40%
REDUCTION IN TASK COMPLETION TIMES
22%
DECREASE IN REPETITIVE SUPPORT QUERIES
15%
DECREASE IN MISSED DEADLINES
Scaling Data Utility & Actionability: Personalized Dashboard with Integrated Task Entry Points
A unified workspace designed for financial advisors to simplify client management, surface actionable insights, and reduce time spent navigating fragmented tools.
AdvisorLab is a B2B SaaS platform designed to help financial advisors manage client portfolios, uncover insights, and streamline day-to-day decision-making. As the Product Designer on this 0→1 initiative, I worked from concept through launch to define the product’s core workflows, interaction patterns, and visual language.
Primary Role
Lead Product Designer. Managed design execution and alignment across a cross-functional team of 1 PM, 2 SMEs, and 4 Software Engineers.
Duration
2 months (Discovery, Design, Implementation, Post-Launch Optimization)
The Challenge : Bridging Data & Action for Financial Advisors
Through stakeholder and user research, we uncovered core pain points:
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Fragmented workflows — Advisors were jumping between 4–6 tools for daily tasks
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Manual reporting — Time-consuming, error-prone, and inconsistent
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Low visibility — Hard to track client health, risks, or opportunities
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Non-standardized processes — Every advisor had their own method, making training and scaling difficult
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No single hub — Insights, accounts, communication, and planning lived in different locations
This created inefficiency, cognitive load, and unnecessary complexity.
Financial Advisors were spending an average of 4.55 minutes per session manually retrieving key client data from disparate systems, creating significant friction in client meeting preparation.
The Opportunity: The Hidden Cost of Complexity
The initial request was to "add more charts" to the existing data portal. However, an analysis of user click paths and heatmaps, paired with quantitative support ticket data, revealed the true problem:
The dashboard suffered from severe information overload, burying the 5 metrics advisors actually used daily under layers of navigational debt.
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Quantitative Signal (Support Ticket Volume): "can't find data" was the second-highest category, increasing by 15% quarter-over-quarter.
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Qualitative Signal (Task Analysis): 80% of advisors used the same five metrics daily, but these metrics were scattered across three separate pages.
Challenging the Brief: Prioritizing "Findability" over "Volume"
I successfully challenged the brief to shift the focus from increasing data volume to improving data signal-to-noise ratio.
My reframed objective was to consolidate the highest-value data points into a single, personalized view, directly addressing the business goal of increasing system stickiness and reducing reliance on manual reporting.
Zeroing in on the Vision : Turning complex data into actionable insights
To build the operating system for modern financial advisors—a unified workspace that combines insights, client data, and planning workflows so advisors can work smarter, not harder.
The long-term vision positions AdvisorLab as a platform that:
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Integrates disparate data sources into a single source of truth
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Surfaces intelligent insights instead of static reports
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Supports collaborative planning between advisors and clients
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Scales with teams as they grow, without adding complexity
The vision for AdvisorLab was simple: bring everything into one place. One platform where advisors can understand their clients, act on important updates, and manage daily work without switching contexts.
Outlining key contributions
As the Lead Product Designer, I was responsible for shaping the product from the ground up.
Key contributions:
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Translated ambiguous problem space into actionable workflows
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Created visual language + core design system components
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Collaborated closely with PM + engineering from concept → launch
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Set up scalable UI patterns for future modules
drive ux strategy
Defined goals around information prioritization, workflow efficiency, and user confidence based on advisor interviews and behavioral insights.
assess stakeholder & business alignment
Collaborated closely with business leads and SME teams to balance regulatory requirements with usability needs.
support delivery &
validation
Partnered with developers through implementation, validating usability improvements that led to faster task completion and reduced support queries.
The Users I Designed for
I use the dashboard to support primary advisors set up documents or help complete pending paperwork or report generation. I usually impersonate an account and do not have my own set up.
Support Staff/ Coordinators
Tertiary
I use the dashboard to oversee advisor performance, pipeline health, and plan activity. I need visibility into trends, bottlenecks, and opportunities for coaching or business growth.
Advisory Firm Managers
Secondary
I rely on the dashboard daily to track leads, and monitor plans. I need quick insights, and efficient workflows to save time and improve client interactions.
Financial Advisors
Primary
Synthesis & Insights : The "Morning Routine" for Advisors
The core insight that drove the design was the Advisor’s "Morning Routine" pattern. Our research revealed that advisors don't need data chronologically; they need it organized by actionability. We structured the new Information Architecture around three distinct mental modes.
This led to the creation of three core zones:
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Action Zone: Priority tasks and upcoming client meetings (Immediate needs).
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Performance Zone: Customizable client portfolio summaries/ business value (Daily monitoring).
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Discovery Zone: New plan features/report templates and firm-wide news (Long-term engagement)
Insights from this analysis informed a set of design priorities: optimizing layout structure, reducing redundancy, and improving visibility of key account information.
Research Methodology Rationale: Triangulating Advisor Needs
We employed a two-stage research strategy to ensure both breadth and depth:
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Quantitative Prioritization: We leveraged backend analytics to identify the top 10 data points accessed by the highest-performing advisors (our target persona). This data determined the initial default components of the dashboard.
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Qualitative Validation: We conducted 5 rounds of remote, moderated usability testing focused entirely on task completion time. This helped us diagnose why the old system was slow and validated the intuitive placement of key information in the new modular architecture.
A comprehensive review of advisor workflows, usage analytics, and feedback highlighted inefficiencies in navigation, visual hierarchy, and task management.
Product Development & Release Strategy (week 10-14)
The Strategy: De-risking through a "Crawl, Walk, Run" Approach Given the technical constraints (slow legacy APIs) and the high change-aversion of our user base, we avoided a "Big Bang" launch. Instead, I led the team in using an Impact vs. Technical Risk matrix to prioritize features into three distinct phases. This iteration maximizes immediate efficiency gains while setting a stable foundation for future personalization.
Crawl : Read-only MVP
-65%
DATA LOAD TIMES
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Goal: Establish data trust and fix the "time-on-task" metric immediately.
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Scope: Read-only view of the top 6 data points. No customization.
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Strategic Rationale: We needed to prove we could load data accurately and quickly (<2 seconds) before adding complexity.
Walk : Modular Foundation
+40%
TASK COMPLETION
(CURRENT)
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Goal: Transform the dashboard from a "report" into a "workspace."
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Scope: Introduced the "Quick Task" entry points (e.g., "Create new Plan," "Add new Lead") directly on the client cards.
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Strategic Rationale: User feedback from Phase 1 confirmed that while advisors appreciated seeing data, they were frustrated that they had to leave the page to take action on it.
Run : Full-scale Customization
+60%
TASK FLOW PERSONALIZATION (EXPECTED)
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Goal: Move from reactive data to proactive insights. Adding drag-and-drop customization.
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Scope: Predictive attrition scoring and "Next Best Action" recommendations.
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Strategic Rationale: We delayed this to Phase 3 because it required a new machine-learning model that wasn't ready. Releasing the UI without the ML backend would have eroded trust.
Diving into the Design
This section outlines the iterative steps that informed the design—grounded in research, guided by goals, and refined through structure.
USER RESEARCH
Through a combination of interviews, contextual inquiry, and feedback analysis, I uncovered core usability issues.
The current system did not provide adequate information or support for an advisor as they progressed through their daily task flow.
REPORTING
CHALLENGES
The report generation process demanded excessive clicks and time, making it difficult for advisors to act quickly in dynamic situations.
OVERWHELMING
DESIGN
An overload of widgets and redundant features that coukd not be personalized made key tasks longer to complete.
NO QUICK
ACCESS
Advisors working with high net-worth clients needed quick access to portfolio details without extensive searching
NO DATA
VISUALIZATION
Simplified navigation structures were common in top tools, with clear hierarchies and fewer layers and clicks to access key information and tasks.
Breaking down early iterations
A very primitive take on the dashboard was pooling in all existing offerings to visualize what the advisors were currently working with.
Lead categories and pipeline items don’t appear to offer sorting by value, urgency, or last activity. Advisors likely want to prioritize high-value or time-sensitive opportunities.
Menu items under these icons hide several frequently used user options and information.
Static and outdated branding does not reflect the current program selected, with no accessible CTA to change it.
The number of results generated is intimidating and lacks immediate relevance. Most users can’t or won’t process 38k entries without filters.
There’s a tiny map pin icon, but no label or interaction feedback is provided
Not all segments are equally important for every user. For instance, if "Employer Sponsored" is the primary segment, it should visually lead.
Important CTAs here hide vital information useful to the advisor for business opportunities, and are visually rather forgettable/ easily missable.
Not all users may be familiar with industry-specific or company specific terms. CTAs should be named intuitively.
The layout feels crowded in places and sparse in others. (e.g., under each lead category and in the pipeline table). Without clearer spacing or visual grouping, scanning becomes difficult.
Strategic Trade-offs and Iteration
Here are two critical trade-offs I negotiated to ensure project success.
This process helped identify what we were doing right and what features we could benefit from enhancing. Incorporating unique product offerings would set it apart from its competitors.
Taking notes from the Big Names
Analyzing platforms such as Vanguard, Morningstar Advisor Workstation, and eMoney Advisor through a heuristic evaluation to understand their strengths and limitations.
Simplified navigation structures were common in top tools, with clear hierarchies and fewer layers to access key information.
Clear, color-coded data visualizations improved comprehension, helping users quickly identify critical metrics and insights.
Dynamic, customizable widgets allowed for tailored experiences, enabling advisors to prioritize relevant data such as market trends or portfolio performance.
Streamlined reporting tools with one-click export features, cut down task completion time in half saving users significant time
Guiding star for the "Walking" stage
The primary goal of the walking Stage was to now bridge the gap between the central dashboard and all other clusters of tasks ahead. This could be achievedd by keeping advisors "In the Know" of key account details and providing clear entry points and paths to them.
The new dashboard aims to be customizable so that it can be tailored to the advisor's specific needs and processes while keeping the navigation intuitive and eliminating redundant clicks.
The new dashboard should provide actionable insights, such as client recommendations, potential cross-selling opportunities, or overdue reports/ documents that advisors can take immediate action on.
The new dashboard should aim to reduce cognitive load by providing alerts for upcoming meetings or compliance deadlines, helping advisors be well prepared for following through on impending deadlines.
The new dashboard aims to replace overwhelming charts and data tables with robust data visualization that gives advisors an accurate overview of how different components of their business are doing without digging into reports.
KNOW WHAT IS COMING UP
KNOW WHAT IS CRITICAL
KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE
KNOW HOW YOU ARE DOING
Foundational Feature Audit
& Sort
An audit of the core and foundational features that currently exist but are not utilized to their full potential due to core usability issues or lack of visibility.
Lead search to find new clients
Lead search to find new clients
Lead search to find new clients
Lead search to find new clients
Lead search to find new clients
Lead Insights categorized based on client type but these are not tailored to who an advisor can sell to
List of recently searched leads/ clients but is easily missed and thus rendered useless
Lead Search
to find new clients and look up existing ones
Prospect pipeline to track the status of every lead in
progression
Map view of
nearby clients and leads but shows an overwhelming number of results that a user cannot practically parse through
Geo-locate search for leads supported with zip code and proximity filters to find closest leads
Freeform search for a plan and/or participant but is not supported by accurate predictive search results
Market Insights to compare existing plans with current trends but is currently hidden under several clicks
Customizable filters for lead insights
Lead search to find new clients
Lead search to find new clients
Opportunities for High Impact
A documentation of some of the high-impact features that were found to be crucial to an advisor but fundamentally missing in the core experience of the product. These were distilled from the findings of user and product research conducted previously.
Highlighting market insights on the dashboard to uncover trends and actionable insights
Clear and accessible CTA for advisors to seamlessly switch between programs
List of all available plan types an advisor is qualified to sell under their account
Single-click CTA to initiate account opening for new clients
Details of each plan type and its specific features to determine the best fit for each type of client
List of recently searched leads to go back to while finding new clients
Prospect pipeline to track the status of every lead in
progression
Appropriate branding on the dashboard to indicate what program the advisor is currently selling plans on
Real-time stats about their book of business performance
Balancing Prioroty & Visibility
I organized all features into a UX prioritization matrix based on two key criteria:
INFORMATION HIERARCHY — how critical a feature is to the core user experience (i.e., does it help users orient, decide, or act?)
TASK PRIORITY — how urgently users need or expect the feature in order to complete their goals efficiently.
TASK
PRIORITY
ACCOUNT
OVERVIEW
& PROGRESS
FIND NEW LEADS
CONVERT EXISTING LEADS TO CLIENTS
FOLLOW UP ON EXISTING CLIENTS
ANCILLARY
SUPPORT
SERVICES
INFORMATION
HIERARCHY
ACCOUNT OVERVIEW & PROGRESS
FOLLOW UP ON EXISTING CLIENTS
ACCOUNT OVERVIEW & PROGRESS
CONVERT EXISTING LEADS TO CLIENTS
FIND NEW LEADS
Structural Grouping
The final step leading into wireframing prototypes was to group all documented features into their respective task groups and lay them out in the order of task priority. This process organically evolves the design into a layout of task-specific cards that provide intuitive and meaningful entry points into various workflows for the advisors.
"Walk" Stage 2 - MVP
The new advisor dashboard was a culmination of all the research and design deliberation. It was developed to assist users in their daily tasks while tracking their progress. The entire experience was tailored to their specific needs, while also leaving room for further customization.
Shows business health with comparative reporting to either reflect growth or areas that need attention.
Immediate visibility into business insights without drilling down into data.
Categorized plan listings with preview metrics and action buttons, helping users quickly identify relevant offerings.
Replaces the overwhelming or unclear layout of the old dashboard with a structured, user-friendly entry point and is easily customizable based on what plans the advisor is certified to sell.
Visual map-based lead search by location, with filters. Enhances discovery and geographic targeting—a major friction point in the previous experience.
The search card also offers a Recent Searches function to easily track back previously searched clients.
Dedicated market opportunities card offers filterable insights into employer types, participation rates, and other lead quality metrics. These can also be filtered geographically.
Plan vs participant view for the prospect pipeline offers more in-depth and actionable tracking of the status of each plan in progress
Quick-access modules for saving high-priority leads and returning to them without extra search effort.
40%
REDUCTION IN TASK COMPLETION TIMES
22%
DECREASE IN REPETITIVE SUPPORT QUERIES
15%
DECREASE IN MISSED DEADLINES
Measurable Impact after the Walk Stage
The redesigned personalized dashboard reduced the average time-on-task (ToT) for critical data retrieval by 65% (from 7 minutes to 2.4 minutes). This improvement directly led to a 20% increase in daily active user (DAU) sessions focused on core advisory tasks.
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Workflows became more proactive due to insight-driven dashboards
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Fewer external spreadsheets and manual processes
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Engineering teams shipped faster with clearer requirements
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Stakeholders had a unified view of the product direction and roadmap
Setting up for "Running" Success
Documenting the design process beyond the final prototypes to highlight certain key challenges and relevant takeaways for future design enhancements.
Integrate AI/ML models to shift the platform from reporting data to recommending and prioritizing the next-best action directly within widgets.
AI-Driven Insights and Predictive Analytics
Integrate AI/ML models to shift the platform from reporting data to recommending and prioritizing the next-best action directly within widgets.
Expanded and Deepened Customization:
Deliver an adaptive mobile experience with optimized touch interactions and compact visualization techniques, ensuring full advisor productivity on the go.
Mobile Excellence and Optimization
Implement voice and sophisticated chatbot integrations to facilitate hands-free dashboard interactions and data querying, supporting mobility and multitasking.
Advanced, Ambient Interaction
Unlock full user control over the ecosystem, enabling dynamic layout changes, tailored workspace presets, and a comprehensive widget library for maximal efficiency.
Beyond the Lab
Documenting the design process beyond the final prototypes to highlight certain key challenges and relevant takeaways for future design enhancements.
The importance of iterative design, especially early usability testing and feedback loops, significantly improved the final product.
Customization is valuable, but too many options can overwhelm users. A balance between flexibility and simplicity is key.
Visual hierarchy and information prioritization play a crucial role in enhancing decision-making efficiency for financial advisors.
KEY
LEARNINGS
Addressing resistance to change from long-time users accustomed to the old interface
Balancing the complexity of financial data with a user-friendly design while ensuring advisors could still access deep insights efficiently.
Understanding the nuances of various processes that an advisor goes through and digitizing those flows.