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UX Design

User Research

How might we transform a failed retirement calculator into an MVP that delivers value for users and John Hancock?

UX Design

@ John Hancock

User Research

Roles

Product Designer

Team

Solo project

Duration

5 weeks

August - October 2023

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

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Insight #1

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TL:DR

Design Process

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Design Process

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Solution:

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Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

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Project Overview

Project Overview

A John Hancock external team previously launched a Retirement Planner tool—but it fell short. Our users are still wondering: will I be financially ready for retirement? 

Objective

A former retirement calculator failed to resonate with users. I was called to rethink the experience and define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the Personal Investing portal.

A former retirement calculator failed

For users: Deliver a retirement readiness experience that helps them understand where they stand and how to improve. This means making a complex and often overwhelming topic feel approachable and actionable.

  • For users: Deliver a retirement readiness experience that helps them understand where they stand and how to improve. This means making a complex and often overwhelming topic feel approachable and actionable.
     

  • For John Hancock: Create a trust-building moment that introduces users to our new Managed IRA offering, meeting them with value at the right time in their journey.

  • Uncover the behaviors, pain points, and moments of ease for users with visual or fine motor disabilities navigating our investing platform.

  • ​Identify key areas to improve digital accessibility and preserve user loyalty.

  • Define this unheard user group as a core John Hancock audience that shape future design decisions.

  • Engage stakeholders in expanding accessibility as a pillar that is explorative, generative, and human, rather than merely “compliant”.

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Feedback from user survey

Objective

A former retirement calculator failed to resonate with users. I was called to rethink the experience and define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for the Personal Investing portal.

  • For users: Deliver a retirement readiness experience that helps them understand where they stand and how to improve. This means making a complex and often overwhelming topic feel approachable and actionable.
     

  • For John Hancock: Create a trust-building moment that introduces users to our new Managed IRA offering (personalized advice for their needs).

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Feedback from user survey

Design Approach

As I worked through this project, I held onto a few key tenets:

  • Don't reinvent the wheel. Move past redesigning a UI, and study why users didn’t resonate with the former experience, and apply these insights to your reiterations. 
     

  • Design for how people actually behave. Leverage psychology to design towards natural human behavior.
     

  • Think outcome-first. Create direction for the user, not dead ends, that unite the them and the business forward.

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Feedback from user survey

Problem

A former retirement calculator failed to resonate with users. I was called to rethink the experience and define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that not only resonates with user but aligns with John Hancock’s business goals.

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Feedback from user survey

Design Process

Featured Prototype

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

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Insight #4

Preparatory Research

Preparatory Research

Leveraging Existing Research

Challenge

Stakeholders were eager to launch a competitive retirement planner—fast. With limited time, starting new research from scratch wasn’t feasible.

Solution

Instead, I analyzed existing primary research from past user interviews to uncover core sentiments around retirement uncertainty. Here’s what surfaced:

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

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Insight #4

Former User Interview Question:

Do you know if you will have enough
money to cover your expenses in retirement?  

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

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Problem Statement

How might we build a retirement calculator that helps users know if they're on the right track to retirement?

How the Beta Performed

How the Beta Performed

Auditing a Failed Retirement Planner

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

description here description heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription here

Insight #2

3

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Insight #4

Before ideating, I examined data analytics of the previous, underperforming retirement planner to identify engagement drop-offs.

User Insights

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

  • Discovery point: Most users didn’t engage on with the tile or email promoting the retirement planner.

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Design Opportunity

How might we capture user interest at the discovery point and encourage initial engagement?

  • Users quitting: For those who clicked the email, they didn’t complete the onboarding modal process.

Design Opportunity

How might we create an onboarding experience that encourages users to complete the process and stay engaged?

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

3

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Insight #3

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Insight #4

UX Heuristics Audit of Former Retirement Planner

I audited the planner for usability issues, keeping in mind the ten usability heuristics.
Here are the problems I identified:

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

3

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Insight #3

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Insight #4

Step 1:  Onboarding Modal

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

1.  All the questions are placed on one modal, increasing the cognitive load.

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

2. The modal asked for personal information that is sensitive, such as their health and income, without explicit reason as to how it will be used.

Solution

Clearly explain why and how user information will be used—to foster transparency and gather more meaningful feedback.

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Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

description here description heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription here

Insight #2

3

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Insight #3

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Insight #4

Step 2: Retirement Planner 

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

3.  Choice paralysis: So many filters to use become overwhelming for the users to play with, increasing the cognitive load again (Hick’s Law).

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

4. No clear next step to guide users after completing process

Design Opportunity

How might we provide users with a clear next step after using our retirement planner?

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User Insights

Insight 1/2

Discovery point: Most users didn’t engage on with the tile or email promoting the retirement planner.

Insight 2/2

Process: For those who clicked the email, they didn’t complete the onboarding modal process.

Design Opportunity

How might we capture user interest at the discovery point and encourage initial engagement?

Skip to final design

Design Opportunity

How might we create an onboarding experience that encourages users to complete the process?

Skip to Final Design

Design Opportunity

How might we instill trust and safety within the users when asking for their sensitive information?

Skip to Final Design

Design Opportunity

How might we provide users with clear next steps that guide them toward improving their retirement readiness?

Skip to Final Design

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

3

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Insight #3

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Insight #4

Affinity Mapping

Affinity Mapping

Defining User Needs and MVP Offerings

I mapped insights from the former Retirement Planner, a competitive research report on retirement tools, and a marketing survey on how users choose investment funds. Then, in yellow post-its, I ideated summary MVP offerings for a redesigned retirement calculator.

Drag and zoom into this imbedded Figma file!

Interactive Prototype

Final Designs

Phase 1: Discovery Point

1.  Spark Engagement with a Poll

I utilized the "spark effect" by designing a one-question poll to engage the user's mind in thinking about their retirement readiness (or lack thereof ). It helps them feel recognized while also serving as a smooth transition into the retirement planner.

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Phase 2:  Preserving User Engagement

2.1: Step-By-Step Process

The prior planner's all-in-one modal led to low task completion. My redesign breaks the process into individual screens with a timeline at the top to set user expectations and build anticipation, encouraging users to complete the process.

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Phase 2:  Preserving User Engagement

2.2: Streamlined User Input

I reduced friction by automatically transferring the user's current savings data from JH into the planner, eliminating the need for user to look for their information and enter it manually. 

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Phase 2:  Preserving User Engagement

2.3: Hick's Law in Filtering

The previous planner overwhelmed users with too many filters. I simplified the process by limiting filters to three common, easy-to-understand factors: retirement age, yearly contribution, and spending, making the calculator an easier starting point for planning.

Phase 3:  Ending the Flow

3. A Win-Win Conclusion

To nudge a clear, empowering "next step" to users, I used the Von Restorff effect and framing JH’s personalized Managed IRA as the standout option among two bland decoy choices. This approach not only guides users toward financial readiness but enables John Hancock to market their new offering in a relevant space.

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Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

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Insight #2

3

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Insight #4

Lesson

Lesson

Analytics Can't Tell the Whole Story

Though the former PI Retirement Planner user engagement analytics showed us what the user patterns were, it can’t convey why they exist. For example, in the modal, many users enter $0 their income. Why? Could it be due to discomfort sharing their personal income? We have no idea, just assumptions. This gap in understanding could be filled with qualitative methods.

Takeaways

Design Process

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Design Process

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User Insights

1

Viewing documents has consistently scored the lowest completion rate out of other purposes.*

Group 15695.png

Insight #1

2

description here description heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription heredescription here

Insight #2

3

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Insight #3

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Next Steps

Next Steps

Next Steps

1.  Soft Launch

Conduct a soft launch and pilot test with a randomized sample audience to validate usability, gauge interest, and gather early feedback on the retirement planner.

2.  Data Analytics

Cross-comparing analytics to those of the previous planner (e.g. heat maps) to see how users engage with ours, and focusing on metrics’ (e.g. completion rate) improvement or decline.

3. User Research

Gain a deeper understanding of our users’ sentiments on the financial planner by inviting a variety of John Hancock participants to use it using a speak-aloud method.

2.  Communicate to a range of stakeholders early 

Think like a detective—you don’t know what you don’t know! Collaborating with the call center manager revealed a hidden part of the user journey to me: they flock to customer service after using our platform.

Final Designs

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