Munich Re

2022

Produced UX deliverables from concept to high-fidelity: Term Life insurance product

By 2022, the Parachute platform had matured and, having seen firsthand the limitations of agency-led UX in an agile environment, we brought all design work in-house. As Director of UX, I co-led the design of Term Life, the platform's most complex product to date, working within a tight budget and timeline.

By 2022, the Parachute platform had matured and, having seen firsthand the limitations of agency-led UX in an agile environment, we brought all design work in-house. As Director of UX, I co-led the design of Term Life, the platform's most complex product to date, working within a tight budget and timeline.

Unlike previous products, which offered guaranteed coverage without medical questions, Term Life's higher coverage limits required a medical underwriting questionnaire and more fields to calculate a quote. The challenge was to absorb that complexity without compromising what Parachute was known for: fast, simple, and fully self-serve.

Unlike previous products, which offered guaranteed coverage without medical questions, Term Life's higher coverage limits required a medical underwriting questionnaire and more fields to calculate a quote. The challenge was to absorb that complexity without compromising what Parachute was known for: fast, simple, and fully self-serve.

Term Life home page with quick quote calculator

Low-fidelity

From whiteboarding to wireframing

We kicked off with whiteboarding sessions alongside the product owner, business analysts, and insurance SMEs, reviewing the existing product experience and mapping requirements for the new one. Working alongside the other UX Director, we produced low-fidelity sketches and clickable wireframes, documenting rules and logic as we went.

Whiteboarding Session (Invision)

Key differences from simplified life product discovered at whiteboarding session (Invision)

Three areas required new design solutions:

1. Quote calculator

Term Life required two additional fields to generate a quote. While the mandate was to minimize UI changes, some modifications to the homepage calculator were unavoidable.

Calculator with Additional Fields and Logic Notes (Wireframe)

Calculator with Additional Fields and Logic Notes (Wireframe)

2. No family coverage

Term Life was the only Parachute product without spousal or family coverage. Rather than simply removing the option, we designed a feature that allowed users to invite their spouse to apply for their own individual coverage.

New Invite Spouse Feature (Wireframe)

New Invite Spouse Feature (Wireframe)

3. Medical questionnaire

To avoid overwhelming users, we designed the questionnaire to show only top-level questions by default, with reflexive follow-ups appearing based on each user’s answers. When our preferred indented layout was ruled out due to system constraints, we colour-coded follow-up questions as an interim solution and flagged our preferred approach for a future phase.

Colour Coding Solution for Reflexive Questions (Wireframe)

Colour Coding Solution for Reflexive Questions (Wireframe)

High-fidelity

From wireframing to high-fidelity mockups

With wireframes approved and feasibility confirmed by developers, we divided the screens and produced high-fidelity mockups in Figma.

Desktop & Mobile UI Designs for the Quote Page (Figma)

Desktop & Mobile UI Designs for the Quote Page (Figma)

I designed desktop and mobile versions of the Term Life home and marketing pages. I also ensured the transactional steps remained consistent with the broader platform.

Detail of Home Page Design  (Figma)

Detail of Home Page Design (Figma)

Retrospective

Results

All UX artifacts, from wireframes and high-fidelity designs to English copy and French translations, were delivered before each development sprint began, giving developers the clarity they needed and keeping the project on track. 

Working directly in Figma alongside developers and stakeholders meant feedback was incorporated in real time, reducing the back-and-forth that had slowed previous projects.

Bringing UX in-house proved faster, more collaborative, and better suited to an agile environment, with meaningful savings in both cost and turnaround time. 

Term Life launched on schedule and on budget, without compromising the speed and simplicity the platform was known for.

Taira has the experience and skills to be a solid leader for any UX, design and marketing team. Being eagle-eyed in details, methodical, organized and thorough, Taira led multiple UX design and marketing projects with finesse. Hard skills aside, Taira brings an incredibly calm, level and capable aura through teamwork and leadership in her collaborations with various stakeholders, teams and vendors.