Prudential

The Team

Jermaine Bridges – Sr. UX Designer

My Role

Sr. UX Designer/researcher for this project

The Goal

Design an interactive web app that is intuitive for customers to complete their IRS, required minimum distribution transaction through their online accounts.

My Responsibilities

Designed a solution that starts from concept to delivery, which included:

• User research and discovery
• Conducting and leading workshops
• Building personas and user flows
• Designing both low and hi-fidelity wireframes
• Working cross-functionally with stakeholders
• Conducted usability testing

The Problem

Customers had two ways to fulfill their required minimum distribution transaction, that’s mandated by the IRS. First option the customer can take is, downloading a form from their online account, manually completing the form, and mailing it back in to Prudential’s processing center. The second option customers can take is, contacting the call center and walking through the transaction process with a call rep to complete the transaction. Neither option is optimum for customers in which both options requires a lot of time to complete the process. Also, there’s the potential for costly mistakes in terms of fines and fees when information filled out manually, is not correct. Additionally, these issues can lead additional delays and missed deadlines. 

Research Summary

 After understanding the problem. I wanted to better understand the product, the business objectives, who were the users of the product and what their needs were. I conducted workshops with stakeholders to gain this knowledge and collected data on how transactions were being fulfilled.

Through research and discovery, I was able to identify the make up of the specific user group which were customers who are 70 1/2 years of age or older, and who has an annuity account or someone who oversees the accounts for someone who meets the criteria. Also, I was able to discover customers received an annual document detailing withdrawal information including withdrawl amount, and task needed to be done to meet the IRS requirement. Additionally, I discovered customers often had trouble locating their annual mailed out document. Through discovery I learned the business wanted to maintain consistency throughout all online platforms.

Persona

Name: Richard

Age: 72

Married

Retired firefighter

Has a retirement account

Enjoys spending time with his wife and grandchildren

Challenges and Pain Points

• Customers receive a one time annual letter by mail informing them of the amount they need to withdraw in order to meet the IRS requirment. This causes  frustration for customers due to having to keep up with paper documents
• Customers have to go into their online account and download the RMD form manually complete the form, and mail it back in to the processing center. This causes customers delays in processing which can lead to fines and fees. Also, it takes a lot of time downloading the form and colpeting the manual process
• Customers do not like having to call the contact center due to the wait time before speaking with an CSP and having to speak with a CSP to complete their transaction
• Customers do not like how long it takes for the transactions to process as it takes longer for them to receive their funds
• CSPs are pulled away from tasks to take calls from customers to help complete their RMD form

User Flow

User login to account > User selects from a menu of buttons from dashboard screen to step into plaform > User selects transaction type  > User selects calculation type > User verify address > User verify contact information > User selects guaranteed income impact type > User selects tax withholdings > User reviews withdrawl information > User selects payment method > User review withdrawl summary > User acknowledge disclosure and authorization document > User review comformation screen and close to return to dashboard

Usability Study: Findings

• Users wanted a way to quickly access the required minimum distribution platform from the dashboard to complete their transaction
• Users wanted a way to quickly identify the amount needed to be withdrawn from their accounts
• Users wanted their balances across all accounts in view when they logged into their account

Low Fidelity Wireframes

I designed mockups to test with users to gather further insight into the flow of the application and the contextual data. The usability test was conducted to test the theory on where users would expect to click for particular information on each screen throughout the flow, and to test where they would enter specific information.

Hi Fidelity Wireframes

After successfully completing user testing, I was able to move into designing hi-fidelity protypes detailing what the finished product would look like, showcasing the user and business needs

Accessibility Considerations

• Typography: The main body font style throughout the app is 15px. Nothing falls below a 12px font size.
• Color: All colors are based on passing AA Accessibility standard.

Takeaways

Impact: The added feature allows users to complete their IRS required transaction online within their account saving them time, and limiting data entry mistakes. Additionally, the feature frees up CSPs in the contact center allowing them to work on other tasks making the company more productive.

Quote from user testing: “Being able to complete my transaction online saves me a lot of time.”

What I learned: I learned that most people appear to prefer self-service transactions with minimal assistance as it saves them time. Additionally, I’ve learned legacy companies have plenty of potential to scale their products, offering their customers intuitive experiences. 

Next Steps

1. Conduct user interviews threee months after feature has been live
2. Scope additional distribution calculations to add on to the online feature
3. Continue to add more accessibility to the application by interviewing users who use assistive technologies.

Click Here to see the clickable prototype.