Summary
Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise, plays a critical role in the housing finance system by purchasing mortgages from lending institutions to promote affordable lending. The commissioned software product was designed to streamline and enhance various functions related to the secondary mortgage market. These functions include loan origination, underwriting and approval, loan sales to Fannie Mae, pooling and securitization, guarantee and risk management, reporting, and compliance.
Objectives
-
Implement Modern Visual Aesthetics: To implement a modernized visual aesthetic, we adopted a clean, minimalist design with a focus on readability and ease of use. A neutral color palette with accent colors for interactive elements was chosen to maintain a professional look while highlighting key actions and information.
-
Introduce Interactive Elements and Intuitive Navigation: Interactive elements were integrated to enhance user engagement and streamline workflows. This included collapsible content components and dynamic content loading. The navigation was designed to be intuitive, reducing the number of clicks needed to access primary functions. A well-organized dashboard with quick access to frequently used features was implemented to improve efficiency.
-
Incorporate Data Graphics: Incorporating data graphics was crucial for enabling users to easily interpret and analyze complex mortgage data. Interactive graphs and drill-down capabilities allowed users to explore data in greater detail, aiding in decision-making and risk management.
Process
-
User Research: Conducted research to understand the needs and pain points of various user groups, including loan officers, underwriters, and compliance officers.
-
Competitive Analysis: Analyzed similar financial software to identify best practices and potential areas for innovation.
-
Wireframes: Developed low-fidelity wireframes to establish the basic layout and structure of the interface.
-
Visual Design: Employed a clean and modern design language with a professional color palette and typography to create a visually appealing interface.
-
UI Design System: Developed a UI design system to ensure consistency and efficiency across the application.
-
Interactive Prototype: Created interactive prototype to test and refine the navigation and interactive elements, ensuring an intuitive user experience.
-
Accessibility and Compliance: Implemented the design in compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards, incorporating features such as keyboard navigation and sufficient color contrast.
-
Usability Testing: Prototypes of the new design were created and subjected to multiple rounds of usability testing. Feedback was collected and iteratively incorporated to refine the user interface, ensuring it met the needs of the users and improved their overall experience.