The Prudential retirement mobile app project started on the wrong foot with a negative review in the Apple App Store. The retirement business group had developed an app to help customers track their retirement funds and adjust their contribution rates. However, upon its launch, the app received poor reviews. One review, in particular, claimed that even the user's middle school son could have created a better app, which prompted the team to take action.

 

After the initial disappointment regarding the review, the senior vice president came to our department to assess all of our work and services up to that point (we had started in 2015, and this was in 2018). After discussing our progress with the SVP, he decided to hire us to rebuild, redesign, and re-envision the app. This occurred around late February to early March 2018, and there was a significant conference scheduled for May during which they planned to announce the new app.

 

We didn't actually need a fully functioning app at that time, as the deadline was unrealistic—especially considering the nature of our industry. Instead, we required 5-6 static screens to present to the audience of Prudential retirement employees and corporate customers. These screens would demonstrate that we were actively addressing the problem. The screens did not need to be animated or interactive; they were simply to be displayed in a PowerPoint presentation.

 

The UX designers, project managers, and one of my senior UI designers got to work on the project. We understood that the screens needed to set the tone for the actual app, so we treated this process as if we were creating a live application, especially since the presentation was scheduled to take place in Florida.

 

During this phase, we realized that our current design system wasn’t going to suffice. My UI designer applied the system to the wireframes as he had done in previous projects, effectively bringing the design to life.

 

However, when he presented to our senior VP, the feedback was not positive; he didn’t like it.

 

While this wasn’t a major setback, the timing was tight. It was Tuesday, and the final visuals needed to be completed so that the marketing banners and printed materials could be produced in time for the conference. On top of that, the UI designer would be on paternity leave for two weeks starting Wednesday, and all my other designers were already occupied with other tasks.

 

So, I decided to step up and take over the design work. I understood what my senior VP was expressing: while the design system worked well for a responsive website filled with content, it fell short for projects with a specific purpose and device, such as a mobile app. I had also learned to anticipate his vision over our three years of working together—I knew he was looking for something sexy, sleek, and attention-grabbing.