Phase One Capabilities Submission
Phase One Capabilities Submission
EP Wealth Advisors
EP Wealth Advisors
EP Wealth Advisors
&
&
Dreamten
Dreamten
A proposal for designing the client experience framework that
anchors every EP Wealth relationship from the first conversation forward.
A proposal for designing the client experience framework that anchors every EP Wealth relationship from the first conversation forward.
March 2026
March 2026
01
Who We Are
02
Our Perspective
03
How We Work
04
Prior Work with EP Wealth
05
Case Studies
06
Investment Estimate
07
Timeline Alignment
08
Who You'd Work With
09
Next Steps
01
Who We Are
Who We Are
Who We Are
Your Strategic Design Partner
Your Strategic Design Partner
Dreamten is a strategic design partner for organizations that need more than execution—they need a team that can think alongside them, shape the work at the level of strategy, and deliver experiences that hold up over time. We’re led by Philip Lester, our founder, and every engagement is led directly by him from kickoff through delivery.
Dreamten is a strategic design partner for organizations that need more than execution; they need a team that can think alongside them, shape the work at the level of strategy, and deliver experiences that hold up over time. We’re led by Philip Lester, our founder, and every engagement is led directly by him from kickoff through delivery.
The distinction between a strategic partner and a design vendor matters. A vendor executes what you hand them. A partner helps you figure out what to build, challenges assumptions before they become expensive, and owns the quality of the outcome the same way you do. That’s how we structure client relationships and why many clients continue to work with us for years.
The distinction between a strategic partner and a design vendor matters here. A vendor executes what you hand them. A partner helps you figure out what to build, challenges assumptions before they become expensive, and owns the quality of the outcome the same way you do. That’s how we operate, and it’s why clients like EP Wealth come back to us.
The distinction between a strategic partner and a design vendor matters here. A vendor executes what you hand them. A partner helps you figure out what to build, challenges assumptions before they become expensive, and owns the quality of the outcome the same way you do. That’s how we operate, and it’s why clients like EP Wealth come back to us.
We train every designer on our team to lead with business outcomes. If a deliverable doesn’t serve the business goals, it does not matter how visually beautiful it may be. That perspective shapes every engagement we take on.
What makes us different isn’t just what we make. It’s how we think. We train every designer on our team to lead with business outcomes. If a deliverable doesn’t serve the business goals, it’s not worth making. That perspective shapes every engagement we take on.
What makes us different isn’t just what we make. It’s how we think. We train every designer on our team to lead with business outcomes. If a deliverable doesn’t serve the business goals, it’s not worth making. That perspective shapes every engagement we take on.
Additionally, our managing partner Jason Schmitt brings over five years of product leadership experience at Fidelity, where he led design teams building experiences that meet the exacting standards of one of the largest financial institutions in the world: user research protocols, stakeholder alignment across large organizations, compliance-conscious UX.
Additionally, our managing partner Jason Schmitt brings over five years of product leadership experience at Fidelity, where he led design teams building experiences that meet the exacting standards of one of the largest financial institutions in the world: user research protocols, stakeholder alignment across large organizations, compliance-conscious UX.
Experience Design
Journey frameworks, discovery architecture, onboarding design, narrative systems
Brand Systems
Visual identity, design language, component systems,
cross-channel cohesion
Visual identity, design language, component systems, cross-channel cohesion
Financial Services
Retirement platforms, investment tools, compliance-aware UX, advisor-facing systems
Strategy & Facilitation
Stakeholder alignment, workshops, content strategy,
rollout planning
Stakeholder alignment, workshops, content strategy, rollout planning
02
Our Perspective
Our Perspective
Our Perspective
This Is Not a Design Project. It’s a Trust Infrastructure Project.
This Is Not a Design Project. It’s a Trust Infrastructure Project.
What EP Wealth is building is a relationship architecture. The discovery guide, the Reflection Report, the visual roadmap, the onboarding framework: each is a moment in an ongoing conversation between an advisor and a client. Design it wrong and it becomes paperwork. Design it right and it becomes the reason clients stay.
What EP Wealth is building isn’t a set of deliverables—it’s a relationship architecture. The discovery guide, the Reflection Report, the visual roadmap, the onboarding framework: each is a moment in an ongoing conversation between an advisor and a client. Design it wrong and it becomes paperwork. Design it right and it becomes the reason clients stay.
What EP Wealth is building isn’t a set of deliverables—it’s a relationship architecture. The discovery guide, the Reflection Report, the visual roadmap, the onboarding framework: each is a moment in an ongoing conversation between an advisor and a client. Design it wrong and it becomes paperwork. Design it right and it becomes the reason clients stay.
“Plan for What’s Important” isn’t a tagline. It’s a promise that has to be kept every time a document touches a client’s hands. That means every component of this system needs to feel like it was built for this client—not generated from a template.
“Plan for What’s Important” isn’t a tagline. It’s a promise that has to be kept every time a document touches a client’s hands. That means every component of this system needs to feel like it was built for this client—not generated from a template.
We’ve worked in this space and understand that the hardest part of a project like this isn’t the design—it’s the adoption. Getting advisors who’ve been doing this for twenty years to change how they run a first meeting requires more than a beautiful template. It requires a system that respects how they work and makes the new way easier than the old way.
We’ve worked in this space. We know that the hardest part of a project like this isn’t the design—it’s the adoption. Getting advisors who’ve been doing this for twenty years to change how they run a first meeting requires more than a beautiful template. It requires a system that respects how they work and makes the new way easier than the old way.
We’ve worked in this space. We know that the hardest part of a project like this isn’t the design—it’s the adoption. Getting advisors who’ve been doing this for twenty years to change how they run a first meeting requires more than a beautiful template. It requires a system that respects how they work and makes the new way easier than the old way.
Where we think the risk is:
Adoption Friction
If discovery tools feel like forms, advisors will treat them like forms. We design for the conversation, not the checklist.
If discovery tools feel like forms, advisors will treat them like forms. We design for the conversation, not the checklist.
Narrative Coherence
The Reflection Report has to feel like it was written for this client, not generated. That requires real editorial discipline baked into production.
The Reflection Report has to feel like it was written for this client, not generated. That requires real editorial discipline baked into production.
Visual Durability
The client journey roadmap has to work at year one and year seven. That means a system, not a template—one that can be updated without breaking.
The client journey roadmap has to work at year one and year seven. That means a system, not a template—one that can be updated without breaking.
Stakeholder Alignment
This initiative spans marketing, advisory, client service, operations, and technology. Aligning those teams is its own design challenge.
This initiative spans marketing, advisory, client service, operations, and technology. Aligning those teams is its own design challenge.
We’re approaching this as systems thinkers first, visual designers second. That means building the narrative logic before the layout, and stress-testing every component against real advisor workflows before it ever touches a client. EP Wealth’s brand evolution should feel like a natural consequence of the experience system, not a parallel initiative.
We’d approach this as systems thinkers first and visual designers second. That means building the narrative logic before the layout, and stress-testing every component against real advisor workflows before it ever touches a client. EP Wealth’s brand evolution should feel like a natural consequence of the experience system, not a parallel initiative.
We’d approach this as systems thinkers first and visual designers second. That means building the narrative logic before the layout, and stress-testing every component against real advisor workflows before it ever touches a client. EP Wealth’s brand evolution should feel like a natural consequence of the experience system, not a parallel initiative.
03
How We Work
How We Work
How We Work
Three Phases, Each With a Clear Checkpoint
Three Phases, Each With a Clear Checkpoint
We’ve structured this engagement so that each phase ends with a defined output and a genuine decision point before we move forward. This protects your investment and ensures nothing gets built that isn’t right.
We’d structure this engagement so that each phase ends with a defined output and a genuine decision point before we move forward. This protects your investment and ensures nothing gets built that isn’t right.
We’d structure this engagement so that each phase ends with a defined output and a genuine decision point before we move forward. This protects your investment and ensures nothing gets built that isn’t right.
Before any design work begins, we want to spend time with your advisors—understanding how they run discovery conversations today, what’s working, what’s not, and where the real friction lives. The framework we build has to honor how they actually work.
Before any design work begins, we’d want to spend time with your advisors—understanding how they run discovery conversations today, what’s working, what’s not, and where the real friction lives. The framework we build has to honor how they actually work.
Before any design work begins, we’d want to spend time with your advisors—understanding how they run discovery conversations today, what’s working, what’s not, and where the real friction lives. The framework we build has to honor how they actually work.
Phase 1
Strategize: Foundation & Framework Architecture
Strategize: Foundation & Framework Architecture
—
Strategize session with marketing, advisory, and client service stakeholders
—
Immersion in existing research synthesis and EP Wealth materials
—
Advisor interviews to understand current discovery workflows and adoption considerations
—
Experience framework definition across all four core components
—
Brand audit and initial direction for visual and narrative evolution
Output: Agreed framework architecture and brand direction before any design begins
Phase 2
Visualize: System Design & Refinement
Visualize: System Design & Refinement
—
Discovery guide: conversational structure, language, and flow
—
Reflection Report: narrative architecture, format, and production system
—
Visual presentation system: client journey roadmap design—an enduring artifact that travels with the client
—
Onboarding framework: touch points, materials, and advisor guidance
—
Brand expression: visual identity refinements aligned to the full experience
—
High-fidelity designs, interactive prototypes, and advisor usability testing
Output: Complete, reviewed system ready for beta
Phase 3
Systemize: Beta Readiness & Advisor Enablement
Systemize: Beta Readiness & Advisor Enablement
—
Beta package for select high-performing advisors
—
Design system with reusable components, brand usage guidelines, and implementation specifications
—
Usage guidance and facilitation notes for the field
—
Iteration based on real-world advisor and client feedback
—
Rollout preparation and handoff documentation
Output: Beta-ready package and firm-wide rollout foundation
Working Together
Every engagement has a dedicated partner as your primary point of contact and project manager, weekly
standups, and a shared Slack channel for real-time collaboration. We work in Figma, so you have access to live
design files at every stage. Throughout the entire engagement, we act as a partner—not a vendor.
Every engagement has a dedicated partner as your primary point of contact and project manager, weekly standups, and a shared Slack channel for real-time collaboration. We work in Figma, so you have access to live design files at every stage. Throughout the entire engagement, we act as a partner—not a vendor.
Every engagement has a dedicated partner as your primary point of contact and project manager, weekly standups, and a shared Slack channel for real-time collaboration. We work in Figma, so you have access to live design files at every stage. Throughout the entire engagement, we act as a partner—not a vendor.
04
Prior Work with EP Wealth
Prior Work with EP Wealth
Prior Work with EP Wealth
PIcking Up Where We Left Off
PIcking Up Where We Left Off
In 2025, Dreamten partnered directly with EP Wealth on the NIL Presentation Deck, a project scoped to help your advisory team close more deals with college athletes navigating Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities. The engagement covered master template design, a slide library tailored to NIL athlete audiences, and export-ready files for immediate advisor use.
In 2025, Dreamten partnered directly with EP Wealth on the NIL Presentation Deck, a project scoped to help your advisory team close more deals with college athletes navigating Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities. The engagement covered master template design, a slide library tailored to NIL athlete audiences, and export-ready files for immediate advisor use.
In 2025, Dreamten partnered directly with EP Wealth on the NIL Presentation Deck, a project scoped to help your advisory team close more deals with college athletes navigating Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities. The engagement covered master template design, a slide library tailored to NIL athlete audiences, and export-ready files for immediate advisor use.
That work gave us direct experience with EP Wealth’s brand, advisory culture, and how your team operates. We understand the dynamic between advisor confidence and client clarity. We’ve seen how your team communicates internally and what it looks like when your brand lands well with a specific audience.
That work gave us direct experience with EP Wealth’s brand, advisory culture, and how your team operates. We understand the dynamic between advisor confidence and client clarity. We’ve seen how your team communicates internally and what it looks like when your brand lands well with a specific audience.
That work gave us direct experience with EP Wealth’s brand, advisory culture, and how your team operates. We understand the dynamic between advisor confidence and client clarity. We’ve seen how your team communicates internally and what it looks like when your brand lands well with a specific audience.
We’re not starting from zero—we’re starting from a foundation of real shared work.
We’re not starting from zero—we’re starting from a foundation of real shared work.
We’re not starting from zero—we’re starting from a foundation of real shared work.
05
Case Studies
Case Studies
Case Studies
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Brand Strategy
Website
Brand Strategy
Experience Design
Web Design & Development
Ubiquity Retirement & Savings
Ubiquity Retirement & Savings
Ubiquity is a retirement plan provider that pioneered the 401(k) flat-fee model—a 25-year-old company whose brand hadn’t kept pace with its capabilities or its competitive landscape. The challenge wasn’t just design: it was getting a large stakeholder team, many of them 20-plus-year employees with deeply held opinions about the brand, to align around a new direction.
Ubiquity is a retirement plan provider that pioneered the 401(k) flat-fee model—a 25-year-old company whose brand hadn’t kept pace with its capabilities or its competitive landscape. The challenge wasn’t just design: it was getting a large stakeholder team, many of them 20-plus-year employees with deeply held opinions about the brand, to align around a new direction.
We led the full engagement from initial brand strategy through site relaunch to the application software advisors, companies, and employees use to manage their 401(k) plans. We ran our Strategize workshop to surface alignment (and misalignment) across the leadership team, conducted user research with actual platform users, and worked with their support and advisory teams to define the best user journeys.
We led the full engagement from initial brand strategy through site relaunch to the application software advisors, companies, and employees use to manage their 401(k) plans. We ran our Strategize workshop to surface alignment (and misalignment) across the leadership team, conducted user research with actual platform users, and worked with their support and advisory teams to define the best user journeys.
17%
Increase in qualified leads post-launch
120%
Increase in organic traffic
99/100
Ahrefs SEO score
“Dreamten’s active listening and involvement really helped keep things on pace and take the work to the next level. It was such a positive experience that we want to work with them again.”
“Dreamten’s active listening and involvement really helped keep things on pace and take the work to the next level. It was such a positive experience that we want to work with them again.”
Melissa Cherry, VP of Demand Generation, Ubiquity
RELEVANCE
Large stakeholder team alignment around a brand that had to honor institutional history while moving forward. Financial services context. Discovery-to-onboarding experience design. Brand system built in direct service of a complex product. Measurable results.
Large stakeholder team alignment around a brand that had to honor institutional history while moving forward. Financial services context. Discovery-to-onboarding experience design. Brand system built in direct service of a complex product. Measurable results.
CONVERATIONAL AI
Brand Strategy
Website
Brand Strategy
Product Design
Design Systems
Web Design & Development
Fathom
Fathom
Fathom is an AI-powered meeting assistant that became the number one app on the Zoom App Marketplace. A product whose growth was shaped, in large part, by an obsessive focus on real customer feedback and a design system built to scale with it. We’ve been Fathom’s strategic design partner since 2019, working alongside their team on an ongoing basis to evolve the product as it grows.
Fathom is an AI-powered meeting assistant that became the number one app on the Zoom App Marketplace. A product whose growth was shaped, in large part, by an obsessive focus on real customer feedback and a design system built to scale with it. We’ve been Fathom’s strategic design partner since 2019, working alongside their team on an ongoing basis to evolve the product as it grows.
Our role has spanned UX and UI design, design systems, usability consulting, illustration, and front-end development. As Fathom scaled, we built and maintained a central design system that ensures visual and brand consistency across the entire product—a single source of truth that lets their team move fast without losing coherence.
Our role has spanned UX and UI design, design systems, usability consulting, illustration, and front-end development. As Fathom scaled, we built and maintained a central design system that ensures visual and brand consistency across the entire product—a single source of truth that lets their team move fast without losing coherence.
#1
Highest Satisfaction Product on G2
5.0
Rating on G2 (6,500+ reviews)
200,000
Meetings Recorded & Analyzed Weekly
“Your team has become a crucial part of our success.”
“Your team has become a crucial part of our success.”
Richard White, CEO, Fathom
Why it’s relevant
Long-term strategic design partnership, not a one-time project. Design system built for durability and scale. Customer-feedback-driven process that shaped the product experience over time—exactly the kind of iterative, living-system thinking EP Wealth’s client experience framework requires.
Long-term strategic design partnership, not a one-time project. Design system built for durability and scale. Customer-feedback-driven process that shaped the product experience over time—exactly the kind of iterative, living-system thinking EP Wealth’s client experience framework requires.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
WEB3
Brand Identity
Website
Brand Identity
Product Design
Design Systems
Web Design & Development
Mysten Labs
Mysten Labs
Mysten Labs is the company behind the Sui blockchain. We built their brand identity from the ground up and developed a comprehensive design system used across developer-facing products, marketing, and their partner ecosystem; a system that had to scale rapidly without losing coherence.
Mysten Labs is the company behind the Sui blockchain. We built their brand identity from the ground up and developed a comprehensive design system used across developer-facing products, marketing, and their partner ecosystem; a system that had to scale rapidly without losing coherence.
$336M
Funding Raised at $2B Valuation
10B+
Transactions processed on Sui
$2B+
in DeFi total value locked
Why it’s relevant
Identity built to anchor a complex, multi-product organization. Design system with rigorous documentation for broad internal adoption. Alignment across highly technical and non-technical stakeholder audiences.
Identity built to anchor a complex, multi-product organization. Design system with rigorous documentation for broad internal adoption. Alignment across highly technical and non-technical stakeholder audiences.
Offline →
RepVue →
All Case Studies →
06
Investment Estimate
Investment Estimate
Investment Estimate
$75,000 – $150,000
$75,000 – $150,000
$75,000 – $150,000
Total project investment, inclusive of all three phases
Total project investment, inclusive of all three phases
We believe this range accurately reflects the scope of what EP Wealth is building; four core deliverable systems, brand expression refinement across all of them, stakeholder facilitation, and beta readiness. It also reflects a level of investment that signals this work will be done properly, not cut to fit a number.
We believe this range accurately reflects the scope of what EP Wealth is building; four core deliverable systems, brand expression refinement across all of them, stakeholder facilitation, and beta readiness. It also reflects a level of investment that signals this work will be done properly, not cut to fit a number.
We believe this range accurately reflects the scope of what EP Wealth is building; four core deliverable systems, brand expression refinement across all of them, stakeholder facilitation, and beta readiness. It also reflects a level of investment that signals this work will be done properly, not cut to fit a number.
We price at a weekly rate of $6,950/week, with discounts applied for engagements extending beyond 12 weeks ($6,130/week). A typical engagement of this scope would run approximately 14–18 weeks.
We price at a weekly rate of $6,950/week, with discounts applied for engagements extending beyond 12 weeks ($6,130/week). A typical engagement of this scope would run approximately 14–18 weeks.
We price at a weekly rate of $6,950/week, with discounts applied for engagements extending beyond 12 weeks ($6,130/week). A typical engagement of this scope would run approximately 14–18 weeks.
Phase 1 — Strategize
2–3 weeks
Strategize session, stakeholder and advisor immersion, framework definition, brand audit
Phase 2 — Visualize
8–10 weeks
All core deliverables: discovery guide, Reflection Report, visual journey system, onboarding framework, brand expression refinement, prototyping, and advisor testing
Phase 3 — Systemize
3–4 weeks
Beta package, design system, advisor guidance, iteration, rollout preparation
Pricing includes a dedicated partner serving as your point of contact and project manager, access to our full team of designers and specialists in UX/UI design, branding, illustration, and animation, plus weekly standups and regularly shared progress via a shared collaboration channel.
Pricing includes a dedicated partner serving as your point of contact and project manager, access to our full team of designers and specialists in UX/UI design, branding, illustration, and animation, plus weekly standups and regularly shared progress via a shared collaboration channel.
The range reflects scope variables we’ll resolve together in Phase Two—particularly the depth of brand expression work and the production format of the Reflection Report system. We’re happy to sharpen the estimate once we’ve reviewed your research synthesis and met the decision-making team.
The range reflects scope variables we’ll resolve together in Phase Two—particularly the depth of brand expression work and the production format of the Reflection Report system. We’re happy to sharpen the estimate once we’ve reviewed your research synthesis and met the decision-making team.
07
Timeline Alignment
Timeline Alignment
Timeline Alignment
Your target of a July–August beta launch with firmwide rollout by October is aggressive but achievable. Here’s how we’d map it:
Your target of a July–August beta launch with firmwide rollout by October is aggressive but achievable. Here’s how we’d map it:
Apr
Kickoff & Strategize
May
Framework locked.
Visualize begins
Framework locked. Visualize begins
Jun–Jul
System design,
prototyping & advisor
testing
System design, prototyping & advisor testing
Aug
Beta live. Iteration &
refinement
Beta live. Iteration & refinement
Sep–Oct
Rollout materials.
Firmwide launch
Rollout materials. Firmwide launch
This gives your beta advisors real tools to work with while we refine based on their feedback before the October deadline. We’ve delivered on timelines like this before—it requires tight communication, clear decision-making cadence, and a shared commitment to not letting perfect be the enemy of done.
This gives your beta advisors real tools to work with while we refine based on their feedback before the October deadline. We’ve delivered on timelines like this before—it requires tight communication, clear decision-making cadence, and a shared commitment to not letting perfect be the enemy of done.
08
Who You’d Be Working With
Who You’d Be Working With
Who You’d Be
Working With
Philip Lester
Founder
Founder
Philip leads client relationships and serves as primary POC and project manager on every Dreamten engagement. He brings deep experience in brand systems, experience design, and working with senior stakeholder teams to align around a vision before design begins.
Philip leads client relationships and serves as primary POC and project manager on every Dreamten engagement. He brings deep experience in brand systems, experience design, and working with senior stakeholder teams to align around a vision before design begins.
Jason Schmitt
Managing Partner
Managing Partner
Jason leads product and UX strategy. He spent 5+ years leading a product team at Fidelity, giving Dreamten built-in fluency in how major financial institutions approach experience design, user research, and large-scale rollouts.
Jason leads product and UX strategy. He spent five-plus years leading a product team at Fidelity, giving Dreamten built-in fluency in how major financial institutions approach experience design, user research, and large-scale rollouts.
Jason leads product and UX strategy. He spent five-plus years leading a product team at Fidelity, giving Dreamten built-in fluency in how major financial institutions approach experience design, user research, and large-scale rollouts.
Our Team of Specialists
Across Design, Brand, Illustration, Animation & Development
Beyond Philip and Jason, we bring in specialists based on what the work requires: designers who excel in brand identity, illustration, animation, UI components, and UX research. We also have a front-end developer who builds Tailwind-based UI kits and browser prototypes; useful when it’s time to hand off specifications to your internal technology teams. Working with us gains you access to the entire creative team.
Beyond Philip and Jason, we bring in specialists based on what the work requires: designers who excel in brand identity, illustration, animation, UI components, and UX research. We also have a front-end developer who builds Tailwind-based UI kits and browser prototypes; useful when it’s time to hand off specifications to your internal technology teams. Working with us gains you access to the entire creative team.
09
Let’s Build Something
Worth Building Well
Let’s Build Something
Worth Building Well
Let’s Build Something
Worth Building Well
EP Wealth is designing a proprietary, empathy-driven client experience anchored in life-centered planning; exactly the kind of challenge that gets our team excited. We’re not the biggest agency you’ll hear from, and that’s by design. When you work with us, you get senior-level thinking from the people actually doing the work.
EP Wealth is designing a proprietary, empathy-driven client experience anchored in life-centered planning; exactly the kind of challenge that gets our team excited. We’re not the biggest agency you’ll hear from, and that’s by design. When you work with us, you get senior-level thinking from the people actually doing the work.
We welcome the opportunity to walk through our thinking, answer your questions, and make the full case in Phase Two.
We welcome the opportunity to walk through our thinking, answer your questions, and make the full case in Phase Two.
© 2026 Dreamten, Inc.