Society of Grownups- building a new venture from the ground up
(Holistic User Experience/Service Design, Organizational Design)
MassMutual approached IDEO with a question; how might we sell life insurance to people in their 20’s and 30’s?
What our IDEO team discovered through our user insight work was a completely different opportunity- to build a financial educational platform, call it a Master’s program of adulthood, where the curriculum covers everything from investing in a 401K to learning how to budget to how to pick good, cheap wine. It’s called Society of Grownups.
Project Overview: MassMutual partnered with IDEO over a two-year long engagement to build this new venture from the ground-up, designing a brand identity, a digital platform with sophisticated financial planning tools and a brick-and-mortar locale acting as the company’s clubhouse and headquarters.
As the project leader I guided multiple large multi-disciplinary teams over the two-year period from defining the initial user research to the launch of the service and their first location in Boston in 2014.
Additionally, managing and coordinating with partner agencies including: Architecture firm, Dev. Studio, PR agency as well as an advisory board of experienced financial advisors and a host of contractors.
Driving the organizational design, hiring and onboarding of Society of Grownups staff which grew from one to nine employees in the year leading up to opening.
Holistic Experience
Our team created a holistic platform for a Minimum Viable Experience (MVE) integrating all aspects of design; space, service, digital and brand. My focus began with research and strategy and evolved into holistic Service Design; designing the user experience, organizational design & culture, curriculum, content and building partnerships.
Live Prototyping
Our team design and built more than six large scale live prototypes, where more than 200 research participants came through.
We found that the only way to get true feedback on a holistic experience was to actually allow people to experience it for themselves.
A blueprint for our vision
When we outgrew our temporary prototyping space, we rented a 2000 sq ft warehouse and built and tested the vision for The Society of Grownups experience. This prototype became the blueprint for the service, space, brand and digital platform that is offered today.
Financial software tool
Originally intended to focus on building a site to drive towards the physical space, our team quickly realized the opportunity for a comprehensive digital platform including sophisticated financial analytical capabilities, serving as a powerful advice and education tool to Society of Grownup customers.
Brand identity from scratch
Created as an independent company from MassMutual, we created a bold, independent brand and identity to provoke curiosity and stand out in the financial space.
Our team designed the name and identity from scratch based on a clear understanding of our target users.
Educational curriculum
Developed as a masters program for adulthood, The Society of Grownups offers everything from Supper clubs on wine tasting and saving for retirement (“Getting better with age”), to financial core classes and advice sessions.
In addition to my project leadership role I was responsible for the design and creation of the educational curriculum that SOG opened doors with. Including the hierarchy, journey, partnerships, content and materials for 20–25 classes and events.
Marketing campaign
In the year leading up to the opening we designed the successful “Don’t Panic” campaign and partnered with a PR agency to build awareness and community support through local advertisement (radio, public transport) and community events culminating in a large Launch Party celebrating the opening of the first location in Boston.
The Society of Grownups was and still is one of the most compelling and rewarding projects of my career. I believe in the impact it will have on young people and am incredibly grateful to have been part of truly building a business from the ground up together with an incredibly talented team.
Let’s connect! I’m available for freelance and consulting: anna.engstrom.studio@gmail.com
