OVERVIEW
CLIENT
Discover Financial Services, Card Acquisition & Application Services
Discover Financial Services, Card Acquisition & Application Services
ROLE
UX Design Lead
UX Design Lead
Multiple Releases, One Goal
As Associate Director of UX at MCD Partners, I led the UX strategy and redesign for Discover’s credit card application experience, partnering closely with product managers across multiple releases and remaining accountable for interaction design quality through delivery. Working in Agile sprints, we used journey mapping and prototyping to clarify tradeoffs, align priorities, and support clear, testable designs.
The work was shaped by evolving business, system, and compliance constraints. The approach remained consistent throughout: define the problem early, validate direction through insight, and deliver WCAG-compliant designs ready for legal review and development.
The goal was to increase conversion while supporting real-time approval with accurate data capture. Across releases, the experience became faster and more intuitive, reducing effort while preserving compliance and a consistent Discover brand voice across multiple card product applications.
End-to-End Prospect Application Experience
ITERATIVE RELEASES
RELEASE 1
Unified Card Application
The first release consolidated previously non-responsive application flows into a single responsive foundation, reducing technical friction and improving completion across devices. A new requirement introduced a verification step that had not existed in prior experiences, adding complexity to an already fragmented flow.
We mapped required inputs and scenarios to support all conditional paths, then used wireframe prototypes to evaluate responsive interaction models to align on interaction patterns and visual design direction.
The final design used a single-page, vertical accordion that organized card selection, personal and financial details, security inputs, and the new verification step into clear, inline sections.
RELEASE 2
Mobile Interaction Optimization
The second release improved mobile form entry by streamlining validation behavior. Related inputs were grouped to support smaller screens, and inline validation replaced the need for a separate verification step. The result was a more continuous flow that reduced friction and improved application completion across all card products.
RELEASE 3
Single-Page Simplification
The final release simplified the application into a single-page experience. Field reduction and progressive disclosure allowed validation, helper text, and tooltip guidance to appear only when needed, creating a more focused flow. This also enabled clearer presentation of legal terms without compromising compliance or creating user fatigue.
RESULTS
Increased Conversion
This redesign drove increased conversion lift across all card products by improving clarity throughout the application flow, reducing site latency, and supporting faster, in-session credit decisions.
NEXT UP
Application Pre-Fill
Less Effort, Higher Completion