Lil’ Homie
Your Friendly Neighborhood
Home Loan Helper
Design Activities & Deliverables
Stakeholder Interviews
Strategy Workshop
Concept Cards
AI Integration
Concept Testing
Interactive Prototype
Client
First Close
Timeline
5 months
March 2025 - August 2025
Type
Product
Role
Design Lead
The Problem
First Close creates software infrastructure for home loan lenders. The platform is white labeled and used by multiple companies to reach people applying for home loans. The current experience is confusing, incomplete, and causes users to give up and move on.
Why this project
This project showcases my skills of understanding complex systems, stakeholder management, AI integration, and adding joy in unexpected places. I lead the design as the only designer on the team through all phases of this engagement.
It started with one project and
grew from there...
The goal of the first sprint was to up-skill the First Close team on the design process by focusing on the Lender Portal: the portal that Loan Officers use to collect information from people applying for a home loan.
The success of this project led to a second sprint that involved redesigning 2 more portals, an in-person workshop, and an amazing partnership.
Provide validated strategic direction
Work directly with FC designer, on a daily basis
Boost FC team’s capabilities by establishing a repeatable customer-centered process
Prioritize activities and deliverables with FC team to accelerate design
and development
For Context
All phases of the project focused on three audience groups. We unearthed the user needs and work flows from multiple rounds of foundational research, comparative and competitive analysis, and user testing.
Borrower
Borrowers use the Borrower Portal to apply for a loan and check the status of their loan application.
Borrower Portal
Loan Officer
Loan Officers liaison between Borrowers and Loan Processors. They obtain information from Borrowers through the Borrower Portal share it with Loan Processors through the Lender Portal.
Borrower Portal
Lender Portal
Loan Processor
Loan Processors collect and review all the information and communicate back with Loan Officers through both portals.
Borrower Portal
Lender Portal
Loan Admin System
Loan Origination System
The Big Asks
The FC team had a clear understanding of where the improvements could be. We validated these asks through research and collaborated on narrowing the focus to these four areas:
1. Helping Borrowers
HMW help people shopping for rates understand the process?
People researching for home loans struggle to find accurate rates without committing to applying for a loan. This drove users away.
2. Helping Loan Officers
HMW create a way for LOs to track and follow up on leads and applications in progress?
Loan Officers have to manage potential borrowers, applicants, and Loan Processors’ expectations, information access, and keep everyone informed.
3. Using AI Intentionally
HMW keep information secure and provide transparency throughout the process?
FC was looking to implement machine learning and AI. The goal is to improve workflows, secure and protect data and make the user experience exceptional.
4. Addressing Project Complexity
HMW make the experience feel customized and flexible enough to be rebranded?
The designs need to be rigid enough to be compliant and flexible enough to feel unique when rebranded.
What we are looking at
This project was big, complex, and had multiple sprints. I am only highlighting two aspects here: the outcomes of the implementation of AI and stakeholder management.
The AI Integration
We were directly asked to incorporate AI into the work. So we did it in two ways. First as a tool in our process to create concept sketches and support content work, and second, to create an AI outcome to be designed into the final platform.
The AI we created for the platform had to address how to support Borrowers throughout their research and application process and improve workflows for Loan Officers. So I created, Lil’ Homie...
The Origin Story
Lil’ Homie arrived during an ideating session. In these sessions, the project team invites designers, not part of the project but part of the broader design team, to come explore ideas based on How Might We questions. These sessions force us to select what areas we want to untangle and get fresh ideas and external POVs.
The Love Story
As our ideas flowed from sketches to lo-fi concepts, Lil’ Homie kept popping up. Everyone was attached to the idea of how it might work and be flexible enough to support multiple audiences.
Maybe Glitter Instead?
We also debated the idea of personification versus using familiar AI iconography. Some felt the name and caricature were too cute while others felt it brought a warmth to a cold serious space that could use some joy.
Nonnegotiables
The FC team wanted to proceed with the character of a Lil’ Homie as an agent to make it more versatile, but unlike most AI agents that claim to do everything, it was vital that Lil’ Homie had a clear role and purpose with defined boundaries. It was important to have established guardrails and provide tangible efficiency.
What it is
- An efficiency booster
- A personal secretary
- A fact-checker
- A helping hand
- Clippy 2.0
- A Loan Officer
- An interruption
- An added step
What it isn’t
2 Directions
Home Loan applications require a large amount of personal data so I felt it was pertinent to inform users how we were using, processing, and saving their data. Compliance was considered a baseline for security so I decided we need two ways in which Lil’ Homie worked, overtly for Borrowers, and covertly for Loan Officers.
Gino Auriemma
Send reminder
Last contacted on 4/25/25
Application Progress
58%
Credit Pull
Equity Eligible
Program Selection
Application Complete
Send nudge
Gino Auriemma
Send reminder
Last contacted on 4/25/25
Application Progress
58%
Credit Pull
Equity Eligible
Program Selection
Application Complete
Send nudge
Gino Auriemma
Send reminder
Last contacted on 4/25/25
Application Progress
58%
Credit Pull
Equity Eligible
Program Selection
Application Complete
Send nudge
Gino Auriemma
Send reminder
Last contacted on 4/25/25
Application Progress
58%
Credit Pull
Equity Eligible
Program Selection
Application Complete
Send nudge
Gino Auriemma
Send reminder
Last contacted on 4/25/25
Application Progress
58%
Credit Pull
Equity Eligible
Program Selection
Application Complete
Send nudge
Covert AI
To improve the Loan Officer experience, we used AI and machine learning in the background to improve workflows. I chose this direction because we wanted it function as an equally intelligent partner to elevate information, prioritize records, and work simultaneously alongside LOs without needing to be prompted. Speed and nuance were key factors.
Lil’ Homie
Notes
Howdy!
It looks like I have information for a soft credit pull! I’ll go ahead and do that for you....
Looks like:
Soft Credit Pull: 780
Credit Pull
I have information for an equity check...
Lil’ Homie is conducting an equity check
.
Recommended Product
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage
WestCoast Lenders
$2,500,000
4.3% APR
Details
Downpayment
$25,000
Payment Frequency
Monthly
See More
Ask Lil’ Homie for help or clarification:
Lil’ Homie
Notes
Howdy!
It looks like I have information for a soft credit pull! I’ll go ahead and do that for you....
Looks like:
Soft Credit Pull: 780
Credit Pull
I have information for an equity check...
Lil’ Homie is conducting an equity check
.
Recommended Product
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage
WestCoast Lenders
$2,500,000
4.3% APR
Details
Downpayment
$25,000
Payment Frequency
Monthly
See More
Ask Lil’ Homie for help or clarification:
Overt AI
For Borrowers, Lil’ Homie is a more obvious agent interface. Ever present, it allows users to easily ask questions in natural language and get answers promptly and easily.
A Powerful Partnered Experience for Loan Officer
With a covert approach, Lil’ Homie was more subtle in most areas of the Loan Officer’s experience. It elevated top tasks for Loan Officers as well as highlighted actions. I used slow moving muted gradient bubbles and moving inchworm outlines to indicate where AI works behind the scenes.
Floating Bubbles
1
2
3
4
5
I created subtle purple bubbles to float around to indicate the use of AI, highlight important information, and add a little joy to a system many LO’s have to spend most of their day on.
Inchworm Border
I used an animated inchworm border to indicate where LO’s could take immediate action.
A Supported and Guided Experience for Borrowers
In the overt experience, Borrowers have the option to opt-out of having Lil’ Homie’s support. If they do choose have it along for their journey, Lil’ Homie provides step by step instructions, answers questions, as well as poses options and ideas to help Borrowers through the application.
Becoming Besties
My favorite part of a project is connecting with clients and this one was particularly special. I snuck in some extra joyful Easter eggs for this team and it led to our rapport being a dream. We ebbed and flowed easily from fun to focused and because of this strong partnership, we were able to address more aspects of the project as well as the business overall. We were able to implement more strategic thinking than originally planned.
Strategy Workshop
1 in-person workshop
with a quick tour of Seattle and
a vital stop at the Gum Wall!
“Least bullsh*t and most
meat on the bone approach”
Chief Product Officer at First Close
Wait, there’s so much more!
All sprints of this project went through research and design so if you want to hear more about the details or our hot takes on why Barbie is the best movie ever made, please reach out.
Reflection
This project was super fun. Our partnership as a team (clients included) made this project not only joyful but allowed us to really dig into the work in far more intentional way. It brought out the best in us all and we were able to push the boundaries of the work while also becoming close collaborators and friends.
By the Numbers
2
Sprints
of back to back engagements
16
Weeks
per sprint
3
Weekly Working Sessions
to get confirmation and move quickly
3
Redesigned Portals
to address all audiences
1
AI Agent
to support all 3 audiences
Other projects...
Citibank
A central intelligence platform infused with AI insights for bankers to better serve their clients.
*COMING SOON*
The Future of Work
AI Principles
*COMING SOON*
A holistic Guide on how to use AI in the design process