Elevating Advisor Analysis with Focused UI Refinements
As a Senior Product Designer, I partnered with developers on FT Apex, First Trust’s advisor-facing portfolio analysis platform. Through targeted UI consultation and consistency improvements, I helped refine workflows, strengthened visual hierarchy, and aligned web and reporting experiences.
Role
Senior Product Designer
Company
First Trust Portfolios
Timeframe
2023 — 2025
The Challenge
New Platform Build
FT Apex was created to replace external tools like Morningstar Direct with an in-house solution.
UI Guidance
Developers sought direction on best practices for hierarchy, layout, and component use.
Consistency Matters
Ensuring components worked the same way across screens and aligned with exported reports.
FT Apex marked First Trust’s move to provide advisors with an in-house portfolio analysis tool, built from the ground up with usability and consistency in mind.
My Approach
UI Refinements
Simplified layouts for login, navigation, and analysis type selection.
Workflow Clarity
Improved key tasks, such as choosing analysis types, to reduce friction.
Cross-Media Alignment
Consulted on visual consistency between web UI and exported advisor reports.
My role was highly collaborative and consultative — providing developers with actionable design feedback while shaping workflows and visual standards.
Login Screen
Analysis Selection
Portfolio Selection
Snapshot
Equity Exposure
Country Allocation
Correleation & Overlap
Factor Profile
Performance Profile
Market Capture
Time Series Returns
The Impact
Improved Experience
Advisors gained clearer workflows, reducing guesswork in analysis selection.
Positive Feedback
Stakeholders noted improvements in readability and usability.
Consistency Gains
Exported reports now better align with the web UI, reinforcing trust in the platform.
Small, targeted refinements created meaningful improvements in usability and stakeholder confidence.
In Reflection
FT Apex reinforced the value of lightweight, consultative design contributions — even small refinements can ripple across advisor workflows. Future opportunities may lie in connecting Apex’s UI approach with First Trust’s broader design system efforts.
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