Dashboard UX Design: For business efficiency of independent insurance agents
Goal
Project level Goal: Design an intuitive portal that allows independent insurance agents to efficiently communicate and quickly customize policy information with new customers, and provide essential services to existing customers.
Practice level Goal: Help client (an insurance provider) build lasting partnerships with independent agents who represent and deliver the client's solutions to customers.
Process
Built a functioning hi-fidelity prototype as a proof-of-concept in 7 days, based on initial research and requirements provided by client.
Role
Sole UX Designer, I was conducting user interviews (on the claims experience) for the client as a research consultant, when this High priority, tight timeline design requirement came up.
A designer at heart, I volunteered as tribute and shifted gears to designer mode.
IMPACT
Good news: It was very well received by the client, I received a job offer based on this.
Bad news: My job offer was rescinded and the position was taken off the table. I do not have information about whether the concept became an actual product.
(P.S.- If you are looking for high-impact projects, you should read about the time I redesigned the Walmart Academy App which touched the lives of 1 million+ users and was presented at the White House!)
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Brief:
The client provides insurance to homeowners, business owners, and landlords via independent agents.
Independent agents work with multiple insurance carriers, and there is fierce competition amongst carriers for agents’ business. Providing agents with an efficient and intuitive portal experience is essential to the client's growth.
Process Overview:
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Research Analysis
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Discovery
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User Flow
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Sketch
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Wireframe
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Prototype
Team:
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Sole UX Designer (Me) receiving research data from analytics team.
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Reported to Chief Innovation Officer (stakeholder)
Project Duration:
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7 days
Tools used:
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Figma
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Figjam
THE DESIGN PROCESS:
Research-Analysis:
What I achieved at this stage:
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Visually represented gathered data for analysis and drafted information architecture.
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Partnered with the client's analytics team to understand and interpret initial user research to make key design decisions.
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Asked the stakeholder tons of clarifying questions and established a great working relationship!
This is what I found from initial research analysis:
The client wanted a 'homepage' that told independent agents a story about the client,
BUT...
Research was telling me that is NOT what the users are looking for!
Initial homepage-y sketches and brainstorming, before I decided to investigate!
Discovery
Something was not adding up.
The homepage had a lot of client-related information which was not needed for the users to reach their goal, and would slow them down = BAD USER EXPERIENCE.
I decided to investigate further.
Challenges:
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Time constraint: Deadline in <7days.
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Privacy constraints: Lack of competitive data available freely.
Leveraged social media and industry network to understand the insurance industry and it's common practices better.
Spoke to 3 participants who worked in insurance and their organizations had one thing in common: a DASHBOARD experience for agents, instead of a 'homepage'.
User Flow
What I achieved at this stage:
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For 1 user profile (of an independent insurance agent), I mapped 3 main tasks and 2 supplementary tasks on Figjam.
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Recommended additional features, based on discovery and research.
Design Principles
Before starting on the actual designs, I decided to lay down the design principles for this project:
Sketches
My sketching process was experimental and even iterative, a lot like the Crazy 8s.
Wireframes
My wireframes were iterative and created on Figma.
Agents can provide services like claim submissions to 'Current Clients' and quote 'New Business', and access client insurance resources easily.
Focus is on important numbers that the agents need to see immediately.
In this iteration, I have moved the 3 main workflows to the top of the page and the numbers have moved to the left pane.
Client support options and alert features have also been added.
Busy agents can come back to their incomplete tasks quickly with saved progress.
Clients can be searched using multiple identifiers and the 'Submit a claim' button is very easily accessible and visible with a highlighted button.
Prototype:
I learned a lot about managing tight deadlines and designing dashboards efficiently on this project. Please reach out if you would like to chat further about it!
Selected Projects
Oct 2022
Secure portal for insurance agents to conduct business efficiently
UX Design, user flows, data visualization, hi-fidelity prototyping, Figma. greenfield project, sole UX Designer, insurance industry
