The Challenge
MetLife's acquisition of Pet First came with 1.9 stars app rating when I joined. The app offered a pay wall for its location services and had poor way of engaging with potential customers specially new pet parents. The challenge was to transform the app experience and to evolve it from a transactional or utility tool to a trusted pet care companion.
My Role
I was hired to be the lead designer of the MetLife Pet App. Being the designer for the Pet Ecosystem agile pod, I partnered with developers, data scientists, business operations and product managers to deliver a comprehensive service redesign. The work extended beyond the customer-facing interface to reimagine the entire claims experience, from backend workflows and internal tools to the systems supporting the claims operations. This redesign resulted in a more seamless and efficient service not only for the customers but also to the team servicing our customers.
- Personalized Pet Care Recommendations: AI analyzed pet breed, age and behavior to deliver tailored care insights, wellness reminders and proactive health suggestions.
- Location Powered Pet Services: Integrated geo-intelligent data for nearby boarding, grooming, veterinary care, and dog parks. This empowered pet parents with useful, local information.
- Unified Insurance Experience: Simplified policy management, claims and wellness tracking into a cohesive flow.
- Progressive Web App: Introduced new design that includes cohesive transition of visual elements and interactive components in mobile, tablet and desktop.
The Transformation
Within 18 months, the redesigned MetLife Pet App delivered outstanding success in serving pet parents.
- App Score Rating: Increased rating from 1.9 to 4.5 stars.
- New Members: With good reviews and higher rating, the app saw increased traffic and almost 50% increase in sales.
- Engagement: Personalized recommendation and new frictionless user flow in claims increased session frequency by more than 60%.
- Intuitive UI: Vibrant, engaging design makes interaction simple and delightful.
Recognition
The app achieved an unprecedented triple win at the Pet Innovation Awards, receiving:
- Pet Insurance of the Year: 2023
- Pet Insurance of the Year: 2024
- Pet Insurance of the Year: 2025
Each award year reflected continued evolution, from AI integration, product and UX refinement to deeper personalization and localized engagement features.
In the Press
- Nasdaq Article: 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 and Wellness App
- Pet Innovation Awards: Our team also earned the Pet Insurance of the Year title at the 2024 Pet Innovation Awards, recognizing our innovative customer-first approach at MetLife Pet. Read more about this recognition here: MetLife Pet Recognized with Pet Insurance of the Year in 2024 Pet Innovation Awards .
Key Takeaway
By combining intelligent personalization, data-driven empathy and user-centered design, the MetLife Pet App transformed a low rated utility into an award winning product that redefined what pet insurance could mean to thousands of pet owners.
