Overview
MetLife Pet App empowers pet parents to easily view and manage their coverage and policy details. It delivers added value through AI-generated content tailored to their pet’s breed, offering personalized insights for better care. Additionally, API-powered location services help users quickly find nearby groomers, trainers, dog parks, and other pet-friendly resources—making pet care more connected, convenient, and informed.
My Role: Product and UX Designer
My role is a multi-stack Product/UX Designer at MetLife Pet Insurance. I was involved in every stage of the product development lifecycle—from crafting compelling visual designs and high-fidelity prototypes to defining use cases, project requirements, and agile workflows. I contributed to strategic planning through market research, competitive analysis, and collaboration with cross-functional teams. My visual design work for the MetLife Pet App brought branded consistency and user delight across platforms, while my involvement in UX testing and iteration ensured that each interface was both beautiful and highly functional. By combining creativity with systems thinking, I helped deliver engaging, scalable experiences that drove measurable business results and earned press recognition, including a feature on Nasdaq E-News.
How Might We Statement
How might we leverage technology to help pet parents monitor and improve their pets’ well-being like they would for any family member?
The Challenge
Among the many pain points I addressed in the MetLife Pet App, this project focused on designing a pre-purchase experience. This is a feature that did not exist before. Previously, non-customers hit a literal wall: they could not preview any part of the app before buying a policy. The challenge was to break down this barrier, creating an informative and trust-building flow that allows potential customers to explore coverage options, benefits, and pricing before committing. The design needed to simplify complex insurance information, reduce cognitive load, and establish confidence in the product—all aligned with MetLife’s brand of reliability and care.
Research
Prior to leading the design for a major product launch, I collaborated closely with the Market Researcher, UX Researcher, and Data Team, while also conducting my own comparative analysis, design research, and discovery activities. This integrated research approach enabled the identification of key user needs, market trends, and data-driven insights. Findings from these efforts were incorporated into design decisions and shaped the overall product strategy, ensuring a solution that was both user-centered and aligned with business objectives.
Solution: Pre-Purchase Experience
After collaborative discussions with stakeholders, market research, and iterative concept testing, I designed a pre-purchase experience that allowed potential customers to explore and engage with the app’s core features before committing to a purchase. This approach built trust and familiarity while clearly communicating the app’s value proposition, helping users make informed decisions with confidence.
Pre-Purchase Landing Screen
The landing screen features a carousel of tiles that guide pet parents through insurance options, typical vet costs, and key considerations for pet ownership. The design prioritizes clarity and intuitive interaction, making complex information easy to explore and compare at a glance.
Pet Resources and Services and User Flow
To support pet parents beyond insurance coverage, the MetLife Pet App offers a robust set of resources tailored to their pet’s unique needs. Leveraging API-powered location services, users can easily find nearby veterinarians, groomers, pet-friendly parks, trainers, and emergency clinics—ensuring help is always within reach. The app also provides personalized care tips and health content based on a pet’s breed and profile, helping users make informed decisions about their pet’s well-being. This blend of utility and personalization turns the app into a trusted everyday companion for responsible pet care.
Micro Interactions and Animations
I designed and implemented an engaging animation and microinteraction using beloved Peanuts characters to enhance the user experience during key touchpoints in the MetLife Pet App. This playful yet purposeful animation acted as a visual nudge during the pre-purchase flow, guiding users toward exploring additional coverage options and other features of the app.
In The Press
Explore the press release highlighting our team’s work—featuring innovative use of AI technology—published on Nasdaq: MetLife Pet Insurance Announces Enhanced All-in-One Pet Health & Wellness App.
Further, our team proudly earned the Pet Insurance of the Year title at the 2024 Pet Innovation Awards, recognizing our innovative and customer-first approach at MetLife Pet. Read more about this recognition here: MetLife Pet Insurance Named "Pet Insurance of the Year" in 2024 Pet Innovation Awards.
Visual Design
At MetLife, I led visual design initiatives for the Pet App, crafting intuitive, polished user interfaces, interactive digital solutions, animation, transitions and other design elements that enhanced user engagement across mobile and desktop platforms. By applying brand guidelines with a modern design sensibility, I developed visually cohesive experiences—from onboarding to claims—that not only improved usability but also supported business goals like conversion and upsell. My work included complex design projects end-to-end. I executed high quality visual and interaction design and helped shaped product strategy by collaborating with cross functional teams including product management, engineering and research. I helped solved ambiguous problems, made strategic design decisions and ensured consistency and quality across experiences.
Other Project Highlights
In addition to the pre-purchase experience highlighted above, I contributed to a range of initiatives across the MetLife Pet Ecosystem, addressing user needs, streamlining workflows, and enhancing engagement. The following highlights showcase key design solutions and their impact.
- Designed responsive progressive web apps optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop improving accessibility across devices.
- Created a lightweight pre-purchase experience with API-powered “Near Me” services for pet parents enabling non-customers to explore app features.
- Streamlined the claims process into a simplified, 3-step flow, reducing friction and errors.
- Implemented animated Peanuts character nudges boosting conversion rates and engagement.
- Improved document management workflows for faster and easier access.
- Designed clear and effective alert messages for back-office claim exceptions enhancing operational efficiency.
- Delivered a high-impact in-app review experience, elevating app store ratings and user feedback.
Takeaways
This project demonstrates a comprehensive approach to designing a complex, multi-touchpoint product for pet parents. By combining user research, iterative design, and close collaboration with product and data teams, I was able to deliver an intuitive, engaging, and high-performing app experience. The work not only addressed critical pain points—like pre-purchase exploration and claims efficiency—but also established scalable design patterns and workflows that can evolve with future feature enhancements. This case underscores my ability to lead end-to-end product design while driving measurable impact for both users and the business.