Insurance

Funeral + Death claims

How might we encourage more of our customers to utilize our WhatsApp self-service platform for funeral and claims-related assistance?

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Role
Product Design Lead
• User Research
• User Experience
• User Interface
• Prototyping + Testing

Client
Old Mutual
Project
WhatsApp Funeral + Death Claims

Duration
• 2024
• 4 - 6 Months

Tools used
• Figma
• Glassbox
• Maze

One of my favourate quotes

"What gets measured, gets managed?"

"What gets measured,
gets managed"

Peter Drucker
Business Guru

Project

overview

Old Mutual Limited (OML) is a premium African financial services group, providing a wide range of financial solutions to both retail and corporate clients across 13 countries.

The Task:
Assess and improve the WhatsApp journey for funeral and death claims. The focus was to identify quick wins and offer actionable recommendations for enhancing the user experience.

Opportunities:
Existing data from other platforms offers valuable insights into how funeral and claims journeys are currently structured, providing a solid foundation for exploration.

Challenges:
As the lead for the entire product design process—from research to delivery—I faced the unique challenge of working on a project built entirely on a WhatsApp platform for the first time.

The Anglo Mining Safety App is an internal online platform designed for staff—including safety managers, engineers, miners, and others—to report potential safety hazards before they result in accidents.

The ask:
The organisation had recently gone through a re-branding exercise and they wanted to also visually carry that across into the app's user interface.

The positives:
The internal team had been collecting valuable data since the app's inception, and this effort culminated in the app winning the company’s Internal Innovation Award.

The challenges:
I was responsible for leading the entire product design process—from research through to delivery—while collaborating with three developers, all within a tight two-month timeline.

The positives:
The internal team had been collecting valuable data since the app's inception, and this effort culminated in the app winning the company’s Internal Innovation Award.

My saving grace

WhatsApp Business Platform
It's a collection of APIs and solutions that developers use to activate features and integrate with backend systems, such as CRM and marketing platforms.

I learnt a lot about the WhatsApp platform from this site:
https://business.whatsapp.com/

EXPLORING

The data

Taken from different OM channels

Claims Received

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily,
latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

113 009
Claim notifications received

113 009
Claim notifications
received

91 788
Claim notifications to be resolved

91 788
Claim notifications
to be resolved

821 221
Claim notifications Cancelled

821 221
Claim notifications
Cancelled

Claims Resolved

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily,
latest data 08 Aug 24  

75 075
Claims resolved

Claims Resolution by Product

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily,
latest data 08 Aug 24  

75 075
Claims resolved

Claims Resolution Effectiveness

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily,
latest data 08 Aug 24  

75 075
Claims resolved

Overview of Received Claims

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily,
latest data 08 Aug 24  

Updated daily, latest data 08 Aug 24  

Traditional vs Digital

Data

Insights

More than half of the claims made are declined!
Our customers are still using mostly traditional methods to make claims

More than half of the claims made are declined!
Our customers are still using mostly traditional methods to make claims

HOW MIGHT WE

Encourage more of our customers to utilize our WhatsApp self-service platform for funeral and claims-related assistance?  

We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?

User story

As a user  I want to make a funeral cover claim,
So that  I can have a piece of mind

User journey

I analyzed the current funeral and claims journey to gain a deeper understanding of the user experience and identify their pain points more effectively.

Pain Points

Some suspected factors contributing to claims being declined.

• Limited Digital Literacy
• Preference for Personal Interaction
• Trust in Established Processes
• Limited Access to Technology
• Lack of Awareness
• Concerns Over Data Security
• Complexity of Digital Platforms
• Slow Digital Adoption by Providers
• Economic Factors
• Experience with Digital Platforms

The positives:
The internal team had been collecting valuable data since the app's inception, and this effort culminated in the app winning the company’s Internal Innovation Award.

Pain Points

What we believe we can improve going forward.

Research and User Understanding  
Understand the specific needs, preferences, and pain points of the target audience
Onboarding process  
• Simple and Clear Onboarding  
• Offer Personalized Support. Eg, live chat with a representative  
• Consider Cultural Sensitivity
Educational Content and Awareness  
• Educational Tutorials
• Clearly communicate Trust and Security Information
Design for Accessibility and Inclusivity
• Offline and Low-Tech Options. EG, partnerships with local agents who can assist in-person
Better Guided Claim Submission
Personalized Support During Claims
Post-Claim Support and Feedback
Continuous Improvement

The positives:
The internal team had been collecting valuable data since the app's inception, and this effort culminated in the app winning the company’s Internal Innovation Award.

DESIGN

Exploration

Looking at the current screens to see what we can improve

Design Principles followed

1. Simplicity

Minimalist Design
Keep the interface clean and straightforward. Avoid clutter to make navigation intuitive.

Clear Icons and Labels
Use easily recognizable icons and clear labels to ensure users understand functionalities at a glance.

2. Consistency

Uniform Style
Maintain consistency in colours, typography, and iconography across the app to provide a cohesive experience.  

Platform Guidelines
Follow the design guidelines for iOS and Android to ensure the app feels native to the respective platforms.

3. Efficiency

Quick Access
Ensure frequently used features are easily accessible. Minimize the number of steps required to perform common actions.  

Performance Optimization
Optimize the app for fast loading times and smooth interactions.

4. User-Centric Design

User Feedback
Incorporate user feedback into the design process to continually improve the app’s usability.  

Accessibility
Design with accessibility in mind, ensuring the app is usable by people with various disabilities. This includes providing alternative text for images and ensuring good colour contrast.

5. Security and Privacy

End-to-End Encryption
Ensure messages are encrypted to protect user privacy.  

Privacy Controls
Provide users with clear and easily accessible privacy settings to control who can contact them and see their information.

6. Responsiveness

Adaptive Layouts
Design layouts that adapt to different screen sizes and orientations, providing a good experience on both phones and tablets.  

Touch Optimization
Ensure the interface elements are optimized for touch interactions, with appropriately sized buttons and touch targets.

7. Engagement

Notifications
Use notifications judiciously to re-engage users without overwhelming them.  

Interactive Elements
Incorporate interactive elements like stickers, GIFs, and reactions to make conversations more engaging and fun.

8. Cultural Sensitivity

Localization
Adapt the app for different languages and cultures, ensuring that the interface and content are appropriate and relevant for users worldwide.  

Emoji Support
Provide a wide range of emojis and stickers that reflect diverse cultures and expressions.

Suggested design improvements

Solving for low hanging fruits

Enter SA ID number vs Policy number

Perhaps ask for one instead of both earlier in the journey so that we can manage expectations

List message Pattern

This will not work as we have 20 Banks in SA and more still to come. This pattern only accommodates a menu of up to 10 options.

Error prevention mechanisms

Let the users know upfront of the sizes and password protected documents, instead of allowing them to perform an action and then giving them error messages.

Language and Live chats

Consider talking to users in the language they understand.  

Make it easier for them to be able to ask when they feel stuck.

Suggested comprehensive design improvements

Things to consider when improving the overall journey

Improvements

1st Price:
Would be for the user to be verified upfront and go straight to performing their task. Eg. the system knows what products you currently have with OM.

Personalisation:
This can be based on location or interaction, basically the user may be able to see something new each time they interact with OM based on their porfolio.

Character limitations:
We must always consider character limitations.

Subject lines with emojis see a 56% increased open rate compared to plain and simple subject lines, while push notifications that contain emojis are 85% more likely to be opened, and conversion rates go up  by 9%.

Improvements

List Messages:
Messages including a menu of up to 10 options. This type of message offers a simpler and more consistent way for users to make a selection when interacting with a business.

In conclusion

This case study highlights the critical need to address barriers such as limited digital literacy, trust in established processes, and concerns over data security to foster a more inclusive and user-friendly experience. By understanding users' preferences for personal interaction and the impact of economic factors, we can tailor solutions that resonate with their realities.

Additionally, overcoming the complexity of digital platforms and addressing the slow adoption of digital tools by providers are essential for driving meaningful change. As we design for a diverse audience, creating awareness and simplifying access will be pivotal in bridging the gap between traditional processes and digital innovation, ensuring the platform meets users' needs effectively.

The positives:
The internal team had been collecting valuable data since the app's inception, and this effort culminated in the app winning the company’s Internal Innovation Award.

Learnings

The positives:
The internal team had been collecting valuable data since the app's inception, and this effort culminated in the app winning the company’s Internal Innovation Award.

Next Project

Funeral + Death claims

RoleProduct Design Lead• User Research• User Experience• User Interface• Prototyping + Testing

RoleProduct Design Lead• User Research• User Experience• User Interface• Prototyping + Testing

ClientOld MutualProjectWhatsApp Funeral + Death Claims

ClientOld MutualProjectWhatsApp Funeral + Death Claims

Duration• 2024• 4 - 6 Months

Duration• 2024• 4 - 6 Months

Tools used• Figma• Glassbox• Maze

Tools used• Figma• Glassbox• Maze

"What gets measured, gets managed?"

"What gets measured,gets managed"

overview

EXPLORING

The data

The data

The data

Claims Received

113 009Claim notifications received

113 009Claim notificationsreceived

91 788Claim notifications to be resolved

91 788Claim notificationsto be resolved

821 221Claim notifications Cancelled

821 221Claim notificationsCancelled

Insights

Encourage more of our customers to utilize our WhatsApp self-service platform for funeral and claims-related assistance?

We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?

Some suspected factors contributing to claims being declined.

Some suspected factors contributing to claims being declined.

What we believe we can improve going forward.

What we believe we can improve going forward.

DESIGN

Exploration

Exploration

Exploration

Design Principles followed

Design Principles followed

1. Simplicity

2. Consistency

3. Efficiency

4. User-Centric Design

5. Security and Privacy

6. Responsiveness

7. Engagement

8. Cultural Sensitivity

Enter SA ID number vs Policy number

Perhaps ask for one instead of both earlier in the journey so that we can manage expectations

List message Pattern

This will not work as we have 20 Banks in SA and more still to come. This pattern only accommodates a menu of up to 10 options.

Error prevention mechanisms

Let the users know upfront of the sizes and password protected documents, instead of allowing them to perform an action and then giving them error messages.

Language and Live chats

Consider talking to users in the language they understand. Make it easier for them to be able to ask when they feel stuck.

Improvements

1st Price:Would be for the user to be verified upfront and go straight to performing their task. Eg. the system knows what products you currently have with OM.

Personalisation:This can be based on location or interaction, basically the user may be able to see something new each time they interact with OM based on their porfolio.

Character limitations:We must always consider character limitations.

Subject lines with emojis see a 56% increased open rate compared to plain and simple subject lines, while push notifications that contain emojis are 85% more likely to be opened, and conversion rates go up by 9%.

Improvements

List Messages:Messages including a menu of up to 10 options. This type of message offers a simpler and more consistent way for users to make a selection when interacting with a business.

Learnings

Learnings

Role
Product Design Lead
• User Research
• User Experience
• User Interface
• Prototyping + Testing

Role
Product Design Lead
• User Research
• User Experience
• User Interface
• Prototyping + Testing

Client
Old Mutual
Project
WhatsApp Funeral + Death Claims

Client
Old Mutual
Project
WhatsApp Funeral + Death Claims

Duration
• 2024
• 4 - 6 Months

Duration
• 2024
• 4 - 6 Months

Tools used
• Figma
• Glassbox
• Maze

Tools used
• Figma
• Glassbox
• Maze

"What gets measured,
gets managed"

113 009
Claim notifications received

113 009
Claim notifications
received

91 788
Claim notifications to be resolved

91 788
Claim notifications
to be resolved

821 221
Claim notifications Cancelled

821 221
Claim notifications
Cancelled

Encourage more of our customers to utilize our WhatsApp self-service platform for funeral and claims-related assistance?  

Consider talking to users in the language they understand.  

Make it easier for them to be able to ask when they feel stuck.

1st Price:
Would be for the user to be verified upfront and go straight to performing their task. Eg. the system knows what products you currently have with OM.

Personalisation:
This can be based on location or interaction, basically the user may be able to see something new each time they interact with OM based on their porfolio.

Character limitations:
We must always consider character limitations.

Subject lines with emojis see a 56% increased open rate compared to plain and simple subject lines, while push notifications that contain emojis are 85% more likely to be opened, and conversion rates go up  by 9%.

List Messages:
Messages including a menu of up to 10 options. This type of message offers a simpler and more consistent way for users to make a selection when interacting with a business.