Insurtech Platform
November 2022 — Present
November 2022 — Present
Two year project ran alongside an American startup, starting from early explorations until the first release of the product. During this time, I led the design of a platform that aims to modernize the way insurance agencies currently work, streamlining the many different steps and parties involved into a single spot.
Participation
Product design
Feature mapping
User testing
User stories
Acceptance criteria
Dev support
UX Team
* Images of the final product are not included due to confidentiality agreements.
* Images of the final product are not included due to confidentiality agreements.
About the industry
Insurance is a part of everyone's life, and yet purchasing and managing policies is a complicated and technologically outdated process. As clients, when we need insurance, all we see is the agent we talk to, and the payments we make.
*What we see when purchasing insurance
In reality, the process consists of a heavy back and forth between multiple parties. The insurance agent is at the center of this, acting as liaison between the insured and the different companies that offer insurance policies and financing plans.
*Simplified overview of the full process
Agencies already have tools that assist them with certain steps of the process, but these options are limited, intended more for data storage than direct engagement between parties.
These platforms also suffer from outdated interfaces, with complicated ways of completing actions. This has led many agents to resort to personal methods of tracking their work, having to keep close attention to manually logging everything.
Current applications
AMS360
Applied
Pain points
• Multiple tools required for different steps.
• Not all participants are included.
• Intended more for data storage than direct actions.
• Outdated patterns to navigate complex data.
Current applications
AMS360
Applied
Pain points
• Multiple tools required for different steps.
• Not all participants are included.
• Intended more for data storage than direct actions.
• Outdated patterns to navigate complex data.
Improve the insurance process by integrating all the steps into a single spot?
Improve the insurance process by integrating all the steps into a single spot?
Improve the insurance process by integrating all the steps into a single spot?
About the industry
Insurance is a part of everyone's life, and yet purchasing and managing policies is a complicated and technologically outdated process. As clients, when we need insurance, all we see is the agent we talk to, and the payments we make.
*What we see when purchasing insurance
In reality, the process consists of a heavy back and forth between multiple parties. The insurance agent is at the center of this, acting as liaison between the insured and the different companies that offer insurance policies and financing plans.
*Simplified overview of the full process
Agencies already have tools that assist them with certain steps of the process, but these options are limited, intended more for data storage than direct engagement between parties.
These platforms also suffer from outdated interfaces, with complicated ways of completing actions. This has led many agents to resort to personal methods of tracking their work, having to keep close attention to manually logging everything.
Current applications
AMS360
Pain points
• Multiple tools required for different steps.
• Not all participants are included.
• Intended more for data storage than actions.
• Outdated patterns to navigate complex data.
Improve the insurance process by integrating all the steps into a single spot?
Exploring the idea
The design process began by creating low-fidelity mockups of different insurance processes, to gauge interest with potential users and investors. Their feedback helped us determine which of these processes would have the highest impact on the current workflow, and would define our starting point.
Early exploration mockups
Generate an insurance invoice
Involves
Early exploration mockups
Generate an insurance invoice
Involves
Early exploration mockups
Generate an insurance invoice
Involves
We realized that the main part of the process that involves all parties at once is invoicing. This is when an agent sends the policy and pricing details to the insured.
Policies are offered by a third party called Carriers, payments are done through a Broker, and can be financed by Finance Companies. All of these different steps are currently done individually and staggered.
Involvement during invoicing process
• Receive email with invoice information and payment details.
• Select financing and payment methods.
• Sign required documents.
• Multiple recipients may be required for signing, paying, or visibility.
• Receive email with invoice information and payment details.
• Select financing and payment methods.
• Sign required documents.
• Multiple recipients may be required due to for signing, paying, or visibility.
• Connect individually with all other parties
• Invoice policies from different carriers one by one.
• Create bills with detailed pricing.
• Request financing plans for policies.
• Send documents back and forth for signing.
And many more
• Connect individually with all other parties
• Invoice policies from different carriers one by one.
• Create bills with detailed pricing.
• Request financing plans for policies.
• Send documents back and forth for signing.
• And many more
• Send policy information with pricing breakdowns.
• Request signature on multiple documents.
• Send policy information with pricing breakdowns.
• Request signature on multiple documents.
• Receive detailed request for quotes.
• Return quotes which may vary by policies and schedule.
• Request signature on multiple documents.
• Receive detailed request for quotes.
• Return quotes which may vary by policies and schedule.
• Request signature on multiple documents.
Creating an invoice
We managed to simplify the requirements across all parties into a single form, allowing agents to complete most of the steps at once.
This also meant we could automatically store and organize the invoicing data for further features.
• Simplifies a multi-step process into a single form.
• Allows direct interaction between parties.
• Includes detailed settings for all steps.
• Automatically stores and organizes data.
Putting it to the test
We met with about two dozen users to test the design with.
Given the length and complexity of the form, many users struggled to understand certain aspects of it, indicating the need for improvements. However, we learned that users were also very excited by the tests, considering it to be a noticeable upgrade to their current workflow and a step towards modernizing their industry.
We analyzed all of the testing data to define the action items that needed to be applied to the design for the second iteration of the form.
Iterating the design
V.1
V.2
Improvements
• Improved navigation.
• Added a preview to prevent errors.
• Expanded recipient types.
• Redesigned policy layout.
• Added complex pricing options.
• Created a document section.
• Added automatic status updates.
• Added optional approval flows.
And many more
• Created new document section.
• Added automatic status updates.
• Included options to approve.
And many more
Exploring the idea
The design process began by creating low-fidelity mockups of different insurance processes, to gauge interest with potential users and investors. Their feedback helped us determine which of these processes would have the highest impact on the current workflow, and would define our starting point.
Early exploration mockups
Involves
Generate an invoice
We realized that the main part of the process that involves all parties at once is invoicing. This is when an agent sends the policy and pricing details to the insured.
Policies are offered by a third party called Carriers, payments are done through a Broker, and can be financed by Finance Companies. All of these different steps are currently done individually and staggered.
Involvement during invoicing
• Receive email with invoice information and payment details.
• Select financing and payment methods.
• Sign required documents.
• Multiple recipients may be required due to for signing, paying, or visibility.
• Connect individually with all other parties
• Invoice policies from different carriers one by one.
• Create bills with detailed pricing.
• Request financing plans for policies.
• Send documents back and forth for signing.
And many more
• Send policy information with pricing breakdowns.
• Request signature on multiple documents.
• Receive detailed request for quotes.
• Return quotes which may vary by policies and schedule.
• Request signature on multiple documents.
Creating an invoice
We managed to simplify the requirements across all parties into a single form, allowing agents to complete most of the steps at once.
This also meant we could automatically store and organize the invoicing data for further features.
• Simplifies a multi-step process into a single form.
• Allows direct interaction between parties.
• Includes detailed settings for all steps.
• Automatically stores and organizes data.
• Allows direct interaction between parties.
• Includes detailed settings for all steps.
• Automatically stores and organizes data.
Putting it to the test
We met with about two dozen users to test the design with.
Given the length and complexity of the form, many users struggled to understand certain aspects of it, indicating the need for improvements. However, we learned that users were also very excited by the tests, considering it to be a noticeable upgrade to their current workflow and a step towards modernizing their industry.
We analyzed all of the testing data to define the action items that needed to be applied to the design for the second iteration of the form.
Iterating the design
V.1
V.2
Improvements
• Improved navigation.
• Added a preview to prevent errors.
• Expanded recipient types.
• Redesigned policy layout.
• Added complex pricing options.
• Created a document section.
• Added automatic status updates.
• Added optional approval flows.
And many more
• Created new document section.
• Added automatic status updates.
• Included options to approve.
And many more
Assisting development
Acceptance criteria
Wrote all of the product's technical specifications, organizing them by sections and features. This list was regularly updated with new features and changes, and was used directly by the development team for work tickets, tech discussions, and QA.
User stories
Created user stories in Jira, including descriptions, relevant specifications, and reference images to ensure that the requirements were understood by the developers. These tickets were used directly by the team as work assignments.
Technical walkthroughs
Hosted presentations with the development team to explain new features before shipping them. These included showcasing the prototype, explaining relevant specifications, and Q&A sessions. Developers could also get in touch with technical questions at any moment through internal channels.
Design quality assurance
Conducted inspections of the product on staging platform, pointing out discrepancies between the intended design and the developed product. These issues were presented to the team using visual and written explanations of the specific aspects that needed fixing.
Assisting development
Acceptance criteria
Wrote all of the product's technical specifications, organizing them by sections and features. This list was regularly updated with new features and changes, and was used directly by the development team for work tickets, tech discussions, and QA.
User stories
Created user stories in Jira, including descriptions, relevant specifications, and reference images to ensure that the requirements were understood by the developers. These tickets were used directly by the team as work assignments.
Technical walkthroughs
Hosted presentations with the development team to explain new features before shipping them. These included showcasing the prototype, explaining relevant specifications, and Q&A sessions. Developers could also get in touch with technical questions at any moment through internal channels.
Design quality assurance
Conducted inspections of the product on staging platform, pointing out discrepancies between the intended design and the developed product. These issues were presented to the team using visual and written explanations of the specific aspects that needed fixing.
Moving forward
Moving forward
Finalizing the invoice form was a huge victory, but only the first of many features we had planned.
We drafted a product roadmap and set out to tackle it one feature at a time, in the same manner. Since then, the platform has grown to include online checkout, premium financing, commission payables, and much more to come.
Two years later, we've launched the platform into closed beta, and is currently being used by six agencies in the United States.
Finalizing the invoice form was a huge victory, but only the first of many features we had planned.
We drafted a product roadmap and set out to tackle it one feature at a time, in the same manner. Since then, the platform has grown to include online checkout, premium financing, commission payables, and much more to come.
Two years later, we've launched the platform into closed beta, and is currently being used by six agencies in the United States.
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