Joining a UX Team
Curious about the challenges and gains of transitioning from digital learning & development to UX Design & Research? Join me as I share my experiences of working in a UX Team in a digital white-label insurance company. Discover the insights and lessons I learned along the way and explore the exciting world of UX design and research. Let’s dive in!
The Digital Transformation of Insurance
In recent years, the insurance industry has undergone a rapid digital transformation. The rise of digital insurance products has greatly increased the importance of User Experience (UX) in the insurance industry. Customers now primarily interact with insurance companies through digital channels, such as purchasing insurance and submitting claims online.
As a result, UX has become the backbone of the traditional insurance agent persona, as it sets the tone for all customer interactions with the company. Poor UX can lead to frustrated customers and a potential loss of business, just as poor service from a traditional insurance agent would.
In the digital world, websites and apps cannot think and respond like humans, making UX design crucial for the success of digital transformation. A well-designed UX not only improves the customer experience but also increases the company’s conversion rate and profit margin.
How a passion for UX Design was born
I had an amazing geography teacher when I was 12 years old who sparked my curiosity about physics. Although it wasn’t related to geography, my teacher knew a lot about physics, and I would always ask him questions about the universe, black holes, and atomic and nuclear physics. He eventually started lending me books that I would read and summarize in a notebook. These books covered topics such as general and special relativity theory, string theory, atomic physics, astrophysics, and more.
As a child, I had a passion for playing with legos and creating beautiful things with them. I would often spend hours playing with legos when I returned from school and even had periods of time where that was all I did. In addition to legos, I was also fond of origami, the art of making small figures or shapes from folded paper. My grandmother would often gift me old manuals and fancy paper, which I would use to create lovely origami birds for her.
Over time, my interests may have evolved, but one thing remained constant: my love for both the technical and the artistic aspects of design. As I started my apprenticeship as a mediamatics technician, I, of course, have developed a passion for digital design and the creation of visually appealing and functional designs. I wanted to learn more and was eager to explore this new world. What makes a design great and captivating to the audience? What gives it that “wow” factor? How do you make it functional and good-looking at the same time?
Good design involves more than just choosing pleasing colors and fonts. It’s about creating products that serve a purpose, are functional, usable, and accessible to the customer. As a passionate photographer, I understand that every great picture has a story and meaning behind it. The same holds true for design — it’s not just about appearance but about enhancing the user’s experience and making things work better for them. This requires a combination of technical skills and creativity, as well as empathy, collaboration, and a deep understanding of the user’s needs.
UX design combines the technical aspect of research with the artistic aspect of design, resulting in the creation of products and solutions that not only enhance the user’s experience but also improve the efficiency of the company’s processes.
As someone who has a passion for both technical and creative pursuits, UX design seems like the ideal field for me to work in, right?
Bridging the Gap Between E-Learning and UX Design
In my former position as a content creator in the L&D industry, I developed e-learning courses using multiple tools and oversaw incoming requests while promoting a culture of learning. My work involved aspects of UX design as e-learnings are focused on the user experience and require presenting complex or technical information in an engaging and understandable manner.
This experience gave me a deeper appreciation for the user-centred approach in design and how crucial it is to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for the learner. It was fulfilling to see the positive influence my work had on the learning experience of others, and I believe that this background was also valuable when starting my new position in the UX design Team. Ultimately, combining my passion for design and my experience in the L&D field has solidified my desire to work in a role that puts the user first and creates products that add value to their lives as well as helps me to understand the user and their needs through research.
I had prior experience creating mock-ups and websites, and my previous role as a content creator in L&D involved creating e-learnings, which requires some knowledge of UX design. Despite my experience, I was initially uncertain about my ability to fit into the new team and have all the necessary skills. But I reminded myself that if I was chosen, it was because I possessed the required skills, and even if I made mistakes, I would learn from them and do better in the future. With this confidence, I was able to have a successful onboarding and start in my new role as a UX designer.
Challenges and Gains
As I was introduced to different domains, I met so many amazing colleagues and learned a lot about their work processes, tools, and workflows. I knew that if I ever had any questions or uncertainties, I could reach out to literally anyone for help. While there were certainly some challenges, such as mastering Figma, which was the team’s go-to tool for nearly everything, from designs to mockups and the famous “all-so-mighty workshops”, I was able to overcome them with the help of my teammates. I have previously used Figma occasionally but never on a day-to-day basis; I was much more affine with all the other Adobe tools such as Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. But, after a workshop from my teammates and some practice, I grew to love the team's design powerhouse even more than my previous favourite Adobe tools. Now I’m using it for work and on a separate account for private projects — Couldn’t imagine a day without it.
The UX team I work with operates in a fully agile environment, which was new to me to some extent, but the dynamic workflows and rituals eventually became second nature. What sets this team apart is the exceptional way they collaborate, communicate, and tackle tasks. Workshops, in particular, are a staple in the team and are used for information gathering, decision-making, workflow mapping and much more. These ideation factories are not just efficient, but they’re also enjoyable and entertaining. Despite the seemingly straightforward tasks for one itself, the collective outcome of each team member contributes to a strong foundation for further work or an instant solution. This approach not only provides a creative outlet but also promotes team decision-making instead of relying on one individual.
And if you look at it from a business perspective: the creation of a homogeneous product or solution can limit its appeal to only a similar demographic. But by incorporating the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the solution benefits not only the designers but also the users. A diverse group of individuals brings unique perspectives and ideas to the table, leading to a solution that better serves a broader range of customers. This not only improves the balance and quality of the output but also fosters collaboration and enhances the team's performance. Furthermore, incorporating DEI principles through workshops that encourage input from diverse individuals creates not only a better solution but also provides a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
One aspect that I particularly enjoy, not related to UX, is the numerous touchpoints I have with the core business of white-label insurance. As a designer in the digital (re)insurance field, it’s rare to have opportunities to interact and learn about the core business. Designers often don’t work directly in the core business unless they’re part of an agency or design studio. However, my UX team is working on various projects throughout the company, building journeys and portals for different domains, which allows me to learn about the core business on a daily basis. Despite having only a limited understanding of this hundred of years old, complex and multi-faceted industry, I relish each opportunity I get to expand my knowledge and understand it a bit better and better.
UX Design & UX Research
UX is often described as the balance of the creative vision on one side and the user needs and functionality on the other. I beg to differ. The creative vision — if a good one — is based on the user’s needs. A creative vision and the final design should be one with functionality and resolve pain points. Design is not only about changing the button colour to green or making it look nice. Design is everything. Think about it: What would be there without design? When you want to do something — anything, you need design. You can’t cook without a design of the kitchen, the pans and the tupperware holding your food, and you can’t go to work without design; How, even without someone designing your car, the building you work in or even the bed you sleep in? Nothing is possible without designing it first. This also showcases that design is not about making it look nice; it’s nice if it looks nice, but essential is that design provides functionality and usability.
Let’s look at it with a practical example:
When buying insurance online, the requirement to input personal details arises. Which form appears to be more trustworthy and requires less effort to complete?
When it comes to buying insurance online, the process of filling out personal details can make a big impact on the overall experience. A well-designed form that is clear and straightforward can help build trust with the customer. On the other hand, a confusing or cluttered form can make the customer feel unsure about the process and lead to feelings of distrust. The key is to strike a balance between presenting the necessary information in a clear and concise manner while also ensuring that the form is easy to fill out and does not require a lot of effort from the customer. By focusing on the user experience and making the process as simple and straightforward as possible, companies can build trust with their customers and create a more positive experience overall. As a customer, you buy a product and pay your monthly premium but don’t receive anything back until a claim happens. This means you have to have trust that not only the product you bought will protect you from losses but also the company to pay when they need to and handle your claim fast and simple.
Shaping Experiences, Emotions, and Decision-Making
As a member of the UX team, I have the privilege of making a significant impact in the area of digital insurance. I am able to carry out detailed analysis, work with data, create impact maps, design user flows, conduct user tests, and so much more. These are all activities that I can do in my role within the UX team, and they allow me to contribute to the creation of digital insurance products that are trusted by customers. By incorporating the results of these analyses and tests into our designs, I am helping to ensure that our insurance products are easy to use and provide the protection that customers need.
Now I could say what everyone says in their interviews for UX designers: I strive to make [industry you work in] more accessible and easy to use for people. As, of course, this is one goal I do have and strive for with my work, the overarching reason why I do design and research is precisely the reason why I can’t tell you: The human. We humans are so complex and still don’t know anything about ourselves and are far from understanding ourselves. I am driven by the mystery and complexity of human behaviour and psychology. I find it fascinating to understand what, how, and why design has an impact on us. Whether it’s a physical product, a digital interface, or a brand, design has the power to shape our experiences, emotions, and decision-making. Through research and experimentation, I hope to shed light on the human condition and contribute to the evolution of design as a tool for improving our lives.
What excites me about UX research is the opportunity to start with a preconceived notion of how the data should look but still be open to the possibility that the outcome may not match my expectations. I have learned through experience that biases, both my own and those of my users, can greatly influence the effectiveness of a design. For example, on an insurance page, I may have thought that the USP section would be a valuable addition, but through user feedback, I discovered that it actually detracted from the page. This realization highlights the importance of considering user biases when designing pages, as even something as seemingly simple as the placement of a navigation link can have a significant impact on the user experience. Or would you expect the page’s navigation as a text link on the page?
Conclusion
In the UX team, I have the opportunity to pursue my passions and interests while developing my skills and facing new challenges every day. The field of UX design and research is not easy, but it is precisely that which excites me. I wouldn’t want to work a tedious 9–5 job where it wouldn’t make a difference whether I’m working or not. I love being pushed to my limits and learning new things. Additionally, I appreciate the chance to use my expertise and make a meaningful impact with my work. All in all, I enjoy being a part of the UX team and feel grateful to have this job as a part of my daily life.
