Digital Product
with Morgan Stanley

With over 70,000 employees, the firm relies on custom-built software to meet its diverse operational needs. By working efficiently and effectively, I was able to deliver new designs at twice the expected pace. Communication is one of my super powers and it allowed me to bridge the gap between business and development using design, ensuring that business had it’s needs exceeded with as little development effort as possible. As a result, I built strong relationships with stakeholders who valued my ability to interpret their needs and design applications that were built quickly and for a low cost.

One of my most challenging projects was redesigning the corporate travel application, which had earned a reputation as one of the firm’s most frustrating tools. Users found it difficult to navigate due to confusing jargon and poor usability. Our team was tasked with a complete overhaul, but the process was met with resistance from the internal travel department, which had owned the tool for years. They were hesitant to implement changes despite clear usability issues. Through extensive user research, careful negotiation, and patience, we presented a solution backed by data that addressed user pain points. Ultimately, the redesigned application was met with widespread praise and significantly reducing overhead and frustration.

Another major project was the redesign of the corporate directory, one of the firm’s most frequently used internal tools. This application required careful consideration, as it served a broad audience and contained extensive functionality. I conducted user workshops to identify opportunities, worked closely with stakeholders on complex business politics, collaborated with developers to optimize implementation, and partnered with the design systems team to reduce lift. Balancing existing user behaviors with new enhancements was a key challenge, but we developed a thoughtful transition strategy that tested exceedingly well with employees and was praised by stakeholders.

Records management is a critical yet often overlooked function within the firm. With billions of records tracking leads, investments, users, and partners, managing data effectively is essential for cost control and operational efficiency. The Records Management Disposition team needed a tool to help them streamline the process of identifying and handling outdated or unnecessary records. I delivered an intuitive application that simplified their workflow and resulted in significant cost savings for the firm.

One of the most complex projects I worked on was the business vetting application. The firm’s vetting process required global teams to assess the financial and ethical integrity of businesses and their associates. This involved tracing relationships between individuals and entities, sometimes spanning multiple layers of connections. Designing an application to support this intricate research process was a challenge, but by leveraging the firm’s design system and prebuilt components, I created a solution that was both powerful and easy to implement. The result was a highly effective tool that simplified collaboration for researchers while maintaining the rigor required for due diligence.

Throughout my tenure, I consistently delivered high-impact design solutions, strengthened cross-functional communication, and improved critical business applications. My ability to navigate complex workflows, advocate for users, design developer friendly applications, and collaborate across teams allowed me to drive meaningful improvements in the firm’s internal software ecosystem reducing effort across the firm by as much as 20%.