UX Case Study: Wells Fargo Enterprise Regulatory Engagement Platform (EREP)

Project Overview

The Enterprise Regulatory Engagement Platform (EREP) is an internal Wells Fargo application used by regulatory relations teams, auditors, and business owners. It centralizes communication and streamlines the creation and management of regulatory engagements across the organization.

I led the UX design effort for EREP, shaping the product’s user experience, establishing a scalable design system, and ensuring consistency across teams and workflows.

Challenges

EREP had to support a broad, diverse group of internal users—each with unique goals and workflows—while still adhering to strict Wells Fargo branding standards. Additionally, development had already begun, requiring me to quickly assess the product’s state, identify design gaps, and integrate seamlessly into an ongoing engineering cycle.

Goals

• Deliver a cohesive, intuitive, and user-friendly experience for all EREP users.
• Align the interface with Wells Fargo’s established brand and accessibility guidelines.
• Build a scalable design system to accelerate future work and reduce inconsistencies.
• Create a transparent, efficient collaboration process between UX, BA, and development teams.
• Ensure smooth, predictable handoff workflows to minimize development delays.

Process & Approach

1. Initial Assessment & Design Audit

My first step was to conduct a full design audit of the existing application.
This included:

• Reviewing current UI components and their usage across screens.
• Comparing patterns against Wells Fargo’s brand standards.
• Identifying inconsistencies in color, spacing, iconography, interactions, and overall layout.

Outcome: This audit established a clear baseline and highlighted immediate opportunities for improvement and alignment.

2. Building the Design System

Recognizing the scale of the platform and the need for cross-team alignment, I built a new Figma-based design system from the ground up.

What I Delivered:

• Component Audit: Documented all essential design elements—grids, spacing, typography, colors, and interaction patterns.
• Figma Library: Created a shared, centralized component library accessible to design teams across Wells Fargo.
• Governance: Managed ongoing updates, version control, Figma permissions, training, and system maintenance.

Outcome: The design system improved UI consistency, accelerated handoffs, and reduced friction between UX and engineering.

3. Transparent Collaboration Process

To integrate UX into ongoing development sprints, I introduced an open, predictable workflow.

Collaboration Improvements:

• Met weekly with Business Analysts to clarify user stories, requirements, and dependencies.
• Created prototypes early and iterated with real-time feedback from BAs and development leads.
• Kept UX work two sprints ahead to allow room for refinement without blocking engineering.

Outcome: This process eliminated surprise changes, reduced rework, and increased cross-team visibility.

4. Prototyping & User Feedback

Since the primary users were internal teams, I conducted bi-weekly review sessions with the Regulatory Relations group.

Prototyping Workflow:

• Began with low-fidelity wireframes to align on structure and content early.
• Transitioned to high-fidelity interactive prototypes for detailed feedback.
• Maintained a two-sprint buffer to ensure flexibility for revisions.

Outcome: Consistent touchpoints ensured the final product aligned with user needs and required minimal changes after release.

5. Handoff to Development

Once designs were approved, I facilitated a smooth, thorough handoff process.

Handoff Deliverables:

• Led a walkthrough session with assigned developers to explain flows, edge cases, and interactions.
• Provided detailed specifications, component documentation, and assets.
• Tracked builds in Jira, logging defects and supporting developers through implementation.

Outcome: Development moved forward with clarity and confidence, resulting in minimal defects and a smooth production rollout.

Results

Design Consistency

The new design system unified the UI and ensured alignment with enterprise branding and accessibility standards.

Improved Cross-Team Collaboration

The transparent workflow and shared component library strengthened communication between UX, BAs, and developers, enabling faster iteration and fewer blockers.

Stakeholder Satisfaction

Regulatory Relations and Audit teams praised the streamlined workflows and intuitive interface.

Successful Launch

The platform shipped with minimal defects, strong user adoption, and a clear roadmap supported by the scalable design system.

Key Takeaways

Design Systems Are Transformational

Building a centralized design system early created consistency and accelerated both design and development.

Stakeholder Engagement Drives Alignment

Frequent collaboration with BAs and internal teams ensured the designs matched real user needs and business requirements.

Iteration Leads to Better Outcomes

Prototyping, testing, and refining continuously helped deliver a polished, functional product with minimal post-launch rework.

This project showcased the impact of a strong UX strategy—improving internal workflows, enhancing collaboration, and delivering a scalable foundation for future enhancements across Wells Fargo’s regulatory engagement ecosystem.