Mini Banana Phone

for Rocket Mortgage

Transforming Rocket Mortgage's banker communication tool, Mini Banana Phone (BP), from a cumbersome browser-based application into a streamlined desktop experience that aligned with a broader vision of unified, efficient communication tools.

Overview

Over 100,000 Hours Saved Each Year

By leading my design team to reimagine Rocket Mortgage’s browser-based calling tool as an unobtrusive Electron desktop application, I transformed banker workflows, saving 417 hours of collective banker time daily by eliminating 25 seconds of context-switching per call.

The project not only solved immediate efficiency problems but established the foundation for a unified communication ecosystem that will expand to include chat messaging and extend to mortgage servicing and broker partnerships.

Through strategic direction of high-fidelity prototyping and data-driven justification, I secured stakeholder buy-in despite limited development resources. This demonstrated how effective design leadership guided by a clear future vision can deliver significant immediate impact while enabling larger future transformations.

My Role

Director of Product Design

The Team

Taylor Cornelius: Lead Product Designer
Jose Ortega: Associate Product Designer

Our Partners

Rosie Huf: Content Design
Michael Abboreno: Research

Key Challenges

Workplace Disruption

The browser-based tool competed for screen real estate with other essential banker applications

01

Design Inconsistency

The tool couldn’t utilize our Angular design system, creating a disjointed experience

02

Efficiency Barriers

Bankers spent excessive time managing windows rather than focusing on client conversations

03

Future Vision

Now

  • Transform the tool into an unobtrusive desktop application that bankers could seamlessly use alongside other workflows
  • Create a consistent experience aligned with our design system
  • Eliminate context-switching time between applications

Next

  • Incorporate chat messaging into the platform
  • Expand functionality to create a unified communication hub
  • Build analytics to provide insights into communication patterns

Later

  • Extend the platform to other areas including mortgage servicing and broker partnerships
  • Create an ecosystem of interconnected tools sharing a common foundation
  • Enable AI-assisted communication based on client history and preferences

Strategic Approach

Future visualization through prototyping

Rather than relying on abstract descriptions, I directed my team of designers to create high-fidelity prototypes that made the future tangible:

  • Created interactive prototypes showing the desktop experience in context of banker workflows
  • Developed visual mockups demonstrating integration with our Angular design system
  • Simulated the future chat integration to illustrate long-term potential

Data-driven justification

I translated the vision into concrete business impact:

  • Calculated the efficiency impact: 25 seconds saved per call × 12 calls per day × 5,000 bankers = 1,500,000 seconds (417 hours) saved daily
  • Demonstrated how design system alignment would reduce future development and maintenance costs
  • Illustrated how the Electron framework would enable future capabilities without starting from scratch

Banker-centered validation

To ensure the vision resonated with actual users we:

  • Conduct prototype testing with bankers to validate the concept
  • Gather overwhelmingly positive feedback that reinforced the vision’s value
  • Use banker testimonials to build credibility with stakeholders

Strategic stakeholder alignment

I carefully aligned stakeholders around the future vision:

  • Engaged product management early with focused demonstrations of business value
  • Partnered with engineering to ensure technical feasibility
  • Created a phased implementation plan that balanced immediate value with future potential

Prototype

Results

“I used to juggle windows and lose track of conversations. Now I can make calls while seeing all my client information.”

This project established a foundation for future communication tools including chat integration, creating a pathway for evolving banker-client interactions beyond traditional phone calls. It also served as a model for other desktop applications within Rocket Mortgage, demonstrating how strategic design leadership could transform browser-based tools into more efficient experiences. This dual achievement not only addressed immediate needs but also set the stage for broader technological transformation across the organization’s communication ecosystem.

We demonstrated that seemingly small changes, when guided by a clear future vision, can create significant immediate impact while setting the stage for larger transformations. By seeing possibilities others missed and making them tangible through prototyping and data, I was able to create a solution that delivered immediate value while building toward a more connected future for Rocket Mortgage’s communication tools.

100

Annual minutes saved

27

Banker NPS score increase

100

Design system alignment