Sun Life Financial
Find an advisor
Connecting people with advisors—not products.
The “Find an Advisor” (FAA) initiative was created to help people easily connect with a financial advisor who suits their personal needs, goals, and life stage. Instead of pushing users toward products they may not understand or trust, the experience was redesigned to put people first—offering a more human, personalized, and confidence-building journey.
Discovery: understanding the Problem
We started with real people and their messy, layered financial lives.
Define the issue: Frame the Right Problem
Ensuring users can learn and utilize the product to successfully achieve their goals.
Develop: Explore Solutions
We explored, tested, and iterated on flows and interactions that made people feel heard, helped, and in control.
Delivery: Build the Experience
A cleaner, advisor-first digital journey that feels curated, credible, and intuitive.
01. Discovery
What we did:
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One-on-one interviews
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Two client workshops
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Pretotyping with early concepts
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What we heard:
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People don’t want to be sold to—they want to be understood.
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They prefer connecting with a human over choosing a product.
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Trust, transparency, and time-saving were key decision drivers.
Personas brought to life:
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Françoise, the busy planner-mom under pressure
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Paul, the just-starting-out skeptic
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Jade, the health-conscious pre-retiree who wants clarity and connection
02. Define the issue
How might we help users feel understood and confident enough to reach out to an advisor who truly fits their needs?
03. Develop: Explore solutions
Key UX strategies:
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A guided “needs assessment” instead of static forms
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Advisor matches shown first—not product pitches
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Filter by advisor attributes that users actually care about (e.g. experience, response time, specialization)
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Advisor bios with real human content: reviews, contact buttons, social links, video intros
Design decisions shaped by:
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Competitor audits (RBC, TD, Manulife)
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Client feedback on layout readability and emotional tone
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Mobile-first layouts with full-width filter bars and minimized friction
04. Delivery: Build the experience
Highlights:​
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Personalized matches with 3 best-fit advisors
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Easily skimmable advisor profiles with action CTAs
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Streamlined navigation and refined white space to reduce cognitive load
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Phase 1: Low fidelity to Phase 2: Mid-fi to Phase 3: High-fi prototypes delivered
'Getting Started'
Simplifying the experience for our clients.
The “Get Started” initiative was designed to help prospects in exploratory mode—users who arrive on the site without a clear idea of where to begin. It aimed to provide a simple, confident entry point to guide these users toward the right action, whether that’s learning more, getting a quote, or finding an advisor.
01. Discovery
What we did:
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Conducted multiple user testing rounds (including A/B and concept testing)
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Reviewed site behavior for prospects and digitally inactive clients
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Audited the existing utility navigation and homepage structure
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What we heard:
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New visitors didn’t know what to click if they didn’t already have a goal in mind
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The term "register" was confusing—people expected to make an account before buying
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The header was overloaded, leading to decision fatigue
02. Define
Problem we solved for:
“There’s no clear starting point for users who are just exploring or unsure of what they need.”​
Design challenge:
How might we give unsure users a simple, welcoming path that guides them without overwhelming them?​
03. Develop: Explore Solutions
Key UX strategies:
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Introduce a single, clearly labeled “Get Started” CTA
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Reduce header clutter to simplify choice-making (Behavioral Economics)
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Develop multiple conceptual journeys (Product-focused, Client-type split, Hybrid)
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Validate with user feedback: Concept C (Hybrid) performed best
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Design decisions shaped by:
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Testing with 64+ participants
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Direct feedback showing preference for linear, needs-based exploration
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Observations that confident users still found their intended CTAs (“Find an Advisor”, “Get a Quote”) without issue
04. Deliver: Build the Experience
Highlights:
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“Get Started” placed prominently on homepage and sitewide nav
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Clear language that guides both prospects and inactive clients
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FAQ links and next steps grouped at bottom for decluttered journey
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Final design aligns with AEM global component library