Study Overview

I worked closely with a Lead UX Researcher, Senior UX Designer, and Product Owner to plan research that would gather real user insights and directly inform design decisions.

To make sure the redesigned Retirement Planner truly met members’ needs, we planned a two-phase research study that combined discovery research to understand member behavior and evaluative testing to assess the usability of the new design.

This approach let us first explore members’ mindsets, behaviors, and pain points with the existing tool, and then use those insights to inform the design of the new prototype and validate its usability, clarity, and overall effectiveness.

Phase 1: Discovery Research

To understand how members approach retirement planning and interact with the existing Retirement Planner tool, we conducted 45-minute 1:1 interviews via Microsoft Teams. Participants were active and retired OMERS members who had used the Retirement Planner within the past 3–6 months.

The purpose of this phase was to:

• Understand members’ approach to the retirement planning, and tools they rely on to support their planning.
• Explore how different types of members use the Retirement Planner
• Identify pain points and gaps in the current experience.
• Validate feature ideas for the new design

Key Findings

The study helped to identify users' needs:

1. Ability to compare retirement dates and projected income
2. High importance on post-tax income calculations, and
3. Flexibility to add additional income sources, such as investments, spousal income, savings, etc.

Through synthesis, two primary archetypes emerged:

1. Practical Planners — members seeking a straightforward tool, preferring simplicity and clear next steps.
2. Super Users — financially confident members who want granular control, deeper customization, and the ability to model complex financial scenarios.

Phase 2: Prototype Testing

We conducted 60-minute moderated usability sessions via Microsoft Teams with 8 active members. Using a Figma prototype, participants were asked to complete common planning tasks, explore the new tab-based layout, and share their thoughts and impressions aloud.

The research was structured to:

• Validate design decisions
• Identify usability pain points in completing basic and advanced estimates.

We alternated roles, and while one researcher facilitated the interview, the other took detailed notes and captured observations.

Key Findings

Members appreciated the overall clarity and professional look of the redesigned Retirement Planner, but several usability issues also surfaced:

1. Nearly half the participants didn’t realize they had to click “Calculate” to generate results.
2. While the income graph was one of the most engaging parts of the prototype, participants showed mixed success interpreting data, which affected their ability to make confident financial decisions.
3. Many participants struggled with specialized pension and financial terminology, which created confusion limited their ability to fully understand different features.