HeyDay Retirement Calculator
Diagnosed and redesigned a failing lead generation calculator that was losing users due to poor UX, improving engagement through iterative user research.
Project Snapshot
HeyDay Retirement (via Philosophie)
Financial Services & Insurance
December 2020 - March 2020
Product Strategist
Financial Calculators, Lead Generation Tools, Progressive Web Apps, User Analytics
UX Research, Lead Generation Strategy, Product Redesign, User Testing
Cross-functional team of 5: Product Strategist (myself), Director of Product Strategy, Designer, Developer, Client stakeholder
What It Was
A UX troubleshooting project for HeyDay, an annuity company working to modernize retirement planning. Their lead generation calculator was failing because it required 30+ minutes of data input before providing any value to users, resulting in extremely low completion rates. HeyDay needed to understand why potential customers were abandoning the tool and how to redesign it for better lead conversion.
What I Did
- Conducted user research to diagnose why people were abandoning the calculator before completion
- Facilitated ideation workshops to generate solutions for improving the user experience and identifying alternative lead generation approaches
- Led collaborative design sessions with stakeholders to reimagine the calculator flow and value proposition
- Worked closely with designer to create and iterate on new prototypes based on research findings
- Conducted user testing sessions to validate new concepts and gather feedback on proposed improvements
- Designed experiments to test different approaches to providing immediate value while capturing lead information
- Led the design project for new landing page and supporting marketing materials
Redesigned calculator interface with progressive disclosure approach
What Came Out of It
- Successfully launched redesigned website with improved calculator experience and new marketing approach
- Iterated through multiple concepts based on user feedback and testing results
- Identified fundamental challenges with lead generation in the annuity space due to negative industry reputation
- Delivered insights about user expectations for online financial calculators and immediate value delivery
- Provided strategic recommendations for progressive disclosure approach to increase engagement
- Demonstrated that even well-executed UX improvements face challenges when underlying product positioning is difficult
What I Learned
Users won't invest significant time in online calculators unless they receive immediate value during the process. The most effective approach is starting with high-level insights and increasing accuracy as users provide more data, rather than front-loading all data collection. Sometimes UX improvements alone can't overcome fundamental product positioning challenges, especially in industries with trust issues like annuities. Progressive disclosure and immediate gratification are essential for lead generation tools.
Need to Fix a Conversion Problem?
Looking for user research and UX strategy to improve engagement and lead generation?