To automate the process of scanning and classifying documents for a Mortgage Application. Currently at RBC, the process of classifying physical documents is very laborious and time consuming – with employees manually verifying each document individually.

To explore the reusability OCR with the Google Vision ML Kit: the problem was design and test an automated process to scan documents.

Proof of Concepts are a small project that is specifically targeting a technical proof of concept to determine feasibility and inform product development decisions. In this case,

We had to consider the quality of documents that a client might send in which we classified as structured, semi structured, and non-structured docs.

As a co-op on my team, I was given the freedom to design screens. To inform my decisions and process, I did a lot of research into current mortgage application processes, in general and pre-existing at RBC. On the business perspective, I researched current pre-approval processes and required documentation for mortgages. To inform my design decisions, I researched the user journey framework and flow of a mortgage application process, as well as how that process would be improved and what it might look like with the automated process in place. Insights I discovered during my research is that:

1. Customers want a transparent, easy-to-follow status update on their applications so they are fully informed when decision timelines will be completed

2. There are a plethora of tools available for RBC advisors to use, most of which are difficult to use and include lots of frustrations from user research.

For the business - this would accelerate the time it currently takes to manually process documents, saving time and minimizing cost. It would also reduce human error while extracting information.

For the client - this would make the mortgage application process more transparent and enjoyable as they are able to view each and every single step of the process.

The proposed solution is a mobile application that would allow RBC advisors to log in and help clients scan and classify confidential documents with Optical Character Recognition. Working closely with product owners and developers, I conducted my own research and developed a flow of a mortgage application mobile app for RBC advisors. Because the Innovation team works mainly to test concepts, this mobile app flow was primarily used to demonstrate to our team and stakeholders how the OCR technology would integrate with design.

I took the initiative to do research on my own to start developing the screens. I created my own flows and journey frameworks to inform my designs for the Intelligent OCR screens. During our stakeholder meetings with other teams that were participating on the project, I found that their own designers and I had similar concepts and designs. This was an academic and career achievement for me because the RBC team had been working on this journey for some time, and I was able to come to similar conclusions on my own after mortgage and user research based on the brief. I was also able to gain personal validation that the research I had done was very much aligned with the project. The team was extremely pleased with my prototype and screens, and they are currently being developed with technical aspects integrated. Some of my key takeaways also included the validation and experience of research informed design, and being able to communicate my design decisions to major stakeholders in the project.

On a personal level, this was my first time handing off designs to developers in a professional capacity, and I was able to work through challenges of not knowing the process to being able to work with the developer team and compile assets and documentation for them.

This project (and co-op) gave me the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team in a business. I experienced a lot of different career paths within this co-op - product management, graphic design, UI/UX design, technology and development. The phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” used to scar me, but I found that it does not apply. I came out with the realization that being able to know and educate myself about everything makes me a better designer, because then I am able to synthesize all these different parts of a project and use my understanding to inform and be an advocate for my design decisions.