Simplifying Complexity: Modernizing and Unifying Rocket's $78B Enterprise Ecosystem

Simplifying Complexity: Modernizing and Unifying Rocket's $78B Enterprise Ecosystem

How human-centered experience architecture reshaped a fragmented enterprise into a unified, efficient platform for 6,000+ mortgage experts

How human-centered experience architecture reshaped a fragmented enterprise into a unified, efficient platform for 6,000+ mortgage experts

How human-centered experience architecture reshaped a fragmented enterprise into a unified, efficient platform for 6,000+ mortgage experts

PROBLEM

Legacy technology and thinking trapped 6,000+ users in a mess of manual workflows

Legacy technology and thinking trapped 6,000+ users in a mess of manual workflows

Rocket's enterprise product suite was architected over decades in legacy languages and disconnected applications. Mortgage professionals were locked in manual and inefficient workflows across every touchpoint.

Rocket's enterprise product suite was architected over decades in legacy languages and disconnected applications. Mortgage professionals were locked in manual and inefficient workflows across every touchpoint.

ORGANIZATIONAL FRICTION

Teams moved tactically, not strategically

Teams moved tactically, not strategically

Engineering teams were tasked with "getting features out of AMP" and not designing the product experiences. Features were prioritized by strongest voice in the room creating a complex mess of partial legacy and modernized workflows.

Engineering teams were tasked with "getting features out of AMP" and not designing the product experiences. Features were prioritized by strongest voice in the room creating a complex mess of partial legacy and modernized workflows.

STRATEGIC APPROACH

Laid the groundwork to develop a shared language across 7 product verticals

Laid the groundwork to develop a shared language across 7 product verticals

Through job-mapping, service blueprinting, design sprints, and stakeholder workshops, I helped align cross functional teams on the overall experience, user needs, dependencies and goals.

Through job-mapping, service blueprinting, design sprints, and stakeholder workshops, I helped align cross functional teams on the overall experience, user needs, dependencies and goals.

My Role: Lead Facilitator, Director of Design, Product Strategist, System Designer

JTBD BREAKTHROUGH

Defined the core, functional and related jobs for origination and securities trading processes

Defined the core, functional and related jobs for origination and securities trading processes

Through months long workshops, we reframed the organizational mindset, team structure, legacy processes and untangled decades of system bias.

Through months long workshops, we reframed the organizational mindset, team structure, legacy processes and untangled decades of system bias.

My Role: Co-Facilitator, Director of Design, Product Strategist, Information Architect

STRATEGIC SEQUENCING

Proved value early, then scaled

Proved value early, then scaled

My work started with Rocket Logic in origination where banking and underwriting drove the loan volume. Once results were visible, it became easier to build advocacy and strategic influence to other product verticals.

My work started with Rocket Logic in origination where banking and underwriting drove the loan volume. Once results were visible, it became easier to build advocacy and strategic influence to other product verticals.

My Role: Mission Leader, Lead Facilitator, Director of Design, Strategic Partner, Design Mentor

BANKING WORKFLOW TRANSFORMATION

Call times dropped from 20 to 5 minutes

Call times dropped from 20 to 5 minutes

Rigid 57-question forms became flexible, AI-assisted conversations through collaborative prototyping with banking teams. Read full case study here.

Rigid 57-question forms became flexible, AI-assisted conversations through collaborative prototyping with banking teams. Read full case study here.

My Role: Mission Leader, Lead Facilitator, Director of Design, Strategic Partner, Information Architect

SECURITIES TRADING MODERNIZATION

Excel chaos to real-time trading interface

Excel chaos to real-time trading interface

Replaced manual spreadsheets with automated workflows, reducing audit time by 76% and mitigating risk dramatically. Read full case study here.

Replaced manual spreadsheets with automated workflows, reducing audit time by 76% and mitigating risk dramatically. Read full case study here.

My Role: Mission Leader, Co-Facilitator, Director of Design, Strategic Partner

UNIFIED ENTERPRISE DESIGN SYSTEM

7 products, 300+ screens, unified under one design language

7 products, 300+ screens, unified under one design language

Rocket Design System for Enterprise (RDSe) became the visual and functional backbone across the ecosystem. Increasing the velocity of how teams deliver value.

Rocket Design System for Enterprise (RDSe) became the visual and functional backbone across the ecosystem. Increasing the velocity of how teams deliver value.

IMPACT

$36m

$36m

Business Value Generated via automation, productivity gains and risk mitigation

200k hrs

200k hrs

Saved in team member productivity every quarter

40%

40%

Increase in enterprise product user/ team member satisfaction

DEMOCRATIZED KNOWLEDGE

Human-centered thinking became the cultural norm

Human-centered thinking became the cultural norm

Service blueprints and the Mortgage Origination Wiki were viewed over 150 times quarterly. Onboarding time was cut in half and the steep mortgage learning curve was flattened, quickening the pace of innovation.

Service blueprints and the Mortgage Origination Wiki were viewed over 150 times quarterly. Onboarding time was cut in half and the steep mortgage learning curve was flattened, quickening the pace of innovation.

TLDR;

In a hybrid leadership and IC role, I led a multi-year initiative to modernize and unify Rocket’s legacy enterprise product ecosystem. Shifting its culture from opinion-led to human-centered through strategic leadership, foundational strategy and experience architecture frameworks.

My Role: Director of Design, Product Strategist, Lead Facilitator, Design Strategist

Team: 4 Product Designers, 1 Design Researcher, 1 Design strategist, 2 Design Managers, 30+ Cross Functional Leaders, 200+ Developers, 100+ Mortgage Experts

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