Execution & Impact

Passkey adoption — Verizon

Lead Designer · Authentication · Cross-functional team · 1–2 years

Lead Designer · Authentication · Cross-functional team · 1–2 years

Overview

Verizon’s password-based sign-in was failing nearly half of all attempts — and generating over 57,600 support calls a month. Increasing passkey adoption was OKR #1 for the authentication team. I was brought in to design the end-to-end passkey experience and build the strategy for how and when to introduce it to millions of customers, without disrupting the flows they were already in.

Overview

Verizon's password-based sign-in was failing nearly half of all attempts — and generating over 54,000 support calls a month. I was brought in to design the end-to-end passkey experience and build the strategy for how and when to introduce it to millions of customers, without disrupting the flows they were already in.

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

99%

Passkey sign-in
success rate

51%

Password sign-in
success rate

24K

Enrollments since launch, via self-discovery

99%

Passkey sign-in
success rate

51%

Password sign-in
success rate

24K

Enrollments since launch, via self-discovery

The Problem

Half of all login attempts on My Verizon were failing. Passkeys offered a dramatically better experience — device-bound, biometric, phishing-resistant. But there was no designed path to enroll, and no strategy for how to introduce them without interrupting what customers were trying to do.

My mandate: design the full end-to-end passkey enrollment experience and define when and how to surface it to millions of users.

The Problem

Half of all login attempts on My Verizon were failing. Passkeys offered a dramatically better experience — device-bound, biometric, phishing-resistant. But there was no designed path to enroll, and no strategy for how to introduce them without interrupting what customers were trying to do.

My mandate: design the full end-to-end passkey enrollment experience and define when and how to surface it to millions of users.

Approach

1. Research first — before a single screen

Leadership and stakeholders had low confidence in passkey adoption. Before designing anything, I spearheaded a passkey awareness study — surveying 300 My Verizon app users and 300 My Verizon website users.

The results were decisive:

  • 66% of app users were already aware of passkeys without any explanation

  • 73% of website users were aware without any prompt

  • Among those familiar, usage intent was strong in both groups

That data changed the conversation. It gave leadership the confidence to fund the project — and moved the team from 'will customers even want this?' to 'how do we get this in front of them?'

Approach

1. Research first — before a single screen

Leadership and stakeholders had low confidence in passkey adoption. Before designing anything, I spearheaded a passkey awareness study — surveying 300 My Verizon app users and 300 My Verizon website users.

The results were decisive:

  • 66% of app users were already aware of passkeys without any explanation

  • 73% of website users were aware without any prompt

  • Among those familiar, usage intent was strong in both groups

That data changed the conversation. It gave leadership the confidence to fund the project — and moved the team from 'will customers even want this?' to 'how do we get this in front of them?'

My Verizon app (MVA)
n=409 surveyed
Unaided awarenessn=268
Aware without an explanation
66%
FamiliarVery + somewhat, n=287
Slight increase after explanation
70%
Use for 1+ accountsn=259
Strong adoption among familiar users
63%
UnderstandingFull + good, n=183
Room to improve education
45%
Key finding: High awareness and usage, but understanding lags — an opportunity to explain passkeys better at point of enrollment.
My Verizon website (MVO)
n=312 surveyed
Unaided awarenessn=228
Aware without an explanation
73%
FamiliarVery + somewhat, n=237
Marginal increase after explanation
76%
Use for 1+ accountsn=200
Strong adoption among familiar users
64%
UnderstandingFull + good, n=184
Higher than app, still room to grow
59%
Key finding: Nearly three-quarters aware without any prompt. Usage intent is strong. Web users have better understanding than app users.

2. Promotion strategy — natural pauses, not interruptions


Mapped the customer journey to find moments where passkey promotion would feel helpful rather than disruptive. The strategy prioritized three entry points — each a natural pause where the customer had already completed their task:

  • Post verification

  • Post password reset

  • Authentication settings page

Post verification enrollment
Sign-in flow
Entry for user ID
Entry for password
Verify and passkey promotion
Passkey enrollment
Create passkey
Post reset enrollment
Forgot password flow
Entry for user ID
Forgot password
Reset password
Reset confirmation & passkey prompt
Create passkey
Self-discovery enrollment
Authentication settings
Entry for user ID
Entry for password
Sign-in success, lands on dashboard
Auth preferences & passkey tile
Create passkey

2. Promotion strategy — natural pauses, not interruptions

Mapped the customer journey to find moments where passkey promotion would feel helpful rather than disruptive. The strategy prioritized three entry points — each a natural pause where the customer had already completed their task:

  • Post verification

  • Post password reset

  • Authentication settings page

3. E2E enrollment design

Designed the complete enrollment experience from the first promotional touchpoint through biometric setup and confirmation — covering the passkey promotion tile, the enrollment flow itself, and the post-enrollment state across app and web.

3. E2E enrollment design

Designed the complete enrollment experience from the first promotional touchpoint through biometric setup and confirmation — covering the passkey promotion tile, the enrollment flow itself, and the post-enrollment state across app and web.

4. Post-enrollment bridge — a requirement I drove

Identified a critical gap: customers who enrolled mid-sales flow had no path back to where they started. I built the use case, brought it to the PM, and it was added as a formal product requirement — ensuring customers could always return to their original context after enrollment.

What shipped
(as of April 2026)

  • Promotion framework across three entry points: post sign-in, post password reset, authentication settings

  • End-to-end passkey enrollment flow

  • Post-enrollment redirect back to originating context

A moment I'm most proud of

The research study. Stakeholders were skeptical — there was real reluctance to invest in something customers might not want. I pushed for the study, designed the approach, and the results made the case better than any opinion could.

66–73% unaided awareness. Strong usage intent among those familiar. It turned a funding question into a design problem — which is exactly where I wanted it to be.

What this shows

Strategic influence before the work starts — not just after. Research advocacy that unlocked a project. Systems thinking across a multi-surface enrollment experience. And a measurable outcome: a 48-point gap in sign-in success that speaks for itself.

Execution & Impact

Passkey adoption — Verizon

Lead Designer · Authentication · Cross-functional team · 1–2 years

Lead Designer · Authentication · Cross-functional team · 1–2 years

Overview

Verizon’s password-based sign-in was failing nearly half of all attempts — and generating over 57,600 support calls a month. Increasing passkey adoption was OKR #1 for the authentication team. I was brought in to design the end-to-end passkey experience and build the strategy for how and when to introduce it to millions of customers, without disrupting the flows they were already in.

Overview

Verizon's password-based sign-in was failing nearly half of all attempts — and generating over 54,000 support calls a month. I was brought in to design the end-to-end passkey experience and build the strategy for how and when to introduce it to millions of customers, without disrupting the flows they were already in.

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

99%

Passkey sign-in
success rate

51%

Password sign-in
success rate

24K

Enrollments since launch, via self-discovery

99%

Passkey sign-in
success rate

51%

Password sign-in
success rate

24K

Enrollments since launch, via self-discovery

The Problem

Half of all login attempts on My Verizon were failing. Passkeys offered a dramatically better experience — device-bound, biometric, phishing-resistant. But there was no designed path to enroll, and no strategy for how to introduce them without interrupting what customers were trying to do.

My mandate: design the full end-to-end passkey enrollment experience and define when and how to surface it to millions of users.

The Problem

Half of all login attempts on My Verizon were failing. Passkeys offered a dramatically better experience — device-bound, biometric, phishing-resistant. But there was no designed path to enroll, and no strategy for how to introduce them without interrupting what customers were trying to do.

My mandate: design the full end-to-end passkey enrollment experience and define when and how to surface it to millions of users.

Approach

1. Research first — before a single screen

Leadership and stakeholders had low confidence in passkey adoption. Before designing anything, I spearheaded a passkey awareness study — surveying 300 My Verizon app users and 300 My Verizon website users.

The results were decisive:

  • 66% of app users were already aware of passkeys without any explanation

  • 73% of website users were aware without any prompt

  • Among those familiar, usage intent was strong in both groups

That data changed the conversation. It gave leadership the confidence to fund the project — and moved the team from 'will customers even want this?' to 'how do we get this in front of them?'

Approach

1. Research first — before a single screen

Leadership and stakeholders had low confidence in passkey adoption. Before designing anything, I spearheaded a passkey awareness study — surveying 300 My Verizon app users and 300 My Verizon website users.

The results were decisive:

  • 66% of app users were already aware of passkeys without any explanation

  • 73% of website users were aware without any prompt

  • Among those familiar, usage intent was strong in both groups

That data changed the conversation. It gave leadership the confidence to fund the project — and moved the team from 'will customers even want this?' to 'how do we get this in front of them?'

My Verizon app (MVA)
n=409 surveyed
Unaided awarenessn=268
Aware without an explanation
66%
FamiliarVery + somewhat, n=287
Slight increase after explanation
70%
Use for 1+ accountsn=259
Strong adoption among familiar users
63%
UnderstandingFull + good, n=183
Room to improve education
45%
Key finding: High awareness and usage, but understanding lags — an opportunity to explain passkeys better at point of enrollment.
My Verizon website (MVO)
n=312 surveyed
Unaided awarenessn=228
Aware without an explanation
73%
FamiliarVery + somewhat, n=237
Marginal increase after explanation
76%
Use for 1+ accountsn=200
Strong adoption among familiar users
64%
UnderstandingFull + good, n=184
Higher than app, still room to grow
59%
Key finding: Nearly three-quarters aware without any prompt. Usage intent is strong. Web users have better understanding than app users.

2. Promotion strategy — natural pauses, not interruptions


Mapped the customer journey to find moments where passkey promotion would feel helpful rather than disruptive. The strategy prioritized three entry points — each a natural pause where the customer had already completed their task:

  • Post verification

  • Post password reset

  • Authentication settings page

Post verification enrollment
Sign-in flow
Entry for user ID
Entry for password
Verify and passkey promotion
Passkey enrollment
Create passkey
Post reset enrollment
Forgot password flow
Entry for user ID
Forgot password
Reset password
Reset confirmation & passkey prompt
Create passkey
Self-discovery enrollment
Authentication settings
Entry for user ID
Entry for password
Sign-in success, lands on dashboard
Auth preferences & passkey tile
Create passkey

2. Promotion strategy — natural pauses, not interruptions

Mapped the customer journey to find moments where passkey promotion would feel helpful rather than disruptive. The strategy prioritized three entry points — each a natural pause where the customer had already completed their task:

  • Post verification

  • Post password reset

  • Authentication settings page

3. E2E enrollment design

Designed the complete enrollment experience from the first promotional touchpoint through biometric setup and confirmation — covering the passkey promotion tile, the enrollment flow itself, and the post-enrollment state across app and web.

3. E2E enrollment design

Designed the complete enrollment experience from the first promotional touchpoint through biometric setup and confirmation — covering the passkey promotion tile, the enrollment flow itself, and the post-enrollment state across app and web.

4. Post-enrollment bridge — a requirement I drove

Identified a critical gap: customers who enrolled mid-sales flow had no path back to where they started. I built the use case, brought it to the PM, and it was added as a formal product requirement — ensuring customers could always return to their original context after enrollment.

What shipped
(as of April 2026)

  • Promotion framework across three entry points: post sign-in, post password reset, authentication settings

  • End-to-end passkey enrollment flow

  • Post-enrollment redirect back to originating context

A moment I'm most proud of

The research study. Stakeholders were skeptical — there was real reluctance to invest in something customers might not want. I pushed for the study, designed the approach, and the results made the case better than any opinion could.

66–73% unaided awareness. Strong usage intent among those familiar. It turned a funding question into a design problem — which is exactly where I wanted it to be.

What this shows

Strategic influence before the work starts — not just after. Research advocacy that unlocked a project. Systems thinking across a multi-surface enrollment experience. And a measurable outcome: a 48-point gap in sign-in success that speaks for itself.

Execution & Impact

Passkey adoption — Verizon

Lead Designer · Authentication · Cross-functional team · 1–2 years

Lead Designer · Authentication · Cross-functional team · 1–2 years

Overview

Verizon’s password-based sign-in was failing nearly half of all attempts — and generating over 57,600 support calls a month. Increasing passkey adoption was OKR #1 for the authentication team. I was brought in to design the end-to-end passkey experience and build the strategy for how and when to introduce it to millions of customers, without disrupting the flows they were already in.

Overview

Verizon's password-based sign-in was failing nearly half of all attempts — and generating over 54,000 support calls a month. I was brought in to design the end-to-end passkey experience and build the strategy for how and when to introduce it to millions of customers, without disrupting the flows they were already in.

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

Impact

99% passkey sign-in success rate (vs. 51.2% with password) — passkey sign-in on MVO (web) specifically; MVA (app) not in scope for this initiative

24K+ enrollments in 3 months post-launch

Hundreds of thousands of users impacted · MVO (verizon.com) · MVP scope

99%

Passkey sign-in
success rate

51%

Password sign-in
success rate

24K

Enrollments since launch, via self-discovery

99%

Passkey sign-in
success rate

51%

Password sign-in
success rate

24K

Enrollments since launch, via self-discovery

The Problem

Half of all login attempts on My Verizon were failing. Passkeys offered a dramatically better experience — device-bound, biometric, phishing-resistant. But there was no designed path to enroll, and no strategy for how to introduce them without interrupting what customers were trying to do.

My mandate: design the full end-to-end passkey enrollment experience and define when and how to surface it to millions of users.

The Problem

Half of all login attempts on My Verizon were failing. Passkeys offered a dramatically better experience — device-bound, biometric, phishing-resistant. But there was no designed path to enroll, and no strategy for how to introduce them without interrupting what customers were trying to do.

My mandate: design the full end-to-end passkey enrollment experience and define when and how to surface it to millions of users.

Approach

1. Research first — before a single screen

Leadership and stakeholders had low confidence in passkey adoption. Before designing anything, I spearheaded a passkey awareness study — surveying 300 My Verizon app users and 300 My Verizon website users.

The results were decisive:

  • 66% of app users were already aware of passkeys without any explanation

  • 73% of website users were aware without any prompt

  • Among those familiar, usage intent was strong in both groups

That data changed the conversation. It gave leadership the confidence to fund the project — and moved the team from 'will customers even want this?' to 'how do we get this in front of them?'

Approach

1. Research first — before a single screen

Leadership and stakeholders had low confidence in passkey adoption. Before designing anything, I spearheaded a passkey awareness study — surveying 300 My Verizon app users and 300 My Verizon website users.

The results were decisive:

  • 66% of app users were already aware of passkeys without any explanation

  • 73% of website users were aware without any prompt

  • Among those familiar, usage intent was strong in both groups

That data changed the conversation. It gave leadership the confidence to fund the project — and moved the team from 'will customers even want this?' to 'how do we get this in front of them?'

My Verizon app (MVA)
n=409 surveyed
Unaided awarenessn=268
Aware without an explanation
66%
FamiliarVery + somewhat, n=287
Slight increase after explanation
70%
Use for 1+ accountsn=259
Strong adoption among familiar users
63%
UnderstandingFull + good, n=183
Room to improve education
45%
Key finding: High awareness and usage, but understanding lags — an opportunity to explain passkeys better at point of enrollment.
My Verizon website (MVO)
n=312 surveyed
Unaided awarenessn=228
Aware without an explanation
73%
FamiliarVery + somewhat, n=237
Marginal increase after explanation
76%
Use for 1+ accountsn=200
Strong adoption among familiar users
64%
UnderstandingFull + good, n=184
Higher than app, still room to grow
59%
Key finding: Nearly three-quarters aware without any prompt. Usage intent is strong. Web users have better understanding than app users.

2. Promotion strategy — natural pauses, not interruptions


Mapped the customer journey to find moments where passkey promotion would feel helpful rather than disruptive. The strategy prioritized three entry points — each a natural pause where the customer had already completed their task:

  • Post verification

  • Post password reset

  • Authentication settings page

Post verification enrollment
Sign-in flow
Entry for user ID
Entry for password
Verify and passkey promotion
Passkey enrollment
Create passkey
Post reset enrollment
Forgot password flow
Entry for user ID
Forgot password
Reset password
Reset confirmation & passkey prompt
Create passkey
Self-discovery enrollment
Authentication settings
Entry for user ID
Entry for password
Sign-in success, lands on dashboard
Auth preferences & passkey tile
Create passkey

2. Promotion strategy — natural pauses, not interruptions

Mapped the customer journey to find moments where passkey promotion would feel helpful rather than disruptive. The strategy prioritized three entry points — each a natural pause where the customer had already completed their task:

  • Post verification

  • Post password reset

  • Authentication settings page

3. E2E enrollment design

Designed the complete enrollment experience from the first promotional touchpoint through biometric setup and confirmation — covering the passkey promotion tile, the enrollment flow itself, and the post-enrollment state across app and web.

3. E2E enrollment design

Designed the complete enrollment experience from the first promotional touchpoint through biometric setup and confirmation — covering the passkey promotion tile, the enrollment flow itself, and the post-enrollment state across app and web.

4. Post-enrollment bridge — a requirement I drove

Identified a critical gap: customers who enrolled mid-sales flow had no path back to where they started. I built the use case, brought it to the PM, and it was added as a formal product requirement — ensuring customers could always return to their original context after enrollment.

What shipped
(as of April 2026)

  • Promotion framework across three entry points: post sign-in, post password reset, authentication settings

  • End-to-end passkey enrollment flow

  • Post-enrollment redirect back to originating context

A moment I'm most proud of

The research study. Stakeholders were skeptical — there was real reluctance to invest in something customers might not want. I pushed for the study, designed the approach, and the results made the case better than any opinion could.

66–73% unaided awareness. Strong usage intent among those familiar. It turned a funding question into a design problem — which is exactly where I wanted it to be.

What this shows

Strategic influence before the work starts — not just after. Research advocacy that unlocked a project. Systems thinking across a multi-surface enrollment experience. And a measurable outcome: a 48-point gap in sign-in success that speaks for itself.