Deep learning was new territory for me, which made this very challenging in the beginning stages. I spent as much time as I could learning the specifics of deep learning, particularly the purpose of each type of layer within a network and how those layers connected and communicated to each other. I interviewed multiple SMEs and engineers with an advanced understanding of deep learning, and consulted every step of the way with the UX Researcher on our team.

Aligning on the best iconography that would make the layer types clear to our users proved to be challenging as well. To maintain forward progress, I ensured our SMEs and developers were in our key brainstorming and sketching sessions, and I was able to reference their expertise to form the best design decisions

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Foundation Scope

The stage in the product life cycle we targeted was Foundation, scope of this work was driven by multiple key data and information discoveries. I learned about:

1. What tasks customers are performing on the current MyDFS portal

2. Customer requests regarding portal functionality, features, gaps, etc

3. Customer pain points and internal suggestions on the current platform

4. Identifying and documenting region-specific requirements, compliances, and limitations (e.g., portal-based payments are only available in the U.S.)

5. Which regions and customer tiers are not available in the current portal and what is our customer base in those sectors