Overview

In early 2023, JPMorgan Chase launched an initiative to modernize how Business Analysts—affectionately referred to as Data Wranglers—provided critical performance data to field leaders, or Road Warriors, across Wealth Management, Business Banking, and Consumer Banking. These leaders were responsible for coaching advisors and staff at branch locations across the U.S., often using PDF reports based on outdated, manually aggregated data. Our team was tasked with reimagining this process through user research, design strategy, and the development of a centralized Tableau and ThoughtSpot dashboards that could deliver timely, self-service access to performance insights.

The Wealth Management product went live in March 2025, supporting more than 400 field leaders nationwide and setting the stage for broader transformation across the firm.

The Challenge

This initiative set out to modernize how Business Analysts—our so-called Data Wranglers—supported Field Leaders (Road Warriors) across Wealth Management, Business Banking, and Consumer Banking. These analysts were manually aggregating fragmented data in Excel to create static PDF reports used for monthly branch coaching visits. Unfortunately, these reports were often built on a one-month data lag—which meant field leaders were walking into coaching sessions with outdated metrics, unaware that certain issues had already resolved or, worse, unaware of new problems emerging in the meantime.

This was especially problematic in Wealth Management, where Financial Advisors’ compensation was tied to key performance metrics. When those metrics weren’t reflected accurately or in real time, it created a high-stress environment for both Advisors and their Field Leaders, who risked addressing sensitive performance issues with inaccurate or stale data.

Compounding that, there was no centralized, real-time dashboard for Field Leaders to access on their own—all data had to be requested through analysts or Business Managers. The coaching process was slow, error-prone, and highly dependent on human interpretation of static, outdated reports.

Beyond the usability pain points, the project unfolded within a web of organizational, technical, and emotional challenges.

Each line of business operated largely in a silo, with distinct regional practices, KPIs, and coaching rhythms. Understanding these nuances required deep user research and relationship-building across Wealth Management, Business Banking, and Consumer Banking.

The technical team, responsible for building in Tableau, was unfamiliar with UX collaboration and initially resistant to user-centered approaches. Gaining their trust required sustained effort, diplomacy, and a shared commitment to delivering value.

The team structure was in flux. Accenture had been initially engaged with a rotating group of designers, whose work had to be transitioned to the growing in-house team—brought on gradually over nearly a year. Several key contributors were contractors who eventually rolled off, requiring knowledge transfers midstream.

We also experienced leadership instability. The Head of Technology—who oversaw the Product Owner—left the firm mid-project. For a time, it was unclear whether the initiative would continue. It wasn’t until a new leader confirmed support that we were able to move forward with confidence.

Process-wise, we weren’t operating in Agile at the start. JIRA was introduced only after the project was well underway, requiring retroactive organization and documentation. Meanwhile, recurring scope distractions—such as the proposal to integrate additional vendor platforms—created further churn before being dropped.

Even basic language created friction. Repeated arguments between Product, Tech, and Design over the word “requirements”—what they were, who owned them—led to the creation of a UX playbook and shared glossary to standardize expectations and facilitate collaboration.

The emotional toll was real. Stress levels were extremely high. Morale dipped more than once. And yet, through it all, the core UX team remained largely intact. We became one another’s support system, helping not only to move the work forward, but to anchor the project in empathy and shared purpose.

In the end, this wasn’t just a project about dashboards. It was about shifting mindsets, repairing trust, elevating voices from the field—and building a future-ready foundation for more informed, impactful coaching.

Our Approach

Our team was brought in to lead the user research and experience design across three distinct lines of business. From the outset, we prioritized understanding the day-to-day realities of Field Leaders and Business Managers—what data they needed, how they used it, and what bottlenecks stood in the way.

1. Research & Relationship-Building

We began by conducting in-depth user interviews with Field Leaders (including Region and Division Directors) and Business Managers from each line of business. We asked questions like:

• What data do you rely on before a coaching visit?

• What’s missing from the current reports?

• How do data delays affect your conversations?

We uncovered not only common pain points—such as the lagging data and inconsistent report formats—but also unique nuances by business unit and geography. This laid the groundwork for personas, coaching journey maps, and prioritization frameworks.

2. Cross-Functional Partnership With research insights in hand, we engaged directly with Tableau developers, data architects, and product managers. We worked closely with the data engineering team responsible for migrating legacy, on-premise data into Databricks. Because only a handful of the 30+ data feeds would be available by launch, our team provided:

• Quotes and evidence from field leaders to prioritize high-value data feeds

• Flexible UI patterns to support a phased data rollout

• Close collaboration with developers to simulate Chase branding in Tableau, given the platform constraints

• Cross-functional workshops to prioritize business requirements
  

3. Team Enablement & Governance As new team members were onboarded and processes matured, we created onboarding materials, a shared UX glossary, and a playbook to help stakeholders align on product language, roles, and expectations. We also advocated for design-led rituals, including:

• Weekly design crits and cross-functional reviews

• Experience-led prioritization exercises with product and data leads

• Documentation hubs in Confluence to preserve institutional knowledge

By embedding ourselves across teams and leading with clarity, research, and adaptability, we created not only a scalable dashboard, but a shared design mindset that could outlast project turnover.

The Solution

The outcome of our work was a scalable, user-informed dashboard built in Tableau, designed to empower field leaders with timely, self-service access to performance insights. Despite technical limitations, evolving data availability, and a rapidly changing team environment, the Wealth Management dashboard launched in March 2025—serving more than 400 field leaders nationwide.

1. A Modular, Prioritized Dashboard Design

Our design solution had to accommodate incomplete data availability at launch and expand as new data feeds came online. We developed:

• Modular dashboard components organized by key coaching themes (e.g., revenue generation, client engagement, account mix)

• Progressive disclosure patterns that allowed users to quickly scan performance issues, then drill into relevant metrics

• Prioritized alert indicators to flag branches or Advisors needing immediate attention

We leaned heavily on hierarchy, color, and annotation to simulate design component and branding guidelines within Tableau’s constraints.

2. User-Centered Configuration

Throughout the design process, we validated ideas with real users—ensuring that terminology, data groupings, and layouts matched their mental models. We used feedback to:

• Simplify labeling and remove unnecessary jargon

• Align dashboard flows with actual field visit workflows

• Ensure performance issues could be identified at a glance—without overloading users with noise

This user validation loop helped us avoid over-designing and kept the solution grounded in the field leaders’ context.

3. Support for Future Scaling

We built the MVP with scalability in mind—working closely with Business Banking and Consumer Banking partners to ensure that our component structure and content model could flex to accommodate their unique needs. We also documented patterns, feature decisions, and usability considerations so that future teams could easily adapt the work.

What launched in 2025 was not just a product—it was a foundation. A reliable, trust-centered tool that made coaching more timely, data more actionable, and decision-making more confident.

Insights & Takeaways

• Resilience matters as much as strategy. The UX team’s ability to stay focused, support each other, and push for alignment despite organizational chaos was as critical as any technical skill.

• Data and design are inseparable. Our collaboration with the data engineering team ensured we weren’t just designing around what existed, but advocating for what was most needed. This mutual influence helped prioritize the right data modernization workstreams.

• Design leadership is about translation. We spent as much time aligning stakeholders and clarifying terminology as we did creating wireframes. The UX playbook and glossary became essential tools in de-escalating tension and building shared understanding.

• Tableau is not a design tool—but it can be bent. By creatively applying brand principles and thinking modularly, we stretched Tableau’s limits and delivered a UI that felt intentional, polished, and user-focused.

• Launch isn’t the finish line. While the dashboard shipped with only a subset of data feeds, its framework supports continuous growth. This phased model ensured we weren’t blocked by what wasn’t ready—we built momentum with what was.

This project wasn’t about a flashy interface or a sleek new tool. It was about helping field leaders do their jobs better, with more clarity and confidence. And in that, it delivered.