Commonwealth AMS
One object model that carries an advisor practice from direction to daily work to results.
Senior Product Designer, one of several designers · Commonwealth Financial Network · Enterprise SaaS, financial services
Problem
Advisors had powerful tools but no shared model. Goals, work, and reporting lived apart, while a $2.7B acquisition merged two firms' operating models onto one platform.
My role
One of several designers. I led user testing and analytics: moderated sessions with advisors, the research ops behind them, and turning findings into design changes.
Key decisions
One spine: Practice foundation → OKRs → Initiatives → Tasks.
One lifecycle everywhere (Set → Manage → Track → Analyze), with permissions by role.
A component system engineering builds from, not one-off screens.
Research → priorities
3 moderated sessions with a first-time advisor, a veteran solo advisor, and a fast onboarder. All three understood the hierarchy; all three stalled on undefined acronyms (“OKR, “DRC”). Fixes: spell out terms, show a visible save state, add in-field guidance for key results.
