Business Problem

People shopping on BCBSNC.com for insurance in North Carolina, had a difficult time using the site to compare plans and complete applications for coverage without calling a sales rep.

My Role

As the UX lead for this project, I was responsible for planning and conducting all UX research activities, and delivering all UX design deliverables, including:

User interviews,
Personas,
Process flows,
Site maps,
Wireframes / design specifications,
Interactive prototypes, and
Usability test results.

Discovery & Design Deliverables

To understand how people think and feel about purchasing health insurance, and what factors were critical for them to make a "buy" decision, I conducted one-on-one interviews and focus groups with dozens of people across the state. I also conducted a heuristic analysis and usability tests using the think aloud protocol to determine how well the existing site aligned with shoppers' needs and goals.

Shopper Persona EXCERPTS

Based on discovery interviews and field studies, I developed multiple personas to help project stakeholders and my partners in the development team understand the thoughts, beliefs, and likely actions that shoppers visiting BCBSNC.com would take.

USability Testing Existing BSBCNC.COM SHOPPER EXPERIENCE

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SITE MAP

Based on the user interviews and usability test results, I recommended several changes to the overall information architecture of the site as well as page-level design and content.

Wireframes

The redesign of the quote results page focused on logically grouping plans into product families based on the similarities of the base benefit structures.  It also provided a much more intuitive way to dynamically filter the view and compare pl… — The redesign of the quote results page focused on logically grouping plans into product families based on the similarities of the base benefit structures. It also provided a much more intuitive way to dynamically filter the view and compare plans of interest.

The most significant requirement coming out of discovery research was that the site needed to answer the basic question, "What would it cost if I needed a specific medical or surgical procedure?"  This side-by-side benefit comparison table uses… — The most significant requirement coming out of discovery research was that the site needed to answer the basic question, "What would it cost if I needed a specific medical or surgical procedure?" This side-by-side benefit comparison table uses that exact phrase to help shoppers understand how selected plans' benefits would apply in common medical scenarios.

This "Help Me Decide" page was designed to support the personas developed during discovery.  The design allows shoppers to select a scenario  that most closely reflects their current life situation (and hypothetical medical needs), and com… — This "Help Me Decide" page was designed to support the personas developed during discovery. The design allows shoppers to select a scenario that most closely reflects their current life situation (and hypothetical medical needs), and compare estimates of total out-of-pocket cost for an entire year. This page was a tremendous success in prototype testing.

Project Outcome

Six months after the site went live, "no-touch" sales had increased 175% vs the previous six month period, and general help desk calls for coverage-related questions reduced by 400% for the same period. The Interactive Media Council awarded the site with the Outstanding Achievement Award for the Insurance category in 2011. View press release