The Manulife App: setting the foundation right

Problems

Our customer research showed that people wanted more control and clearer information regarding their insurance policies. The existing website was too slow and limited for urgent tasks—like changing investments during market ups and downs or reviewing long-term financial plans. At the same time, the business needed a dedicated mobile app to offer personalized products and solutions directly to customers.

In addition, this wasn’t a blue-sky approach: there were plenty of legacy limitations. The complex part was finding a balance between current technology capabilities—including their limitations—and innovation.

Design Strategy

From an experience point of view, I envision an app that is not only intuitive but also emotionally supportive. For example, if a customer is filing a claim after an unfortunate event, the app’s journey would be carefully tailored to their emotional and practical needs. It would use intentional design and visual elements placed contextually to evoke a sense of hope and reassure them that they are not alone.

Despite the technical constraints of unifying our codebase from the existing customer platform, I saw an opportunity to push past the status quo. My objective was to modernize the UI, improve the UX, and set a new, scalable design standard for the entire organization.

A foundation that's right

We built a robust design and engineering foundation using the latest technology frameworks, with customizable layouts, features, and visuals controlled through an admin portal. This enables the business to make seamless, personalized updates and empowers future designers to innovate with fewer technical limitations.

Ready for what's next

With a solid foundation and ecosystem now established, the app is optimized from both a design and development standpoint to scale with new features, advanced functionalities, and UI updates.

Outcomes

• A new insurance app. The result was a new app with improved information architecture, UI, and UX. Customers can now view their policies in a single portfolio and manage their accounts with direct access to all 16 self-service options.
• Established a strong design x technology foundation. We created a robust design and technology foundation that allows for easier customization. This empowers future designers to innovate with fewer technical limitations.
• Foundation for future design innovations. The new information architecture and visual design have been established as the foundation for future projects on our product roadmap.