Wireframes are confidential to KeyBank; placeholders shown. The design focused on enhancing fraud prevention while improving efficiency for bankers and tellers.
In-branch identity verification was slow, inconsistent, and quietly vulnerable: managers could override the rules entirely. I led the service-design research and UI strategy that standardized authentication and cut fraudulent originations by 75%.
Tellers juggled multiple systems to verify customers, high- and low-fraud branches followed different playbooks, and branch managers frequently overrode authentication altogether — costing the bank millions. I ran the research and service blueprinting, then shaped an internal UI that integrated authentication directly with Teller21 so the loophole simply couldn't be opened.
The in-branch fraud-authentication process was vulnerable by design. High-fraud branches wrestled with complex, time-consuming steps; low-fraud branches leaned on informal habits that weren't standardized anywhere. And with no centralized UI connecting tellers, the internal fraud system and the third-party vendor, workflows were fragmented and fraud detection was slow.
Long wait times frustrated both tellers and customers, and invited shortcuts.
The branch interface, internal UI and Teller21 weren't integrated, causing workflow disruptions.
High- and low-fraud branches used different strategies, leaving knowledge-sharing gaps.
Juggling platforms and manual verification increased teller errors and slowed service.
How might we create a seamless, secure, standardized authentication experience that improves teller efficiency while strengthening fraud prevention?
The question that framed the workI interviewed Branch Operations leaders, Fraud Systems experts and our third-party authentication vendor to map constraints — then ran discovery interviews with tellers across both high-fraud and low-fraud regions to compare attack patterns against the practices that actually prevent fraud. A discovery workshop turned the findings into a shared problem statement.
Stakeholders, fraud teams and tellers across high- and low-fraud branches to surface disparities in training and process.
Data-driven personas for bankers, clients and fraud suspects, with journeys illustrating each authentication pain point.
Follow-up interviews and stakeholder review sessions to confirm accuracy and align with fraud-prevention goals.
Led a working session to co-design the ideal experience, remove bottlenecks and align on technical feasibility.
Research uncovered a critical vulnerability hiding in plain sight. New tellers followed authentication protocols but often lacked the confidence to hold the line — and branch managers frequently overrode the rules entirely, letting clients bypass security.
That manual-override process led to significant fraud risk, costing the bank millions in losses. No amount of interface polish would fix a system whose rules could be waved away.
Stakeholders prioritized eliminating manual overrides by building an internal UI that integrated authentication steps directly with Teller21 — so unauthorized exceptions weren't a policy anyone could break; they were a path that no longer existed.
With the research foundation set, I helped shape a dedicated UI connecting branch authentication to Teller21 verification. Its objective: guide bankers through a standardized, secure process while syncing with Teller21 — designed so fraud prevention and teller efficiency rise together.
Guided prompts that reduce errors and remove reliance on memory or habit.
In-system alerts that surface suspicious activity to bankers as it happens.
Validates transactions seamlessly inside the teller's existing workflow.
Removes subjective manual overrides — the fix for the core vulnerability.
Wireframes are confidential to KeyBank; placeholders shown. The design focused on enhancing fraud prevention while improving efficiency for bankers and tellers.
By embedding research into every phase, the solution streamlined teller workflows and closed the override loophole at once.
Through stakeholder collaboration, in-depth field research and iterative validation, we built a system that empowers bankers with the right tools, delivers a seamless authentication experience, and strengthens fraud detection — setting the foundation for a scalable, future-proof strategy that aligns business goals with real user needs.
“Natalie is a great leader and advocate for users and the design process. She holds her partners accountable for doing the right thing for our clients and bankers. She is an excellent teammate and partner.”
Executive Vice President · KeyBank Branch OperationsI use service design and research to find the vulnerability behind the metric — then design the system that closes it for good.