Overview
This project focused on post-application identity verification for credit card applicants. After submitting an application, some users were unexpectedly pulled into additional verification steps at the moment they expected an approval decision. Nearly 1 in 5 applicants asked to upload documents abandoned the process, which created both customer frustration and additional servicing workload. I led UX strategy to redesign this experience, partnering with product, operations, risk, fraud, and engineering leads.
ROLE: UX Strategy Design Lead
CLIENT: Discover Financial Services, Card Acquisition & Digital Servicing
TEAM: Account Manager, Production Lead, Creative Director, UX Director, UX Designer, Visual Designer, Copywriter.
PROBLEM: Applicants asked to complete identity verification after submitting a credit card application often abandoned the process because the additional steps appeared unexpectedly and lacked explanation.
IMPACT: Designed a unified verification framework that clarified why verification was required, improved completion of verification steps, and aligned multiple teams around a shared operational model.
KEY WORK: Executive workshops, service blueprinting, usability research, and design of a unified verification framework.Many Systems, One Applicant Experience
The core issue wasn’t just confusing messaging and outdated screen templates. It was a fragmented, legacy system. Verification relied on multiple backend systems, each triggering different checks based on risk signals. Individually, those systems worked. But together, they created an inconsistent experience with unclear messaging and unpredictable next steps.
Our challenge had two parts:
Our challenge had two parts:
First, we needed to understand and reconcile a complex ecosystem of systems and workflows.
Second, we needed to translate that complexity into a single, consistent, and scalable experience for applicants.
Current State Blueprint identifying logic, sequencing, and constraints for deep-dive work sessions.
Visualize The Ecosystem
We started by making the system visible. I led efforts to map the full verification ecosystem, including review rules, system dependencies, operational workflows, and service data. That revealed how fragmentation across systems was driving confusion in the experience.
From there, I co-facilitated cross-functional working sessions to define a more cohesive model. We evaluated tradeoffs between efficiency and consistency, identified legacy components to sunset, and aligned on a shared streamlined workflow. This led to a future-state service blueprint, which became a key artifact for aligning teams and leadership.
From there, I co-facilitated cross-functional working sessions to define a more cohesive model. We evaluated tradeoffs between efficiency and consistency, identified legacy components to sunset, and aligned on a shared streamlined workflow. This led to a future-state service blueprint, which became a key artifact for aligning teams and leadership.
Early-stage logic flow model exploration to simplify, modernize, and optimize the verification platform.
Future-state blueprint model created to illustrate swimlanes and review rules affected by modernization.
Clarify Expectation
Using the blueprint as a foundation, we created mobile-first prototypes to evaluate how applicants interpreted verification requests and document uploads.
The core insight from usability testing was that applicants believed the process was complete after submission. So when verification appeared, it felt disruptive and unexplained. The system also failed to clearly explain why additional information was needed, and sometimes asked users to repeat information already provided.
Wireflow visualization of 3 main verification scenarios based on performance data and path analysis.
Example stakeholder work session artifact to align on impact, tradeoffs, and intended experience design.
A Unified Experience
Instead of designing separate flows for every scenario, we created a single, unified verification framework. That gave us a consistent structure, clearer explanations for why verification was needed, helpful error handling, and better feedback during document uploads.
The goal was to make the experience feel predictable and consistent. So when something failed, users weren’t left guessing, and we avoided unnecessary repetition unless we could explain why. This let us manage backend complexity without exposing it, and deliver a clearer, more coherent experience.
Key Verification Screens: Check Status, SSA, School Enrollment, ITIN Doc Upload, Pending Status
What This Work Changed
Simplified Product Architecture
This work made the experience clearer and more predictable for applicants, while also consolidating multiple legacy templates into a single scalable framework.
This work made the experience clearer and more predictable for applicants, while also consolidating multiple legacy templates into a single scalable framework.
Operational Efficiencies
It aligned multiple departments around a shared verification model and established a repeatable UX pattern for future onboarding and compliance initiatives.
It aligned multiple departments around a shared verification model and established a repeatable UX pattern for future onboarding and compliance initiatives.
Business Impact
Post-launch, we saw reduced abandonment during verification and lower servicing call volume. In a single fiscal quarter, 37% of applicants were queued for post-apply verification. Improved verification checks reduced how often applicants were flagged, driving a 50% drop in document uploads and enabling over 80% of applicants to complete verification in-session.
Post-launch, we saw reduced abandonment during verification and lower servicing call volume. In a single fiscal quarter, 37% of applicants were queued for post-apply verification. Improved verification checks reduced how often applicants were flagged, driving a 50% drop in document uploads and enabling over 80% of applicants to complete verification in-session.
NEXT UP
Discover Card Application
Continuous Optimization