Project Overview
Grant applicants were calling support 3-4 times per application to ask about their status, generating over 12,000 monthly calls that frustrated users waiting on critical funding and drove up operational costs significantly. As lead UX designer, I worked with a cross-functional team over 12 weeks to design a self-service tracking system that reduced status-related support calls by 35%, saving approximately 560 support hours per month and substantially decreasing call center operational costs. The solution included visual progress tracking, contextual status updates in plain language, and proactive notifications that kept applicants informed without requiring them to reach out.
My Role: Principal User Experience Designer
Team size: Two teams, members: 16
Duration: 12 weeks
Tools: Paper Sketches, FigJam, Figma,
Goals - Business, Product and Content Design
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Business Goals
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Reduce status-related support call volume by 30%.
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Decrease call center operational costs.
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Improve application processing efficiency.
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Product Design Goals
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Create intuitive self-service status tracking.
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Provide clear visibility into application progress.
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Enable users to identify required actions without support assistance.
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Content Design Goals
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Replace internal jargon with plain, user-friendly language.
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Communicate realistic timelines and expectations.
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Deliver proactive, actionable information at the right moments.
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Research - Understanding Users
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I examined 200+ support conversations, observed live support interactions, and spoke with 12 applicants to uncover why they kept calling.
Findings:
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40% of inquiries simply verified that applications were received.
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Labels like "In Review" left users confused.
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People worried they'd miss important deadlines or required tasks.
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Zero insight into timelines or what would happen next.
My Approach
I created a self-service tracking system built on three pillars:
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Clear Visual Progress
Step-by-step indicator displaying current position in the review workflow.
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Meaningful Status Messages
Replaced generic labels with helpful context:
For example: "Your financial documents are under review." , "Awaiting action from your advisor."
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Smart Notifications
Automatic email and text updates when status changed or action was needed.
Guiding Principles
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Clear Communication – Eliminate ambiguity about application status.
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Direct Guidance – Spell out exactly what users should do.
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Plain English – Avoid bureaucratic language.
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Get Ahead of Questions – Inform users before they feel the need to connect with customer service.
Validation Process
Ran 3 testing cycles with 18 participants, followed by beta rollout to 200 users.
What We Found:
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95% accurately understood their current status.
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92% reported feeling significantly better informed.
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Timeline predictions and straightforward language resonated most.
Impact
35% drop in status inquiry calls.
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Decreased from 12,000 to 7,800 per month.
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Freed up approximately 560 support hours monthly.
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Substantial reduction in operational expenses.
Enhanced User Experience
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CSAT jumped from 62% to 84%
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78% of users regularly checked their tracker
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Net Promoter Score rose 28 points
"This is exactly what I needed—no more weekly phone calls to find out what's going on." – User Feedback
Reflections
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Clear information creates confidence. When users understood the process and timeline, they were comfortable waiting without constant check-ins.
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Simple language drives comprehension. Removing jargon and explaining things clearly prevented thousands of unnecessary contacts.
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Anticipating needs works. Push notifications kept users in the loop without requiring them to actively seek updates.
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Future Improvements: I'd start with mobile design given our user base, and involve stakeholders sooner when setting expectations around timeline commitments.
Looking Ahead
Planning to adapt this system for other application workflows and integrate an AI assistant to handle frequently asked questions within the tracker.