New York Life's UPX

Dec. 2025 @ argo design

A story of digital transformation for a premier, established institution.

New York Life set out to modernize how their agents sold insurance by creating an application that could support the purchase of every single product they sell. They partnered with argo design in executing this ambitious project, called the Universal Purchase Experience (UPX).

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

Dec. 2024 – April 2025

Client & Team

New York Life, argo design

Teammates

6 designers + copywriters, PMs, UX researchers

Background ↓

Since 1845, NYL has been insuring people for life’s biggest moments. They’ve built a network of agents who understand their customers’ needs and priorities.

Over time they'd built up processes; vast numbers of physical forms and a patchwork suite of digital tools.

the Problem

The purchase process was complicated. Agents had to use a suite of inconsistent tools. Some created custom Excel sheets to manage sales, while some still relied on paper forms.
There was friction across the board.

for Agents

Using existing tools was confusing. They were built with inconsistent UX patterns and by different teams.

for Clients

Their first interaction with NYL was outdated and complex. Hardly a strong first impression.

for NYL

Maintaining multiple products was inefficient and costly.

NYL aimed to address this with the Universal Purchase Experience.

Their goal was to design a single, modern tool that both agents and customers could use to purchase any NYL product, eventually replacing the fragmented landscape of legacy systems.

In order to help cross the finish line, argo design brought me on as a Product Designer, tasked with defining and designing several core areas of the application—what our team called “Big Rocks”.

Each "rock" represented a significant design and business challenge, often involving undefined requirements, technical constraints, and alignment across teams.

Over my four-month contract, I completed 3 out of 12 Big Rocks:

Some of my key contributions ↓

Router Page

Problem –

Not all insurance products were supported in the initial MVP. We needed a system to route users to either UPX or a legacy tool.

Solution –

A logic-based routing experience with a clean, minimal UI. Layout that balances a narrowed user focus with future flexibility.

We created logic rules that determine if a user should be sent to UPX or to a legacy tool, depending on their answers to the questionnaire.

Agent Dashboard

Problem –

Agents needed a central hub for managing their cases. They need to find information fast.

Solution –

A custom dashboard optimized for understanding: filter cases, search keywords, and highlight what needs attention. Despite the dense info, agents can find what they need in a glance.

Outcomes ↓

At the end of my four months, we successfully completed all 12 Big Rocks, laying the foundation for NYL’s digital transformation. My work directly contributed to 4 of those 12.

While the platform’s full launch was scheduled for July 2025, completing the design phase was a significant milestone – a win for NYL’s tech leadership and for argo design as their strategic design partner.

New York Life's UPX

Since 1845, NYL has been insuring people for life’s biggest moments. They’ve built a network of agents who understand their customers’ needs and priorities.

Over time they'd built up processes; vast numbers of physical forms and a patchwork suite of digital tools.

Wanna get in touch?Don't be shy. Say hello.

Wanna get in touch?
Don't be shy. Say hello.