My Role
Senior Product Designer
Flexing between BAU and strategy
Responsibilities
Design Lead, UX Research, UX Strategy, Facilitator, UI
Team
Part of a dedicated client squad leading the design strategy and process
TLDR;
SOLUTION
An app revamp and overhaul
Redesigned the app's information architecture to streamline core user journeys
Defined clear objectives for existing and new features including gamification elements to incentivise repeat usage
Restructured content to surface most relevant calls-to-action while meeting varied business, stakeholder and partnership requirements
OBSTACLES
Navigating shifting team structures:
Ongoing restructures and organisational changes required constant realignment across teams
Balancing diverse stakeholder priorities: With input from numerous departments and partners, aligning on a unified content strategy proved challenging, often requiring negotiation and compromise
Tight timelines and shrinking budgets: Time limitations and progressive budget reductions required us to adapt our scope, simplifying flows and interface components while still preserving core functionality and user value
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Content we designed for today will change for tomorrow... While our goal was to build with flexibility in mind, we learned that strong content strategy is a prerequisite for good UX. Although the design accounted for content variability, the business’s ability to continuously produce content was a key dependency. In hindsight, modularity alone wasn’t enough—dynamic content sets may be a more effective solution next time
Clarity over perfection...with numerous variables and moving parts, aiming for 'perfect' can be an unrealistic goal, focusing on clarity and consistency was a more effective strategy
Background
Ireland’s leading healthcare and insurance provider, delivering market-leading services such as healthcare insurance, facilities and health and wellness benefits for over 1 million personal and corporate customers everyday. Vhi own 50% of market share in Ireland.
Objective
As Vhi’s digital design partner, our goal was to overhaul the business’ customer-facing app, using a customer-centric approach to enhance the user experience by digitising its offline features such as their healthcare clinics, midwife, screening and wellness services. This included restructuring entry and exit pathways, navigational elements, user flows and upgrading their design system.
Challenges
01
Set Vhi apart from its competitors by creating the number 1 health insurance app in the market
02
Creating an app for both Vhi’s younger user base as well as Vhi’s older user base, striking the balance between digitally aware audiences and older audiences
03
Assist with the business’ digital transformation strategy, moving from just a healthcare insurer to become a healthcare provider and health insurer
04
Strengthening the link in the customers’ mind between Vhi and innovation
Approach
To meet these key challenges, our team has baked a user-centric approach into the business’ digital and design process. For us, being data-informed and involving Vhi customers in design and dev decisions was the key to overhauling its app. To truly empower our users to take control of their health through easy-to-access services, our projects start with user research allowing us to truly understand the core needs, values and behaviours of Vhi’s app user base.
Research Methods
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In-depth user interviews
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Concept testing
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Information Architecture research
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Scenario-based testing
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Usability testing
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Competitor analysis
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Customer-center call data analysis
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Google Data Studio
To help Vhi reach its goal of being an innovator in the insurance space, our team holds bi-annual discovery workshops with key stakeholders. In these sessions, our squad brings new insights and user research to the table allowing us and the client team to collaborate on problems that need to be solved, promote innovation and apply new solutions to customer needs in the future. Here, long-term goal setting and roadmapping allows us to be facing the same direction for the year ahead.
Key Solutions
Policy & Cover Check
Feature allowing users to check what they are covered for and for which outpatient facilities
Improved content layout to ease in understanding complicated hospital jargon
