Mapping the Problem
TL;DR
I was the only in-house designer embedded with a new agile pod, partnering with a UX lead, contract researcher, and content writer to map the existing RMD journey. Our goal: pinpoint where digital self-service could replace phone calls, improve client experience, and prove Schwab’s new agile model could deliver.When I joined the RMD Center initiative, our agile pod was still new — a co-located mix of designers, developers, product owners, and scrum masters. I was the only in-house product designer on the floor, partnering closely with:
UX lead
A contract UX researcher
A contract content writer
We started with journey mapping — an end-to-end view of how clients handled RMDs at the time. It quickly became clear: the process was almost entirely offline, requiring phone calls and PDF forms. This not only caused frustration for clients (many of them older adults navigating compliance rules) but also consumed massive service center capacity.
Our objectives became clear:
Identify digital intervention points — where we could replace manual steps with online flows without sacrificing compliance or clarity.
Prove the agile model worked — this was an early test case for Schwab’s “fail fast, deliver often” approach.
Lighten the service center load — shifting simple, repetitive requests to self-service would free up representatives for more complex client needs.
I produced early concept sketches that translated these “opportunity zones” into potential screens, which we then iterated into low-fidelity wireframes. This was our first tangible proof that the RMD process could move online without compromising security or regulatory requirements.
Note: Due to confidentiality, I am unable to share actual artifacts from my time at Charles Schwab. These images are illustrative recreations that represent the type of work, environment, and contributions I made.
