Enhanced the quoting process by achieving user clarity and efficiency
Here’s how I helped
In digital insurance, the quoting process allows users to quickly input their details online to receive an instant estimate of their insurance premium. This streamlined approach offers a more efficient and personalized experience, leveraging technology to provide accurate and accessible quotes, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and user experience in the insurance buying process.
Understanding the problem
Presenting quotes to users in digital insurance involves a complex array of components, even for a single coverage. Users must navigate through various customization options like limits, retentions, and deductibles, while also having the flexibility to select their coverage start date. It's crucial to provide them with easy access to downloadable documents, such as the specimen policy and application summary. Additionally, clear communication regarding the total cost is essential.
Introducing multiple coverages into this process adds further complexity, not only due to the increased number of options but also because each application can follow one of three paths: eligible, ineligible, or referred. In cases marked as referred, the underwriting team must review the application to determine eligibility, often due to certain responses that render the application less straightforward. This scenario underscores the intricate nature of the quoting process in digital insurance and the challenges in designing an experience that is both comprehensive and user-friendly.
User persona
The creation of the user persona was an integrated process, starting with the analytics team gathering initial insights. This was followed by a collaborative workshop where the UX Design, Product Management, Marketing, and Customer Success teams worked together to shape these insights into a detailed persona. The resulting draft underwent user validation to ensure authenticity and was subsequently refined by the UX team to effectively guide product development aimed at small accounting firm owners.
Collaborating on flowchart revisions: Balancing design and technical limitations
Creating flowcharts for the insurance quoting process was a key step in our project, involving close collaboration with the product owner and the backend engineer lead. Initially, I developed a flowchart that separated the referral process from the actual quoting, enabling users to bind eligible policies while waiting for decisions on referred ones. This approach was strategically designed to engage as many users as possible early in the process, preventing them from seeking alternatives during the underwriting wait.
However, after consulting with the backend engineer lead and product owners, we identified a critical issue: this separation would lead to multiple policy start dates, complicating how users are charged. This concern related to the time period of charges – whether from the moment one policy was bound or after receiving the underwriter's decision. Given the existing technical limitations, this feedback necessitated a rework of the flowchart. The revised flow supported these technical constraints, resulting in a simplified overall process but adding complexity to individual screens. This adjustment was crucial in aligning the design with technical capabilities while still striving to meet user needs effectively.
Researching checkout UX to refine the insurance quoting process
In researching ways to refine our insurance quoting experience, I looked to other checkout UX processes for inspiration, understanding that the essence of finalizing an insurance quote is akin to completing an online purchase. Statistics indicate that on average, 70% of checkouts are abandoned¹, highlighting the need for a seamless process.
This research revealed that unexpected charges, mandatory account creation, overly complicated processes, performance issues, and a lack of payment or shipping options are the main deterrents in checkout experiences. By incorporating these findings, we aimed to design an insurance quoting process that minimizes abandonment by avoiding these pitfalls, thereby enhancing user satisfaction and increasing the likelihood of users completing their insurance purchase journey.
1 bolt.com/blog/reasons-for-checkout-abandonment
Utilizing low fidelity wireframes for early stakeholder communication
In the early stages of the project, I created low fidelity wireframes as a means to effectively communicate our design concepts to stakeholders. These wireframes provided a visual representation of the user interface and flow, allowing stakeholders to grasp the core ideas and functionalities without the distraction of detailed design elements. This approach facilitated clear and concise discussions, enabling stakeholders to provide valuable feedback on the overall direction and user experience.
By using low fidelity wireframes, we ensured that the foundational aspects of the design were aligned with stakeholder expectations and project objectives, setting a solid basis for further refinement and high-fidelity development. This method proved to be an efficient way to involve stakeholders in the design process from an early stage, fostering collaboration and mutual understanding.
Final design updates: Modernizing the look of all digital quoting pages
BeforeAfterThis project served not only to enhance the quoting process but also to modernize the look of all quoting pages across our digital products. By applying Gestalt theory, we improved the user interface to intuitively group related elements, such as placing the quote expiry date and the quoted premium close together. This visual grouping helps users quickly comprehend connected information, making the interface more user-friendly.
Recognizing that insurance terminology can be daunting, we incorporated extensive guidance in the form of tooltips. These tooltips offer explanations and context, making the information more accessible and reducing user anxiety. Additionally, we replaced the 'X' button for removing coverage with toggles, creating a less permanent feel to the selection process and encouraging exploration of different coverage options. Furthermore, the traditional 'Close' button was substituted with a 'Save and Exit' button, reassuring users that their progress would be saved, enhancing the overall user experience by providing a sense of security and control. This redesign not only updated the aesthetic but also made the quoting process more intuitive and reassuring for users.
Fully Eligiblepartially declinedpartially referredreferredThrough the integration of effective UX writing and the placement of coverage cards in segmented sections, we significantly improved our communication with users regarding the status of their insurance applications. This design choice allowed for a clear, organized presentation of information, enabling users to easily track the progress of their application.
By using clear and direct language in these sections, we ensured that users were well-informed about each stage of their application, whether it was under review, approved, or required additional action. This methodical approach not only streamlined the user experience but also provided a sense of transparency and trust, as users could readily understand and follow the status updates of their applications within the intuitively arranged coverage cards.
Further modernizing the UI: Bridging the gap to a shopping experience
In taking the concept of modernizing our UI further, we aimed to align it more closely with the familiar look and feel of an online shopping experience. However, at the time, resource limitations constrained our ability to fully implement these upgrades. Despite this, our designs primarily addressed the issue of taxes and fees being presented separately from the premium. In the previous model, these were shown on a different summary page, which could cause confusion and hinder transparency. Our goal was to integrate this information more directly into the initial quote presentation, similar to how an e-commerce site displays item prices and additional costs upfront.
This change was not just about aesthetics but also about enhancing the user experience by making pricing more straightforward and clear, thereby reducing surprises and improving user trust and satisfaction.
This case study showcases a successful redesign of the insurance quoting process, achieved through a focused approach on user experience and modernization. By creating a UX persona, we gained a deep understanding of our target user's needs, guiding the design to be more user-centric. Collaborative efforts with various teams led to the development of flowcharts and wireframes that effectively communicated design concepts and gathered valuable feedback.
The key accomplishment was modernizing the UI to mirror an online shopping experience, making the process intuitive and familiar for users. This included integrating key information, like taxes and fees, directly with the premium quotes for transparency and ease of understanding. Despite facing technical limitations, the team successfully navigated these challenges, resulting in a more streamlined and user-friendly quoting experience. The final outcome was a testament to the effective application of UX principles and teamwork, significantly enhancing the digital insurance experience for users.