WSIB Mobile Strategy
Overview
Dealing with the fallout of an injury while following up with an insurance claim can be a daunting prospect. I was part of an ambitious project exploring what a mobile app could bring to the WSIB experience, and how it could improve the lives of over 5 million Ontario workers.
Getting compensated for workplace injury should be a simple, painless process; here was our approach.
My contribution
Product strategy User research Product design
The team
2x leads 5x designers 6x developers 2x communication
Year
2022
The Problem
The initial problem space of this project was very open ended; we started off with no specific goals or features in place. We were posed the challenge of determining what a possible WSIB mobile app would look like, and how to best enhance their experience with technology.
Our first step was to gain insight on our users and discover their needs and pain points.
User Research
We had the following research goals for our project:
- Gain a holistic sense of how users go through the current claims process itself, the issues they experience, and where a mobile app could support actions during it.
- To develop an understanding of user pain points experienced when using similar insurance applications
- Understand user’s perception of a mobile app and whether or not there is a need/demand for the product and how to encourage adoption.
Research Methods
Monitoring Online Discussion
We compiled online discussion from forums and related groups about the WSIB claims process; it gave us insight for the common problems, questions, and knowledge gaps of users.
- People found communication with WSIB to be difficult at times; calling was often their only option
- Those who submitted claims were uncertain of their responsibilities/actions required
- People were at a very vulnerable stage in their lives- they often had challenges juggling logistics and keeping WSIB updated while healing from their injury
“I was injured 2 days ago, and I’m frustrated. I’m not sure who to send stuff to or what to send”
Affinity Map: Competitor Feedback + Competitive Analysis
We compiled relevant google play and apple store reviews of other insurance apps, grouping ones on the same topic.
For example, users were often frustrated they needed to use the web to search for resources on what supporting documents to upload, which sometimes caused them to lose their progress. Thus, we included an auto-save feature, as well as making sure to have all relevant information/tips available when they were needed.
“Submitting claims is a chore. There’s so much guesswork to ensure you’re submitting properly”
User Interviews
To gain a further understanding of the problem space, we conducted 10 user interviews, lasting approximately 45 minutes each. I conduced 3 of them.
“We would have appreciated an estimated time of when it might get done, as it was very challenging to not have compensation during COVID.”
When screening for participants, we were focusing on people whose demographics aligned with those who received coverage from WSIB; they lived in Ontario, their occupation was an insured industry (construction, agriculture, manufacturing etc.), and they had their own experience of submitting insurance claims.
From our interview results, we we conducted a thematic analysis of reoccurring threads that we saw in interview responses. For each theme, we came up with associated features and actions to ensure they impacted our design. Themes include:
- Transparency: users desire easily accessible information on the status and progress of their claim, documentation and records of communications with WSIB
- Trust: it is important to establish trust throughout the claims process. Responses indicate that users have a negative impression of insurance companies based on their own experiences or what they have heard from friends and family who have previously filed claims.
- A Human Touch: People tend to lack trust in purely digital/automated process; calling or directly speaking to a person is seen as a more reliable mean of gathering information.
Design Process
Designs went over several rounds of iteration after internal feedback and usability testing.
Sketches and Low-Fidelity Prototypes
Design Iterations
Each page of the app had several design iterations, with internal feedback or with usability testing.
Usability Testing
Moderated and unmoderated usability testing was conducted throughout the design process.
Solution
View a preview of the full prototype here.
The full list of features included sign in/login, onboarding, initial set up, submitting a claim, action items, viewing claim progress, payment history, expense requests, and many additional features.
Injury Report
The app provides an easy, streamlined approach on how to submit your injury claim- it's essential to complete this form immediately following your injury. Tips are included when appropriate.
Action items
Actions required to be completed, such as appointments, meetings, and forms would be listed on the app.
Messaging
Many users found communication with WSIB difficult as it could only be done via phone call. The messaging feature allows for flexibility and ease of communication with claim managers.
Outcome
Where are we now?
We closed off this project by pitching our proof of concept to company stakeholders, alongside our completed MVP prototype. Our team ensured to document our insights and possible extended features for future cohorts to pick up where we left off.
Final Thoughts
Watch out for Feature Creep: It can be tempting, for a UX designer, to want to address every single issue or problem users encounter in their product. In reality, most of the times you’ll only have the time and resources for a select few, so you need to prioritize which features/fixes take precedent.
Trapped in Endless iteration: “Don’t let perfection get in the way of progress” is a quote that I now stand by. There were many points where we hit a point of stagnation trying to polish the perfect interview script, or perfect look of a screen or visual element. It’s important to recognize when you’ve hit a plateau, and when moving on could be a better use of your time.