Krista Taylor

Workflow Systems

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WORKFLOW SYSTEMS · TIAA · 2026

Reducing complexity across critical workflows.

Reducing complexity across critical workflows.

A systems-oriented approach to plan-change and RetirePlus experiences—reducing unnecessary steps while creating clearer, reusable workflow logic.

A systems-oriented approach to plan-change and RetirePlus experiences—reducing unnecessary steps while creating clearer, reusable workflow logic.

COMPANY
TIAA

YEAR
2026

ROLE
Principal Product Designer / Product SME

FOCUS
Workflow transformation · Systems

COMPLEX FLOW → REUSABLE LOGIC
↓ ↓
CLEARER PATHS

COMPLEX FLOW → REUSABLE LOGIC
↓ ↓
CLEARER PATHS

01 / Overview
The transformation

01 / Overview
The transformation

These experiences required more than simplifying a task flow. The opportunity was to identify repeated decisions, shared logic, and interaction patterns so complexity could be reduced without losing necessary operational nuance.

02 / Scale
What made it complex

02 / Scale
What made it complex

The workflows crossed business logic, operational rules, product behavior, and multiple stakeholder needs. The design challenge was to reduce user effort while preserving the system’s integrity.

38%

WORKFLOW REDUCTION

1→N

REUSABLE LOGIC

XFN

PRODUCT + OPS + ENGINEERING

03 / Decisions · Pivotal design moves

03 / Decisions · Pivotal design moves

01

Find repeated decision patterns

Identify where seemingly different workflows were actually solving the same product problem.

02

Reduce steps without hiding complexity

Compress the path while preserving the information and controls needed for high-stakes decisions.

03

Design patterns for reuse

Make the solution useful beyond a single workflow by creating repeatable interaction logic.

04 / System
From parts to a product system

04 / System
From parts to a product system

The target state is a workflow system where repeated decisions become reusable patterns, reducing both user effort and implementation inconsistency.

Manual workflows
Fragmented tools
Operational handoffs

Workflow system

Reusable capabilities
Shared patterns
Scalable delivery

05 / Impact
What changed

05 / Impact
What changed

The work demonstrates how systems thinking can create measurable workflow improvement while also increasing design leverage across related product experiences.

38%
WORKFLOW REDUCTION

Reusable
INTERACTION LOGIC

Less
TRANSLATION LOSS