What's Happening?
Manulife Japan has been recognized with the Japan Customer-Centric Innovation of the Year - Life Insurance award at the Asian Innovation Excellence Awards 2025. The accolade was given for its Japan Design Standard: Human Centred Design System, which aims
to improve digital platforms and enhance customer experience. This system integrates design thinking into customer interactions, from mobile apps to sales tools, ensuring consistency, usability, and brand integrity across all digital channels. The initiative is based on the 4Ds framework: Discover, Define, Design, and Deliver, supported by agile phases such as alignment, opportunity exploration, validation, prototyping, and measurement. A thorough review of customer journeys, combined with feedback from call centers, surveys, and test groups, helped identify key customer needs and pain points.
Why It's Important?
The recognition of Manulife Japan's customer-centric design system underscores the importance of innovation in enhancing customer experience in the life insurance sector. By adopting a human-centered design approach, Manulife Japan has improved service delivery, increased customer satisfaction, and strengthened brand loyalty. The initiative has led to a 10-point rise in the website’s Net Promoter Score, reflecting higher customer satisfaction with faster service. This development highlights the growing trend of integrating design thinking into business operations to address customer needs effectively, which can lead to increased competitiveness and market share in the insurance industry.
