Overview

InsuredConnect is a white-label mobile app designed to help insurance carriers modernize the claims experience for policyholders. Built for small to mid-size insurers, the platform empowers customers to initiate and track claims right from their smartphones—reducing call center volume and speeding up resolution times.

I joined the project as Lead UX Designer and later stepped into a Product Owner role, guiding the product from ideation through user research, testing, stakeholder alignment, and MVP launch. Our north star: transform a painful, opaque process into a streamlined, self-serve digital journey.

The Problem

Most policyholders dread the claims process. It’s often slow, confusing, and reliant on outdated systems that provide little to no transparency. For smaller carriers without robust digital infrastructure, this meant poor customer satisfaction, high support costs, and lagging adoption of self-service tools. Our challenge was to design a mobile-first claims experience that was simple, trustworthy, and easy to deploy across multiple insurers.

The Outcome

The MVP launched with three core modules: Claim Initiation, Claim Tracker, and Resource Center. Usability testing showed a 90% task success rate on first try, and early carrier partners praised the platform's speed, configurability, and clean UX.
The app's flexible backend architecture and modular design accelerated onboarding timelines for new partners, while reducing their reliance on support staff for routine claim inquiries.
What began as a UX engagement grew into a strategic product partnership that helped redefine how smaller insurers approach digital transformation.

Product vision

There was no product roadmap or strategic direction in place, meaning initiatives for this system were reactive rather than visionary.

UX Focus

UX didn’t exist as a formal discipline at the company. There were no research practices, journey maps, or usability testing in place.

Team Resources

The dev team was exclusively focused on maintaining the legacy platform, ClaimsCore, with no bandwidth for innovation.

No Alternatives

Existing Clients had nothing to provide their Policyholders to interact with their claims. Only outdated, carrier-controlled portals.

The Problem(s)

Most small carriers rely on disjointed tools and outdated communication channels. Policyholders feel confused, left in the dark, and unsupported, especially in moments of stress when submitting a claim.Larger carriers (e.g., Desjardins, State Farm) have robust digital tools—but tier 2, 3, and 4 carriers don’t. We set out to level the playing field.

Goal #1

MVP Development

Design a white-labeled mobile MVP that can plug into any carrier’s data environment.

Project Goals

Build a scalable, modern mobile solution that empowers policyholders and levels the digital playing field for smaller carriers.

Goal #3

ClaimsCore Integration

Ensure seamless interoperability with the parent ClaimsCore platform for technical consistency and data flow.

Goal #2

Core Claims Access

Support claim submission, tracking, and policy lookup within a streamlined, user-friendly interface.

Goal #4

Human-Centered Design

Deliver an emotionally sensitive experience that’s efficient, reassuring, and empowering in high-stress.

My Role #1

Lead UX Designer

I led the end-to-end UX effort for VCA InsuredConnect, responsible for shaping the product from insight to execution:
• Conducted deep research into the full claims journey to uncover user pain points and systemic gaps.
• Interviewed stakeholders across the ecosystem—including policyholders, brokers, adjusters, and carrier reps.
• Designed key flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity UIs that brought clarity to a fragmented experience.
• Built interactive prototypes and ran iterative usability tests to validate design decisions.
• Collaborated with engineering to translate UX into scalable logic, ensuring dev-ready outputs were clear and actionable.

My Role #2

Agile Product Owner

After establishing the core UX foundation, I transitioned into the Product Owner role—expanding my impact from design execution to product leadership:
• Defined the product vision and roadmap in alignment with business goals and user needs.
• Wrote and prioritized user stories across two internal product teams, driving agile delivery.
• Aligned stakeholders across engineering, QA, support, and leadership to ensure clarity and buy-in.
• Oversaw integration of InsuredConnect into the broader VCA Software ecosystem, ensuring platform cohesion and technical compatibility.

Research Methodologies & Journey Mapping

To design a product that truly served its users, I began with qualitative research across all stakeholder roles. I conducted in-depth interviews, journey mapping exercises, and usability tests to surface core pain points and unmet needs.

Research Study #1:
Insurance Broker Interviews

• Explored whether brokers could use the app as a lead generation and communication tool.
• Brokers saw the product as disintermediating their role.
• Their unanimous response: “We wouldn’t use a tool that replaces us.”
• We pivoted the product to focus exclusively on the policyholder experience.

Research Study #2:
Policyholder Interviews

• Conducted over several weeks with real end users.
• Uncovered deep frustration with the lack of clarity, timeline visibility, and communication.
• Users didn’t know when they’d hear back, how long things would take, or what was expected of them.

Research Study #3:
Contextual Study

• Tested task flows: find policy, file a claim, view claim status
• Identified confusion with copy hierarchy, label clarity, and navigation
• Iteration 2 focused on clearer CTA labels, fewer steps, and improved touch targets

"As a Policyholder, I want a claim experience that feels clear and reassuring, so I don't feel overwhelmed durning a stressful moment..."

Empathy-Driven Claims Submission

"As a policyholder, I want assurance during the claims process, so I feel supported and less anxious while submitting a new claim."

Designed a trauma-informed claim submission flow that prioritizes human-centered language, simplified task flow, and emotional reassurance. The experience opens with a safety check and continues with bite-sized, low-cognitive-load questions, guiding users through their submission one step at a time.

Clear & Simple Claim Submissions

Reduced claim abandonment by minimizing cognitive load and emotional friction.

Users Emotions At the Forefront

Helped users feel seen, safe, and in control, especially during moments of post-incident stress.

Policy Overview Page

"As a Policyholder, I want quick access to my policy details, so I don't have to call or search through emails for basic information."

Designed a dedicated Policy Overview page with a focus on clarity. Placing key details like status, coverage dates, and adjuster contact info front and center.

Centralized Hub for Information

Replaced the need for users to hunt through emails by consolidating everything into a clean, mobile-first layout.

Fostering Trust with Clients

Increased user trust by improving transparency around policy and claim ownership.

Live Claim Updates

"As a policyholder, I want real-time updates on my claim status, so I am not left guessing what happens next."

Implemented event-driven API triggers that delivered live claim status updates directly to the mobile app, mirroring backend activity in real-time.

Transparency & Clairity, Always

Eliminated the “black hole” experience post-submission by keeping users informed at each step.

Reduced Calls, Improved Support

Increased user confidence and reduced support inquiries through transparent, proactive communication.

White-labelled PWA

We designed and developed a progressive web application to serve as a white-labelled solution for VCA Software’s insurance clients. Once integrated with a carrier’s policy and claims systems, the platform enabled teams to deploy fully branded versions of InsuredConnect, giving policyholders a familiar, trust-building mobile experience without requiring carriers to build their own app from scratch.To make this scalable, I architected the design using a modular system with configurable styles, variables, and components. The result:
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• A flexible design library in Figma, built for rapid customization.
• Seamless client onboarding and fast prototyping for demos.
• Visual consistency across brands, without compromising identity

This file became a critical tool for internal sales pitches and onboarding sessions, allowing clients to visualize their branded experience and accelerating adoption of the platform.

Outcome #1

White-Label System

Developed a modular UI framework that enabled full white-label branding for each carrier client.

Outcome #2

Pre-Launch Traction

Ran a targeted pre-launch campaign and demo strategy to generate awareness within the insurance sector.

Outcome #3

Carrier Interest

Secured inbound requests from multiple carriers interested in piloting and customizing the solution.

Outcome #4

Suite Integration

Unified ClaimsCore and InsuredConnect into one cohesive product offering under the VCA Software ecosystem.

Outcome #5

Sales Enablement

Created a flexible design system in Figma to streamline client onboarding, demos, and internal handoff.