UniSuper
Making it easier for people to think about their retirement
We partnered with UniSuper to design and test Pots for Purpose — a self-guided tool that helps members approaching retirement start planning how they'll use their super.
Outcomes
-
A tested prototype, Pots for Purpose — a five-to-ten-minute tool that shows members how their super could be divided across living expenses, big spends, emergencies and what they leave for others
-
A service experience map connecting current and future touchpoints across three phases of the retirement journey, from late saving (45–55) to active retirement (65–75)
-
Design principles and service concepts grounded in research with 30 people aged 57 to 65
Services
- Design research
- Service Design
- Product Design
Sectors
The problem with retiring
Australia's super system is built around growing a balance. Using it is harder. Retirees often draw down less than they could, and the retirement income covenant — a legal obligation on funds to help members make the most of their savings in retirement — exists to close that gap. APRA estimated in 2022 that 3.6 million Australians would move into retirement within a decade, with around $750 billion in savings.
UniSuper's retirement strategy focuses on members aged 45 to 65, the years when people begin weighing up how they'll use their super. Within that strategy, UniSuper engaged us to design a way for members to understand and choose their retirement income options — building knowledge and confidence before they reach financial advice.
Understanding why people put it off
We ran two waves of research with 30 people aged 57 to 65 — UniSuper members and non-members, at every stage from thinking about retirement to fully retired. Twelve depth interviews mapped the journey and its barriers, and 24 testing sessions across two design sprints put evolving concepts and prototypes in front of people.
The barriers were consistent. Retirement decisions feel complex and easy to delay. The way super interacts with the Age Pension and tax is confusing. And because retirement is associated with ageing, many people avoid the topic until a life event forces it.
Four of the service concepts tested with members, from relatable retirement stories to super coach conversations.
Pots for Purpose
Testing kept pointing to the same need: a quick, low-stakes way in. We designed Pots for Purpose, a self-guided tool that asks simple questions about what someone wants in the years ahead, then shows how their super could be divided into pots — everyday living, holidays and big spends, emergency funds, and what they'd like to leave for others.
It takes five to ten minutes, needs no precise financial detail, and ends with practical next steps: explore drawdown approaches, use UniSuper's calculators, or book time with a super consultant. We refined the prototype through multiple rounds of testing and handed it over ready for development.
The Pots for Purpose prototype: a short question flow, a results view with a drawdown explorer, and pathways into UniSuper’s products and advice.
A map of the whole journey
A ten-minute tool only gets someone started. We mapped how UniSuper's current and future services — social content, super coaches, calculators, consultants and the member portal — could work together across three phases: late saving (45–55), transition (55–65) and active retirement (65–75).
The map pairs each phase with what people told us in research: the barriers holding them back and the opportunities to engage them. UniSuper now has the service concepts, design principles and experience map to guide how it supports the large cohort of members approaching retirement.
The service experience map, connecting new concepts and existing services across late saving, transition and active retirement.
