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Led global settings redesign

Rocket’s product strategy was evolving from a “storefront” with distinct access points for each product to an integrated “platform”, with one centralized hub called “MyRocket”.
I led design on the initiative to centralize and standardize settings experiences to improve cross-sale opportunities and deliver on the integrated platform strategy.
Paul Gehrig, Product Designer
Platform Design, Content, and Engineering
Product Executives
Ideation

How might we simplify settings access and management across core products?

Approach
Information architecture
Determine the hierarchy and flow of information.
Competitive analysis
Learn how similar companies handle settings management across products.
Sketch & gain buy-in
Illustrate how this affects each product. Who benefits the most?
Design & beta test
Establish a test case and integrate it with  existing architecture.

Strategy: Unite products under a collective platform to promote cross-product adoption

Consolidation of products under one roof would increase users' product adoption by proactively identifying opportunities to serve users across key financial moments.
Products managed data independently, leading to missed cross-sale opportunities.
Information architecture

Mapped information architecture

We structured a centralized settings data architecture, where changes made at the Account level would reflect across individual product settings. For this to happen, all settings needed to be (technically) managed under one domain.
To appropriately map changes across products, all settings needed to be technically housed within the Rocket Account domain (preferences.myrocket.com).
⚙️ Newly devised information architecture and flow of information.
Competitive analysis

Learned from industry-standard settings patterns

We conducted competitive analysis, examining how other design-forward companies with similar product suites organized their settings.
Central account settings managed in a separate experience with dedicated navigation, product-specific settings managed in context.
Secondary navigation menu for product specific settings
Separate account settings experience (link from product settings)
Secondary navigation menu for product specific settings
Separate account settings experience (link from product settings)
Secondary navigation menu for product specific settings
Separate account settings experience (link from product settings)
Sketch & gain buy-in

Explored different settings patterns

Based on newly devised data architecture and its associated limitations, and referencing industry best practices, we started exploring different design patterns and organization structures.
Despite being on the same domain, we aimed to set clear distinctions between product settings and account settings experiences to prevent confusion.
Fully separate settings experience
Rejected
- Dedicated settings navigation menu that replaces the primary navigation
- Button to exit the settings experience, a common pattern we noticed in other experiences
Faced pushback from stakeholders who wanted to preserve the primary navigation menu.
Integrated experience, dual menus
Rejected
- Secondary menu alongside static primary menu
- Vertical secondary navigation, preserving distinction between account and product settings
Users disoriented by 2 vertical menus, some menu items confused (too similarly named and located)
New top navigation menu for account-level actions
Accepted
- Distance between product and account items clarified hierarchy and distinction in activities
- Followed standard pattern of account settings and sign out tied to user’s “profile” in top right
- Consistent tabbed navigation across settings & product pages
Position of settings access better aligned with user expectations, improved sign out (user pain point)
Design & beta test

Beta test: Mortgage Settings

Nearly half of mortgages have more than one borrower. Users expressed difficulty managing information for multiple borrowers on the same loan. A separate profile to distinguish between users seemed like a prime opportunity to promote clarity while providing a controlled environment to test the new architecture and usability in context.
We process mapped contingencies between back end systems to ensure compatibility and a clear and seamless user experience.
🗺️ High-level process map for how updating a user’s profile would apply to their mortgage settings

Results callout

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More to come soon 👀

Sorry to leave you on the edge of your seat! I’m actively working on crafting the story of this project and will have fresh updates soon.