Zinnia

Inspiration

Sun Life’s research found that 3 in 10 employees didn’t feel ready to return back to work after a disability leave, and only 33% strongly felt they had a clear return-to-work plan with their manager.

What it does

Zinnia helps Marc track how his energy changes across his workday, so he and his employer can plan a return that matches his recovery, not one good day.

Zinnia helps Marc check in on how he’s feeling throughout his workday, including his mood, energy, and headspace, so he and his employer can plan a return that matches his recovery.

Quick check-ins: Marc logs his mood, energy, headspace and activities in under 30 seconds. Check-ins happen twice a day at random times, so his entries reflect his whole day, and not just one good morning.
Weekly reports: Zinnia uses AI to review Marc’s check-ins and write a plain-language summary of his progress throughout the week. It highlights patterns across his whole week, so his progress isn’t judged by one good day.
Send reports: Marc chooses what data is included, who it’s shared with, and the date range, so he stays in control of his information.

Value for each stakeholder:

Marc: sees his own limits and contributes at a pace he can sustain
Employer: a clear, realistic plan with room to grow, and it can change as Marc recovers
Doctor: a real picture of recovery over time, not a snapshot from a short visit
Sun Life: fewer relapses back onto leave and clearer evidence to guide a gradual return

How we built it

Reviewed Sun Life's design brief, personas and claims journey
Mapped Marc's current journey and pain points
Met with a Sun Life mentor to get feedback and refine our direction
Defined key insights and stakeholder value
Created wireframes and final designs in Figma

Challenges we ran into

Choosing a persona: we started with Janet, then Amira, before landing on Marc. Each pivot came from clarifying assumptions and understanding the user better.
Stakeholders: Marc, his employer, his doctor and Sun Life all have different values and wants. We needed to build a solution that balanced the needs of all stakeholders.
Avoiding burden: tracking can feel like another job for someone who's fatigued. We kept check-ins short and allowed them to be delayed.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Turning a vague feelings into insights that provide value to stakeholders
A check-in that feels light and personal instead of clinical. Although it is short, every answer is provides value since it is tailored to Marc's job and duties
Designing for variable capacity, so a good day doesn't get mistaken for full recovery

What we learned

The real problem is often between stakeholders, not inside one screen
Disability claims involve legal and privacy constraints that shape what's possible
Designing for someone with reduced capacity means every extra tap matters