For this project, I was tasked with redesigning Connecture’s small group module offering.
The Project:
Project Description: The small group module in Connecture’s enterprise software provides quoting, enrollment, and renewal tools and automation for small group insurance brokers. My role: Lead Interaction DesignerProject timeline: 4 modules over 3 yearsTesting: UserTesting.com, individual user tests with sponsored users
The Problem
Connecture’s small group offering was extremely outdated. It was designed years before I started at the company. The usability was never tested, and sales of the tool were declining. When we interviewed brokers, they identified confusing UI and workflows, sluggish page response times, and overall look and feel as pain points.
The Goal
Redesign the small group module to simplify the UI and workflow. Give brokers an intuitive, logical path from initial quote to enrollment, to renewal in a seamless environment.
What Went Well
We got to speak to brokers that specialize in small group insurance. We built personas around technical skill level, types of groups they dealt with, and type of insurance they sold since these were the key factors that influenced the design. Our design improved with each iteration, and we got feedback from real users to improve the product over the 3 years I worked on it.
What Didn’t Go So Well
Health insurance is very complicated. In our efforts to simplify the process, we didn’t account for some of these complications. Things like adding riders and conditional adjustments were initially very hard to use because we didn’t fully understand the intricacies.
What I Learned
I learned the importance of the iteration loop of design, develop, test, evaluate, repeat. A designers work is never done. This was my first really long term redesign, and it was exciting to see a project evolve over time. I learned the value of getting feedback from real users vs. internal employees of a company. We as internal employees are not our users. Many times, we’d have discussions about a way to solve a problem. Our quick validation tests with internal employees often yielded vastly different results when we tested with real users.
Results
Based on our redesign, at least 3 clients upgraded to our new experience and at least 4 new clients purchased our software. Brokers commented on how much easier it was to use than our existing offering.
Additional assets can be provided upon request.