Design thinking in pensions: Putting people at the heart of design

In most pensions agencies, technical and
compliance requirements drive decisions
around system, organizational, process and
experience design to maintain or improve
service delivery.
BUILD IT
AND THEY WILL COME…

Pensions agencies could make systems and
processes more engaging, efficient and well-
adopted if they designed based on real
stakeholder needs, instead of preconceived
notions.
BUILD IT
…OR WILL THEY?
AND THEY WILL COME…

BUT PENSIONS AGENCIES
MAY NOT ALWAYS KNOW WHAT
MEMBERS, EMPLOYERS
AND INTERNAL STAFF NEED.

They expect the same experiences when dealing with
their pension plan as they have in everyday life.
PEOPLE ARE
CHANGING
EVERY
6 MINUTES
PEOPLE CHECK THEIR
SMART PHONES1
85%
OF CITIZENS EXPECT THE
SAME OR HIGHER QUALITY
DIGITAL SERVICES FROM
PUBLIC SERVICE
ORGANIZATIONS AS FROM
THE PRIVATE SECTOR2
DIGITAL MOBILE
PERSONAL REAL TIME

BECAUSE DIFFERENT RESULTS
DEMAND
A DIFFERENT KIND OF DESIGN.
IT’S TIME FOR A
MINDSET SHIFT

Design thinking puts people at the
heart of the process by working
with stakeholders to understand
their interactions with the pensions
agency— and improving them.
Create with
people,
not just for them.
IT’S TIME FOR
DESIGN THINKING

Design thinking synthesizes processes, systems, data
and structures from a human perspective.
IT’S TIME FOR
DESIGN THINKING
Human centered: Gains empathy and
understanding through direct
observation and research.
Iterative: Refines the
potential solutions based
on feedback, testing and continuous
learning.
Collaborative: Involves diverse
stakeholder perspectives, built for
co-creation.
Creative: Tosses aside assumptions to
truly explore the art of the possible for
the best solution.
Prototype-driven: Collects user feedback early and
often, fails fast to get the right solution.

WALKING IN
SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES
It’s about thinking through all the
tangible and intangible things that
make for a positive experience for
people and addressing the business
and technology elements needed to
deliver them well.
HUMAN
DESIRABILITY
TECHNOLOGY
FEASIBILITY
BUSINESS
VIABILITY
DESIGN
THINKING
Design thinking is the adoption of a design mindset and human-centric design
methods to solve problems, frame opportunities and innovate experiences.

Pension members interact with pensions agencies at different touchpoints during their lives.
These make up their overall experiences.
EVERY STEP OF
THE PENSIONS JOURNEY
Design thinking looks at each touchpoint
and puts the person at the center to
understand members better and shape
organizational, experience, process or
system decisions and design around that
understanding. It’s a win-win. Members get
solutions they will actually use and enjoy,
and pensions agencies can better prioritize
changes.
STARTS NEW JOB
application
RETIRES, POST RETIREMENT
Monthly benefits checks
DEATH
Named beneficiaries report
death, receive death benefits
MARRIAGE
Change of
beneficiary
MOVES
Change of address
PLANNING ON
RETIRING
Benefits estimate

DESIGN THINKING APPLIES
TO EVERYONE
Improved engagement
More informed plan selection
Access and convenience
Customer satisfaction
Better information sharing
User-friendly touchpoints
More accurate information
Fewer downstream errors
LIFE AS AN
EMPLOYER
Streamlined workflows
Higher productivity
Optimal resource use
Job satisfaction
LIFE AS A
MEMBER
LIFE AS AN
EMPLOYEE

DESIGN THINKING APPLIES
TO EVERYTHING
COMMUNICATIONS TRAININGEXPERIENCES CULTURE
SYSTEMS
PROCESSES
AND WORKFLOW
ORGANIZATIONS

The design thinking approach is dynamic. One phase may not necessarily proceed
in the order listed here. At times, the process may move backwards or forwards.
THE JOURNEY
IS AS IMPORTANT AS
THE DESTINATION
DISCOVER
Learn about
people and the
context of
the problem.
DESCRIBE
Synthesize
learnings from
discovery and
point of view.
IDEATE
Iterative
ideation -
prototyping
cycles.
TEST
Test ideas and
prototypes with
actual users.
IMPLEMENT
Deploy the
chosen solution
and refine it.

DESIGN THINKING
APPROACHES
Human centered
TRADITIONAL
APPROACHES
Technology focused
SERVICES
ADOPTION
OUTCOMES
FROM
STATUS QUO
TO PEOPLE FIRST
BETTER

Accenture is a leading global professional services
company, providing a broad range of services and
solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology
and operations. Combining unmatched experience
and specialized skills across more than 40 industries
and all business functions–underpinned by the
world’s largest delivery network–Accenture works at
the intersection of business and technology to help
clients improve their performance and create
sustainable value for their stakeholders.
With more than 425,000 people serving clients in
more than 120 countries, Accenture drives
innovation to improve the way the world works and
lives.
For more information, visit us at
www.accenture.com/pensions
ABOUT ACCENTURE
CONTACT
Deanna Probst Owen Davies
1 http://solutions.boldchat.com/2015-mobile-engagement-report/social?lead=blog
2 https://www.accenture.com/t20161102T223245__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-35/Accenture-Digital-Citizen-
Experience-Pulse-Survey-Highlight-Final.pdf
SOURCES
Teri Bennett

Design thinking in pensions: Putting people at the heart of design

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