calls
  • Unclear timelines and fragmented systems that risk missing a rate or delaying closing.

Ideation

Co-creation workshops surfaced two main themes: transaction details visibility and an underwriter client portal to simplify collaboration and transparency.

Comprehensive transaction detail feature to serve multiple roles.

Transaction details Comprehensive transaction detail feature to serve multiple roles.
Secure portal for managing and requesting critical client information.

Underwriter client portal Secure portal for managing and requesting critical client information.

Bulk upload Upload multiple files with versioning and document tracking.
Upload multiple files with versioning and document tracking.
System simplification Reduce clicks and navigation into a centralized platform.
Reduce clicks and navigation into a centralized platform.
Deal showcase View recent transactions and portfolio insights.
View recent transactions and portfolio insights.

Wireframes

Wireframes illustrate overview, borrower enrollment, transaction dashboard, status tracking, documents, and transaction details screens.

Real Estate Capital overviewRecent transaction portfolio & sign-on
Recent transaction portfolio & sign-on
Recent transaction portfolio & sign-on
Borrower enrollment experienceLaunch application from desktop or mobile device.
Launch application from desktop or mobile device.
Launch application from desktop or mobile device.
Transaction dashboardView all transactions in a central experience.
View all transactions in a central experience.
View all transactions in a central experience.
Loan status trackerFollow up with any outstanding actions needed for underwriting.
Follow up with any outstanding actions needed for underwriting.
Follow up with any outstanding actions needed for underwriting.
DocumentsList of documents needed for application.
List of documents needed for application.
List of documents needed for application.

Impact

This proof of concept informed a new product area and secured funding to develop an integrated client portal.

Funding allocated for development

7.5 million

Consolidated into a single unified portal

32 Tools

Takeaway

Designing in real-time with multiple stakeholders highlighted the value of a human-first approach and the need to prioritize relationships and accessibility.

Lessons learned
  • Invest time in establishing working relationships with cross-functional members.
  • Leverage existing UX sources to educate stakeholders on accessibility.
  • Familiarize with product engagement terminology to improve collaboration.
Potential next steps
  • User testing to measure effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.
  • Iterate designs based on user testing insights.
  • Partner with technology to launch first MVP release.

Real Estate Capital Client Portal Consolidating 32 tools into unified client portal to streamline commercial real estate underwriting

CDO Priority Set expectations for brevity (15 min), establish credibility, preview your direct leadership impact. Say Your title, company context, the business problem scale. Emphasize "I led" statements, quantifiable scope (users, teams, timeline). Avoid Generic team language—focus on YOUR role/decisions.

Context The Challenge
  • Organization KeyBank is a regional bank headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, providing a range of financial services including personal banking, business banking, and wealth management.
  • Problem Underwriters, vendors, and clients navigated up to 50 systems, causing inefficiency and long transaction timelines
  • Scope Client portal for KeyBank Real Estate Capital serving commercial and multifamily lending workflows
  • Timeline 2 months
  • Role UX Lead

CDO Priority Demonstrate strategic context awareness—why this mattered to the business. Say Root cause (acquisitions, tech debt, org structure), business cost/impact, constraints that made it hard. Emphasize Why YOU were brought in, executive stakes, urgency. Keep under 60 seconds.

Context My Role & Impact

  • Design Leadership Co-led design thinking workshops with 15 participants (borrowers, relationship managers, underwriters)

  • Research & Strategy Produced user journeys, personas, and mapped pain points across loan application process

  • UX Design Developed wireframes and proof of concept consolidating multiple tools into unified experience

  • Process Optimization Designed bulk processing flows to minimize manual entry and improve transparency

  • Measurable Impact Secured $7.2M-$7.5M funding for platform modernization and integration efforts

CDO Priority Prove you led hands-on AND strategically. Say Specific actions YOU took (audited, designed, trained), tactical deliverables with YOUR fingerprints. Emphasize Leadership evolution—IC work that built credibility → process/systems you established. Connect metrics to your decisions. CDOs want to see agency, not task completion.

Research What We Discovered

  • Co-Creation Workshops (n=15) Communication and document collection could take up to 32 days due to fragmented systems

  • User Journey Mapping High manual repetition across systems increased error rates and slowed transactions

  • Borrower Interviews Borrowers lacked transparency about application status and timing

  • Competitive Analysis Competitors offered more flexible onsite collection and digitization tools

  • Key Insight Centralized portal integrating CRM, document storage, and e-signature would reduce friction and improve transparency

CDO Priority Show research rigor led to strategic insights, not just findings. Say Methods YOU used (interviews, audits, synthesis), key insight that changed the approach, how you reframed problems to leadership. Emphasize User empathy, business risk/opportunity, influencing up. 1 memorable story > 5 data points.

Exploration Approach

Status Quo Enhancement

Improve individual tools incrementally—wouldn't solve fragmentation or data silos

Platform Modernization (Selected)

Integrate Salesforce, CRM, Box.com, and DocuSign into unified portal—consolidates workflows

Custom Build

Build entirely new platform from scratch—too high risk and timeline

CDO Priority Demonstrate design thinking—explored multiple paths, made informed trade-offs. Say Why each approach failed/succeeded, YOUR criteria for selection, what you personally built/designed. Emphasize Strategic architecture decisions (tokens, systems thinking), balancing user needs vs. business constraints. Show prototyping rigor, not perfection.

Process Critical Design Decisions

System Integration

Integrated with Salesforce, CRM, Box.com, and DocuSign to centralize data

Bulk Processing

Designed bulk upload and edit capabilities to reduce manual administrative entry

Status Transparency

Provided borrowers with visibility into application status and timeline

Omnichannel Support

Enabled onsite handheld tools for flexible document collection

Why these mattered Prioritized highest-impact integrations and workflows to demonstrate value for funding approval

CDO Priority Prove you make principled decisions under ambiguity. Say Each decision's rationale, what you traded off, how decisions connected to research insights. Emphasize YOUR convictions (why you fought for X), where you adapted based on feedback. Focus on 2-3 decisions that show strategic maturity. CDOs value judgment over process.

Outcomes What Worked

  • Co-Creation Workshops Real-time collaboration with stakeholders surfaced pain points and built alignment

  • Low-Fidelity Prototyping Rapid prototyping validated concepts before investing in high-fidelity design

  • Proof of Concept Demonstrated consolidation of 32 tools into unified portal to secure funding

  • Stakeholder Buy-In Human-first approach and prioritizing relationships built trust across teams

  • Result Secured $7.2M-$7.5M funding to advance platform modernization

CDO Priority Show execution + change management skills. Say Specific tactics YOU ran (workshops, partnerships, pilots), how you drove adoption without authority. Emphasize Building coalitions, creating internal champions, adapting when initial plans failed. Mention systems/frameworks you created that others could replicate. CDOs hire multipliers, not doers.

Learnings What Didn't Work

  • Workshop Scope Initial workshop had too many participants—narrowed focus to key roles for better outcomes

  • Technical Assumptions Made assumptions about integration complexity—should have involved architects earlier

  • Key Learning Designing in real-time with stakeholders requires balancing structure with flexibility

CDO Priority Demonstrate self-awareness and learning agility—critical for senior roles. Say 2-3 failures YOU owned, what you learned, how you pivoted quickly. Emphasize Personal accountability ("I pushed too hard," "I bottlenecked"), data-informed corrections, humility. CDOs respect vulnerability + action. Never blame team/stakeholders—show ownership.

Reflection Key Lessons

  • Lesson 1 Invest in establishing cross-functional relationships—trust enables collaboration

  • Lesson 2 Leverage existing UX resources to educate stakeholders on accessibility

  • Lesson 3 Familiarize with product engagement terminology to improve collaboration

  • Lesson 4 Human-first approach builds momentum for complex platform changes

CDO Priority Synthesize insights into transferable principles—show you build repeatable systems. Say 3-5 lessons that transcend this project, how they'd apply to new contexts. Emphasize Strategic maturity ("systems > heroes"), process innovations you'd bring to their org. Connect lessons to CDO concerns scaling design, org transformation, cross-functional influence.

Results Impact

$7.5M

Funding allocated for development

32

Tools consolidated into single unified portal

Qualitative Impact Proof of concept informed new product area and demonstrated value of platform consolidation

CDO Priority Quantify business value in their language—this is THE slide that matters. Say How metrics were measured (methodology = credibility), before/after comparison, financial impact. Emphasize Metrics tied to YOUR decisions/work, exceeded goals (show ambition), qualitative transformation. Spend 90 seconds here. CDOs fund impact, not activity. Always tie to revenue/cost/risk.

Future What's Next

  • Next Steps User testing to measure effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction

  • What I Learned Value of co-creation and rapid prototyping to build stakeholder alignment

  • What I Bring Ability to facilitate collaborative workshops and translate insights into prototypes

CDO Priority Connect past success to future value for THEIR org. Say Proof of sustainability (what happened after you ), transferable capabilities you demonstrated. Emphasize Leadership philosophy, comfort with ambiguity, what you'd bring to their specific challenges. Close with confidence "This taught me to [capability], which aligns with your [need]."

Discussion Questions & Deep Dives

I'm happy to discuss co-creation workshop facilitation, proof of concept development, or platform consolidation strategies.

What aspects of discovery and workshop facilitation would you like to explore further?

CDO Priority Invite engagement, show depth without overwhelming. Say "Happy to elaborate on [their concern]—design process, stakeholder dynamics, technical decisions." Emphasize You have more depth than shown, you're collaborative and open. Read the room If early (13 min), offer areas to expand. If late (16 min), offer Q&A only. Demonstrate executive presence.

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