Nationwide

Nationwide Financial Services

Long-Term Care

A tool to help financial advisors have a very human conversation.

In the fall of 2013 Nationwide Financial asked Engauge to help create a tool to aid advisors in talking to clients about long-term care. Long-term care is not just an underestimated aspect of financial planning but a very difficult conversation to have with a client. Financial advisors are increasingly describing their role as part financial planner and part psychologist. In addition to this utility, the solution also needed to standout from the volumes of marketing materials advisors are sent. It had to by dynamic, informative and human.

The strategic direction for the tool was to be a web-based experience that facilitates a genuine, personal conversation between advisor and client. The advisor needed to feel they had complete control over pacing, sequence and disclosure of any part of the site. They needed to compelled by the issue and better educated on options. Their clients needed to feel a sense of hope that with the right plan long-term care doesn’t have to be an issue.

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The resulting design is a narrative experience with a navigation that allows skipping quickly between basic info and a personal conversation. Also in the main navigation is a link to allow the advisor to quickly access a video library. The content is structured as a linear hierarchy from top to bottom. This structure allows the advisor to scroll through high-level points but also stop at any point to dive deeper into a particular topic.

The interactions distributed throughout the site allow for the advisor or the client to not only get more information but to also add a layer of personalization. They can choose to read scenarios they relate to or begin to choose priorities for coverage. These choices can be factored into what options the advisor presents to the client.

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The visual design approach uses a mix of symbols and illustration to aid clear communication of the content but also maintain a level of neutrality. By avoiding photography and maintaining a focus on symbols it’s easier for user’s to project themselves in the scenarios.

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The full spectrum of the Nationwide color palette was refined to focus on two sets that set the tone for the base content and personalized section. The first half of the experience focuses on a warm neutral palette with muted blue accents that avoid references to the Nationwide branding. The second half of the experience wraps the personal scenarios in a warmer palette with a contrasting blue. The introduction of the Nationwide blue follows the introduction of references to Nationwide products and solutions.

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Animations and transitions were designed to not just make the experience stand-out from a typical marketing material an advisor sees but help it communicate better. The transitions help set the pacing for advisor scrolling through the content. They also give a greater sense of control and help hold attention.

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