Try : Insurtech, Application Development

AgriTech(1)

Augmented Reality(21)

Clean Tech(9)

Customer Journey(17)

Design(45)

Solar Industry(8)

User Experience(68)

Edtech(10)

Events(34)

HR Tech(3)

Interviews(10)

Life@mantra(11)

Logistics(6)

Manufacturing(3)

Strategy(18)

Testing(9)

Android(48)

Backend(32)

Dev Ops(11)

Enterprise Solution(33)

Technology Modernization(9)

Frontend(29)

iOS(43)

Javascript(15)

AI in Insurance(39)

Insurtech(67)

Product Innovation(59)

Solutions(22)

E-health(12)

HealthTech(24)

mHealth(5)

Telehealth Care(4)

Telemedicine(5)

Artificial Intelligence(153)

Bitcoin(8)

Blockchain(19)

Cognitive Computing(8)

Computer Vision(8)

Data Science(23)

FinTech(51)

Banking(7)

Intelligent Automation(27)

Machine Learning(48)

Natural Language Processing(14)

expand Menu Filters

Google’s Material Design for Android- Trends You Must Follow in 2016

Material Design is a Latest design language developed by Google. Material Design makes more liberal use of grid-based layouts, responsive animations and transitions, padding, and depth effects such as lighting and shadow.

Material Design is a Google’s conceptual design philosophy that outlines how apps should look and work on mobile devices. It breaks down everything — such as animation, style, layout- and gives guidance on patterns, components and usability.  According to Google: “We challenged ourselves to create a visual language for our users that synthesizes the classic principles of good design with the innovation and possibility of technology and science. This is material design.”

Material starts with mobile but extends to any other device. It is rooted in a few principles:

Realistic visual cues: The design is grounded in reality and actually inspired by design with paper and ink.
Bold, graphic and intentional: Fundamental design techniques drive the visuals. Typography, grids, space, scale, color and imagery guide the entire design. Elements live in defined spaces with a clear hierarchy. Color and type choices are bold and deliberate.
Motion provides meaning: Animation is a key component of Material Design, but it can’t just be there for the sake of movement. Animations need to happen in a single environment, serve to focus the design and include simple and easy transitions. Movements and actions should mirror the physical world.

Few points we need to understand about Material Design:

Understanding the “Tactile Surface”
One of the things that comes up a lot when talking about layered interfaces is the “tactile surface.

Think of this as having multiple sheets of paper that are stacked together to create a framework for how everything within the design works. These sheets are a little different from physical sheets of paper in that they can change shape and form — such as stretch or bend — but work in a way that is seemingly realistic.

As explained in Mobile Design Trends for 2015, treat the tactile surface is a container for content and information. The container is flat in design but has a faint shadow to separate it from other containers and layers. Other techniques to create separation between layers – such as textures, gradients or strokes – are unnecessary.Material Design-infographicYou can see the separation in the layers for the Reddit app, above. There is an obvious top menu layer covering a greyed out main content layer. Even the main header image contains elements of layering and shading that emphasize a three-dimensional tactile surface.

As demonstrated in the Android Lollipop UI Kit, a tactile surface clearly established the relationship and function of content within a design. (Each container often has one job, such as a link or video player.) This approach also establishes depth, as elements in other containers are layered, creating a seemingly three-dimensional world.

Material is Made for Adaptive Design:
Layered interfaces
are inherently made for adaptive design. All of the design guidelines actually encourage a designer to work with an adaptive layout (whether you prefer Adaptive or responsive is up for debate, however.)

When thinking about layered interfaces, it is important to consider how all the elements relate to one another.

Google recommends its standards because of a “flexible grid that ensures consistency across layouts, breakpoint details about how content reflows on different screens, and a description of how an app can scale from small to extra-large screens.”

Considerations include:

Breakpoints: Widths include 480, 600, 840, 960, 1280, 1440 and 1600 pixels.
Grid: 12-column layout with margins and gutters (8, 16, 24, or 40 pixels) and a baseline grid.
Surface behaviors: UI adapts to the type of screen so that surfaces are visible or toggled to hide.
Patterns: Function is based on screen size, including reveal, transform, expand, reflow and divide.

These considerations make it easy for designers to ensure their interfaces adapt for any device in any situation. They provide a baseline to help designers as they construct layouts for desktop, tablet and smartphone.

Material and Other Mobile Design Trends:
When it comes to creating layered interfaces, other trends also come into play.

  • Material Design has borrowed plenty of design concepts from the flat aesthetic and other trendy techniques. In fact, some would argue that Material Design is a close cousin to Flat Design 2.0 because many of the visual treatments are quite similar.
  • What separate layered interfaces from totally flat design is that effects are needed to create more three-dimensional spaces and to mimic lighting. In essence, designers are bringing back some of the design tricks eliminated with flat. The difference is that they’re using these tricks to improve usability rather than simply as decorative accents.
  • The colors most closely associated with layered interface design nearly fall within the flat aesthetic. The big difference is the vast number of color options that Google provides. Palette options are in the same vein though – bright, bold and fully-saturated hues.
  • While many designers opted for blues and reds when it comes to designing flat, more layered interfaces seem to feature deep purples and yellows. That’s likely because each of these hues is easy to pair with contrasting white or black text.
  • Layered interfaces also work well in the space of minimalism, particularly when it comes to typography. Type is stacked with clear hierarchy and sans serif options are the preferred choice. Google suggests using Roboto as the dominant typeface and it comes with plenty of choices, from thin to bold to italic to condensed.
  • The variety helps create levels of type that guide users between elements. In the true spirit of minimalism, one font can pretty much do everything you need with proper sizing and scaling.
  • You’d be hard-pressed to find a website without a full-screen image these days and layered interfaces further emphasize the use of vivid, intentional imagery.
  • The apps make the most of a simple photo for this very purpose, showing that Material Design  does not just use color, photos  and effects solely for visual impact — they are an essential part of the design.
  • Finally, layered interfaces are perfectly made for cards, which we discussed in the previous chapter. Looking through the examples showcased, almost every design includes something with a card-like element. From smaller cards to full-screen options, these trends go hand-in-hand.

Material Design looks nice and it works well in a variety of places. Designers will want to take advantage of that and the lite version provides the perfect level of guidance. Material Design Lite is also a good tool for designers and developers that want to create a unified web-app experience, so that apps look, feel and function in the same way regardless of device. Layers are definitely going to stick around, but the overall look may be a little more “layered” and a little less material, so that the design falls somewhere between Material Lite and iOS standards.Material Design 2The Weather Channel iOS app is already using this approach. The app layers cards, colors and images. Where the design concepts overlap most is in the use of cards and the placement of geometric shapes. Where the design is “less Material” is in the lack of depth and shadowing so that the overall look is flatter and streamlined.

Gradients and monochromatic color layers are another way layered interfaces can continue to grow visually. Monochromatic color palettes are a classic design technique that make it easy to create sharp elements to fit almost any type of content.

The Elevate iOS app uses a gradient background with multiple levels of cards in its design. The animations and movements are very Material Design in nature but the use of a gradient is not. This simple evolution highlights how designers will start to break the visual rules of layered interfaces while continuing to leverage its more functional aspects.

Designers will continue to evolve layered interfaces and Material Design concepts with darker colors and hues. Most of the apps available right now feature light and white color schemes, but darker colors will start to emerge. Weather Timeline is a perfect example of this. The simple change to the color palette is enough to really make this app stand out from all the others available. It still uses a style that’s distinctly layered, but the darker interface is simple and elegant. The colors for the entire design are less saturated and toned to match the darker aesthetic.

Today’s layered interfaces are just the start. The simple visual style and high usability of this design style will continue to emerge and grow as designers — not just for Android — will latch on the concepts. What may be even more interesting is that the look of layered interfaces is really just an extension of a lot of the design techniques that have been growing in popularity for several years, including flat and minimalism.

At some point the pendulum may swing back to more “realistic-looking” interfaces, but until then this concept appears to have quite the foothold.

Mantra Labs deep dives into latest trends and innovations in the Web, Mobile, Enterprise and Internet of Things space. The insights generated from these studies helps us provide more value for our clients.

Guest written by P. Sudhakar, our ace Design Lead.

Cancel

Knowledge thats worth delivered in your inbox

How Smarter Sales Apps Are Reinventing the Frontlines of Insurance Distribution

The insurance industry thrives on relationships—but it can only scale through efficiency, precision, and timely distribution. While much of the digital transformation buzz has focused on customer-facing portals, the real transformation is happening in the field, where modern sales apps are quietly driving a smarter, faster, and more empowered agent network.

Let’s explore how mobile-first sales enablement platforms are reshaping insurance sales across prospecting, onboarding, servicing, renewals, and growth.

The Insurance Agent Needs More Than a CRM

Today’s insurance agent is not just a policy seller—they’re also a financial advisor, data gatherer, service representative, and the face of the brand. Yet many still rely on paper forms, disconnected tools, and manual processes.

That’s where intelligent sales apps come in—not just to digitize, but to optimize, personalize, and future-proof the entire agent journey.

Real-World Use Cases: What Smart Sales Apps Are Solving

Across the insurance value chain, sales agent apps have evolved into full-service platforms—streamlining operations, boosting conversions, and empowering agents in the field. These tools aren’t optional anymore, they’re critical to how modern insurers perform. Here’s how leading insurers are empowering their agents through technology:

1. Intelligent Prospecting & Lead Management

Sales apps now empower agents to:

  • Prioritize leads using filters like policy type, value, or geography
  • Schedule follow-ups with integrated agent calendars
  • Utilize locators to look for nearby branch offices or partner physicians
  • Register and service new leads directly from mobile devices

Agents spend significantly less time navigating through disjointed systems or chasing down information. With quick access to prioritized leads, appointment scheduling, and location tools—all in one app—they can focus more on meaningful customer interactions and closing sales, rather than administrative overhead.

2. Seamless Policy Servicing, Renewals & Claims 

Sales apps centralize post-sale activities such as:

  • Tracking policy status, premium due date, and claims progress
  • Sending renewal reminders, greetings, and policy alerts in real-time
  • Accessing digital sales journeys and pre-filled forms.
  • Policy comparison, calculating premiums, and submitting documents digitally
  • Registering and monitoring customer complaints through the app itself

Customers receive a consistent and seamless experience across touchpoints—whether online, in-person, or via mobile. With digital forms, real-time policy updates, and instant access to servicing tools, agents can handle post-sale tasks like renewals and claims faster, without paperwork delays—leading to improved satisfaction and higher retention.

3. Remote Sales using Assisted Tools

Using smart tools, agents can:

  • Securely co-browse documents with customers through proposals
  • Share product visualizations in real time
  • Complete eKYC and onboarding remotely.

Agents can conduct secure, interactive consultations from anywhere—sharing proposals, visual aids, and completing eKYC remotely. This not only expands their reach to customers in digital-first or geographically dispersed markets, but also builds greater trust through real-time engagement, clear communication, and a personalized advisory experience—all without needing a physical presence.

4. Real-Time Training, Performance & Compliance Monitoring

Modern insurance apps provide:

  • On-demand access to training material
  • Commission dashboards and incentive monitoring
  • Performance reporting with actionable insights

Field agents gain access to real-time performance insights, training modules, and incentive tracking—directly within the app. This empowers them to upskill on the go, stay motivated through transparent goal-setting, and make informed decisions that align with overall business KPIs. The result is a more agile, knowledgeable, and performance-driven sales force.

5. End-to-End Sales Execution—Even Offline

Advanced insurance apps support:

  • Full application submission, from prospect to payment
  • Offline functionality in low-connectivity zones
  • Real-time needs analysis, quote generation, and e-signatures
  • Multi-login access with secure OTP-based authentication

Even in low-connectivity or remote Tier 2 and 3 markets, agents can operate at full capacity—thanks to offline capabilities, secure authentication, and end-to-end sales execution tools. This ensures uninterrupted productivity, faster policy issuance, and adherence to compliance standards, regardless of location or network availability.

6. AI-Powered Personalization for Health-Linked Products

Some forward-thinking insurers are combining AI with health platforms to:

  • Import real-time health data from fitness trackers or health apps 
  • Offer hyper-personalized insurance suggestions based on lifestyle
  • Enable field agents to tailor recommendations with more context

By integrating real-time health data from fitness trackers and wellness apps, insurers can offer hyper-personalized, preventive insurance products tailored to individual lifestyles. This empowers agents to move beyond transactional selling—becoming trusted advisors who recommend coverage based on customers’ health habits, life stages, and future needs, ultimately deepening engagement and improving long-term retention.

The Mantra Labs Advantage: Turning Strategy into Scalable Execution

We help insurers go beyond surface-level digitization to build intelligent, mobile-first ecosystems that optimize agent efficiency and customer engagement—backed by real-world impact.

Seamless Sales Enablement for Travel Insurance

We partnered with a leading travel insurance provider to develop a high-performance agent workflow platform featuring:

  • Secure Logins: Instant credential-based access without sign-up friction
  • Real-Time Performance Dashboards: At-a-glance insights into daily/monthly targets, policy issuance, and collections
  • Frictionless Policy Issuance: Complete issuance post-payment and document verification
  • OCR Integration: Auto-filled customer details directly from passport scans, minimizing errors and speeding up onboarding

This mobile-first solution empowered agents to close policies faster with significantly reduced paperwork and data entry time—improving agent productivity by 2x and enabling sales at scale.

Engagement + Analytics Transformation for Health Insurance

For one of India’s leading health insurers, we helped implement a full-funnel engagement and analytics stack:

  • User Journey Intelligence: Replaced legacy systems to track granular app behavior—policy purchases, renewals, claims, discounts, and drop-offs. Enabled real-time behavioral segmentation and personalized push/email notifications.
  • Gamified Wellness with Fitness Tracking: Added gamified fitness engagement, with rewards based on step counts and interactive nutrition quizzes—driving repeat app visits and user loyalty.
  • Attribution Tracking: Trace the exact source of traffic—whether it’s a paid campaign, referral program, or organic source—adding a layer of precision to marketing ROI.
  • Analytics: Integrated analytics to identify user interest segments. This allowed for hyper-targeted email and in-app notifications that aligned perfectly with user intent, driving both relevance and response rates.

Whether you’re digitizing field sales, gamifying customer wellness, or fine-tuning your marketing engine, Mantra Labs brings the technology depth, insurance expertise, and user-first design to turn strategy into scalable execution.

If you’re ready to modernize your agent network – Get in touch with us to explore how we can build intelligent, mobile-first tools tailored to your distribution strategy. Just remember, the best sales apps aren’t just tools, they’re growth engines; and field sales success isn’t about more apps. It’s about the right workflows, in the right hands, at the right time.

Cancel

Knowledge thats worth delivered in your inbox

Loading More Posts ...
Go Top
ml floating chatbot