MetLife + Upwise: Demystifying & transforming spending habits
MetLife launched Upwise as an app to help customers build financial literacy and develop stronger long-term money habits. When we joined the project, a design system was already in place, but we had the opportunity to expand and evolve it to support new features and experiences.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Lead
ROLE
2 leads
3 seniors
1 midweight
DESIGN TEAM
6 months
TIMING
Although the design system was already established when we joined, we saw it as an opportunity to take a step back and approach it with a fresh perspective. Collaborating closely as a team, we reviewed existing processes, aligned on business objectives, and identified white space opportunities for future growth.
Improving an existing experience
Upwise was designed to help users build confidence in their long-term financial habits and savings goals. It also encouraged healthier money behaviors through features like gamification and habit-forming techniques.
While our team collaborated across the entire Upwise experience, we divided focus areas to foster deeper ownership and expertise. I led the design efforts for the Savings journey and Money for Couples, and contributed to shaping the platform’s overall strategic direction.
Identifying key areas for improvment
We began with low-fidelity wireframes and sketches to explore early concepts and secure frequent client buy-in. To support this phase, we developed a custom Figma kit that matched the rough, sketch-like style of our initial explorations. Encouraged by positive feedback from the client and our internal team, we continued refining the kit. What started as a tool for Upwise has since evolved into a widely used resource, now adopted by over 60,000 people on the Figma Community.
Married participant, 43 M
"I don't know how to talk about money with my wife…she spends a lot but I don't want to make her feel bad about it."
Empowering couples to build money habits as one
As part of the Savings initiative within Upwise, we developed a concept to help couples navigate their finances more effectively together. Through multiple rounds of user interviews, prototyping, and co-creation sessions, we uncovered key "hot topics" that often make financial conversations challenging.
In response, we designed a gamified, discussion-driven experience within Upwise. This feature offered couples engaging prompts and guided questions to naturally spark conversations around spending habits, financial priorities, and money management.
Challenges that build long-term habits
Upwise stands out for its use of gamification and challenges to help users track progress and build financial confidence. These features keep users engaged while making goal-setting central to their financial journey.
Our low-fidelity wireframes played a critical role in user testing. Participants used red dots to highlight the features and screens they found most engaging, giving us clear visual feedback. This allowed us to identify standout elements, extract them from their original context, and evolve the strongest ideas into more polished concepts.
upwise.com
MetLife has since repositioned Upwise to focus more on retirement benefits, shifting away from its original emphasis on financial stability through savings and spending habits. However, the "Money for Couples" initiative we developed has continued internally at MetLife as a separate effort, independent of the Upwise brand.
©️ Claire Lorman 2025