Background

Our team was made aware that the experience for managing beneficiaries on MassMutual.com has been problematic for users, resulting in many calls to Customer Support. We were brought in to improve the experience.

Discovery

We began by meeting with the team and learning about the particular pain points with the current experience, informed by Customer Service calls and user surveys. 

We also spent some time doing competitive analysis to see how others tackle the situation.

Screenshot of Competitive Analysis Figjam

Early Design Options

I decided to explore two options – one where we addressed just the reported issues in the current experience, and another that involved changing the flow entirely to simplify the process for the user. I began with pencil sketches and then made prototypes of each option in Figma. 

User Research

Working with our team's lead researcher, we decided to usability test both options. Our researcher identified Customer Service Representatives to include in our research, as well as participants with life insurance polices from the UserTesting.com panel.

For each session, our researcher asked some background questions and then showed each prototype (alternating the order presented), asking the participant to complete some tasks.

Screenshot of User Research Findings

We found that prototype B, the version that involved a complete change of the flow, performed better and was chosen as the preferred option among most participants.

Revised Options

I created new, updated prototypes for both design options, including revisions based on the findings. I presented these to the team and we decided unanimously to move forward with prototype B, which changes and simplifies the experience significantly.

Next Steps

I brought in another designer to help out with covering all the additional use cases that the prototypes didn't address. We're working together to design screens for all of those use cases, while also ensuring that we're implementing the design system appropriately and polishing up the visual design.