METLIFE PERSONAL FINANCE
Smart Budgeting for Real Life
The Challenge
MetLife's Personal Finance app was struggling with a critical onboarding problem: users were setting up their budgets, but less 14% returned to using the feature. This meant our acquisition costs were being wasted, and users weren't getting the financial guidance they needed.
The Core Problem
Through data analysis and user interviews, we discovered the root issue: people were downloading our app specifically to help manage their finances, but our core budgeting feature wasn't meeting their needs. While users could complete setup easily, they weren't finding ongoing value in the experience, leading to low return rates across the entire app.
The disconnect: We were asking users to fit their messy financial reality into predetermined categories with exact percentages, when Federal Reserve data shows 37% of Americans can't cover a $400 emergency expense. Our tool was built for financial perfection, not financial reality.
Discovery
Understanding Real Budgeting Behavior
Research Approach: Our UX researcher Lauren led a mixed-methods study with 8 facilitated usability sessions. I collaborated on the study design to ensure our research questions would generate actionable design insights.
Key Hypothesis: Users want control over their financial categories but need guidance on realistic allocation percentages.
Setting up a budget flow adjusted for user expectation
Conducting user interviews revealed a significant difference between recommended budgeting practices and the way people budget in real-life.
Process
Screen flow ideation
Our iterative design process explored multiple interface solutions for the AI chat experience. Through these variations, we tested different patterns—from drawers to panels to step navigators—to find the right balance of simplicity and functionality that would serve both technical and non-technical users.
Process
Detailed user flows
I created detailed user flows to determine how we could deliver what users need. The focus was finding the right balance between user control and streamlined experiences.
Quick & Easy budget setup
We made budget setup effortless by auto-populating categories based on our card sorting research. Users can either dive deep into customization or move quickly through setup.
Allocate & Categorize
The system allows users to customize spending limits and categories while pre-populating common patterns. This gives users flexibility without overwhelming them during setup.
Dashboard & Progress Tracking
Visual tracking makes spending easy to understand at a glance. Users can quickly see their progress and make adjustments as needed—no complicated spreadsheets required.
The Impact
This project transformed how we approach product development on the MetLife Personal Finance Team. We established a more rigorous process that includes proper customer discovery, research, ideation, and requirements mapping.
Key changes included introducing persona workshops, implementing comprehensive user research earlier in projects, and developing more thoughtful user flows. These practices became standard across our product teams.
The insights gained directly influenced the development of our Financial Assessment tool and other related products. While the original project didn't ship, the methodologies we established continue to shape our design process and product decisions.
Credits
UX Research
Lauren Todd
Product
Oana Serban, Sri Beniki, Jorge Beltran
Tech Lead
Tom Hartsgrove