Design Process

In designing a more effective digital enrollment experience for Medicare clients, we followed a structured design process comprising Discovery, Ideate, Create, and Evaluate phases. This process was guided by a compressed timeline and the additional challenge of having no direct access to end users, which required us to leverage alternative insights and testing methods to deliver a user-centered solution.

Discovery Phase

The Discovery phase was critical to uncovering the core issues in the digital enrollment process and understanding why users were abandoning it early. Although we couldn’t interview end users directly, we conducted in-depth research using available data sources:

• User Behavior Analysis: Website analytics indicated that only 30% of visitors interacted with the digital. Of those who attempted enrollment, 10% dropped off before providing contact information, a sign of early friction. This behavior suggested that users encountered barriers at the beginning of the process, likely due to somewhat hidden CTA, lack of trust/guidance as they moved from the website to the third-party enrollment platform, or frustration with the amount of information collected up front.

• Competitive Analysis: Analyzing competitors revealed that smaller online brokers offered streamlined, intuitive digital enrollment experiences with simplified steps, clear instructions, and built-in reassurance. This helped us identify areas where the company’s platform was falling short in both simplicity and trust-building.

• Stakeholder Interviews: We conducted interviews with internal stakeholders, including customer support and marketing teams, who highlighted the gap between the digital and call center enrollment experiences. The digital process lacked the "human touch" present in traditional channels, and there was no seamless way to transition users from self-service to assisted support when they encountered difficulties.

• Technical Audit: A technical audit surfaced several usability and accessibility issues, such as long load times when moving from the website to the third-party platform and an overly complex multi-step form, which likely contributed to the early drop-offs. These findings underscored the need for simplification, clarity, and accessibility improvements.

Summary of Findings:

With a tight timeline and regulatory requirements, we prioritized addressing key issues that led to early abandonment, specifically focusing on unclear CTAs, form complexity, and the disorienting transition from the website to the enrollment platrorm. These insights formed the foundation for targeted, user-centered solutions.

Ideate Phase

With insights from the Discovery phase, we entered the Ideate phase, focusing on generating solutions to simplify the enrollment process, reduce user friction, and build trust. Given the project’s tight timeline, we utilized a combination of workshops and ideation techniques to collaboratively explore and prioritize ideas that would directly address the identified issues.

Workshops and Techniques Used in Ideation

• Brainstorming Workshop for Call-to-Actions (CTAs): We held a targeted brainstorming workshop to reimagine CTAs across the site. During this session, the team explored various action-oriented phrases and placements to guide users confidently through each enrollment step. Language options such as "Start Your Enrollment" and "View All Plans" were discussed, with a focus on clarity and purpose. By testing different CTA styles and placements within wireframes, we identified consistent styling and strategic placements to help users understand each step and action within the enrollment process.

• Form Simplification: A form simplification workshop brought together UX designers, developers, data architects and compliance specialists to ideate on reducing complexity in the enrollment form. We conducted a “Form Field Analysis Exercise” going back to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirements to identify essential fields and eliminate unnecessary ones, making the form more streamlined. We also incorporated pre-filled data where available, minimizing user input and potential errors.

• User Journey Mapping and Hybrid Assistance Exploration: To envision seamless transitions between digital and human-assisted support, we conducted a streamlined User Journey Mapping Workshop using our own call center representatives. By mapping each stage of the enrollment process, we identified points where users might require assistance and brainstormed hybrid support options. This helped us prioritize where to integrate live chat or a call center button, allowing users to easily switch from the self-service path to live support. We agreed to follow up with users in the future to test our assumptions.

• Rapid Prototyping and Feedback Loops: Given the compressed timeline, we used rapid prototyping sessions to quickly test and iterate on our ideas. Wireframes and low-fidelity prototypes were created and reviewed in real-time, enabling us to gather immediate feedback from team members and stakeholders. This iterative approach allowed us to identify and refine high-impact changes, ensuring we aligned with user needs and the project’s goals within a short timeframe.

By combining these workshops and ideation techniques, we generated, evaluated, and refined solutions that addressed the identified challenges while aligning with the project timeline.

Create Phase

In the Create phase, designers and developers worked closely together in an embedded, collaborative setup, ensuring that each aspect of the project progressed efficiently and aligned with the overall vision. Working in Figma, the design team created and tested design components in real-time, gathering feedback and making refinements as they advanced through the project. Once design files were finalized, they were handed off immediately to the development team, who began building out features as new designs were being refined.

This agile, iterative approach enabled the design and development teams to work in tandem, allowing for quick adjustments and reducing bottlenecks. By staying embedded within the same workflow, both teams could address design feasibility and technical constraints early on, ensuring that the project stayed on track and moved smoothly toward completion. This close collaboration not only accelerated the project timeline but also enhanced the quality of the final product, as continuous testing and feedback allowed for real-time optimization and adjustments.

Evaluate Phase

Throughout the entire design process, we continuously evaluated and refined the design to ensure a high-quality user experience. Given the lack of access to actual end users, we employed alternative evaluation methods, combining iterative design reviews and proxy testing to maintain rigorous testing standards. Our evaluation methods included:

• Proxy Testing with Internal Employees: Without direct user access, we enlisted internal staff—particularly those from customer support and marketing teams who had insights into user pain points—to walk through the redesigned site. These internal users simulated the Medicare enrollment experience, providing feedback from the perspective of a potential user. Proxy testing allowed us to identify and address usability issues early, such as unclear button labels, excessive visual clutter, and areas requiring more intuitive navigation. Each round of testing informed incremental adjustments, helping us refine and enhance the design prior to launch.

• Collaborative Feedback Loops with Customer Support: Collaborating closely with the Customer Support team, who had extensive experience assisting Medicare clients, we received valuable insights on user pain points and recurring support issues. Their feedback highlighted specific areas where users typically required help, enabling us to refine elements like hybrid assistance options and create more user-friendly design solutions that preemptively addressed common challenges.

• Post-Launch Tracking and Analytics: Recognizing the constraints on pre-launch testing due to the tight timeline, we prioritized post-launch analytics tracking during the 2023 Annual Enrollment Period. We implemented tools to monitor user behavior, capturing data on page flows, drop-off points, and user interactions with CTAs and support features. This real-time data allowed us to quickly identify any remaining friction points and continuously optimize the user experience based on actual user behavior, ensuring that the platform met user needs and business goals alike.

Through these combined evaluation efforts, we created a robust feedback loop that informed each phase of design iteration and improvement, despite the limitations. This agile, adaptive approach enabled us to confidently launch a refined product, while setting a foundation for continuous improvement based on real-world user data.

Conclusion of the Design Process

In designing a more effective digital enrollment experience for Medicare clients, we successfully navigated a compressed timeline and a lack of direct access to end users by following a structured, adaptive approach. Through Discovery, Ideate, Create, and Evaluate phases, we identified and addressed core issues impacting the user experience, including usability challenges, form complexity, and the lack of seamless support options.

The Discovery phase revealed critical friction points by leveraging available data sources, competitive analysis, stakeholder interviews, and a thorough technical audit, providing a foundation for our design strategy. During the Ideate phase, we employed workshops such as brainstorming sessions, form simplification exercises, and journey mapping to collaboratively generate and prioritize targeted solutions that simplified the enrollment process and enhanced usability. In the Create phase, embedded collaboration between designers and developers allowed us to work iteratively and seamlessly, translating design concepts into real-time builds with ongoing testing and feedback.

Throughout the Evaluate phase, we adopted alternative testing methods, using proxy testing, feedback loops with Customer Support, and post-launch analytics tracking to validate and refine the design. These combined evaluation efforts ensured that, despite limitations, the final product met both user needs and business objectives.