Like nearly every business, insurance companies are compelled to enhance their online presence with digital platforms. Customers no longer want to visit their broker for every question or concern. They appreciate the ability to research, perform simulations, compare products and purchase on their own the most appropriate insurance packaging for their specific needs. They also seek to get online access to their insurance products, review their coverages and perform some transactions. The industry faces thus the challenge of catering to these users while maintaining their broker networks.

Building products and services from the point of view of insurers and involving the target audience, your customers, only during validation rounds at the very end is definitely a no-go. There’s a risk of investing in misguided solutions, which wastes time and money and can severely damage your reputation. thewave develops user-centric products and services: not only user-friendly but co-created with the users. In this co-creation process, we consider business requirements and enrich them with user requirements. Do they need this product? What features are crucial? How should the tool look? These are just the starting questions. The subsequent process is undertaken hand-in-hand with the user together with the business. We ensure everything is logically structured and feels natural, eliminating

Making applications intuitive

Making a tool intuitive requires a sound user-centric approach. “Even now, with my 25 years of experience, I don’t presume to know better than the user,” confides Garifalia Kanellopoulos. “Every design can be improved, and we are highly critical of our work. A UX designer must be humble. You can never be certain. Users are always right because they vote with their feet: if it’s not good, they leave.”

Today’s users have high expectations for digital interfaces. It’s all about providing meaningful, accessible, and delightful experiences. thewave aspire to this by applying the design thinking methodology and putting its 5 steps to work: empathize, define, ideate, prototype and test,

This allows thewave to create highly user-friendly and innovative tools – often tailored to the insurance market through our close connection with Ensur – that are simple, enjoyable, and aesthetically pleasing.

This means also continuously learning, spotting trends, and drawing inspiration.

Balancing digital tools with a human touch

User frustrations due to non-functional, cumbersome, or unclear elements are unacceptable. Similarly, assuming that everything must be digital is a fallacy. It’s about thinking ‘phygital’ – balancing digital tools with a human touch. This approach isn’t about the age of the customers. The elderly are often proficient with smartphones and tablets. It’s about providing quick access to an expert when a query is complex and not easily resolved by the system. This isn’t about a fear of digital.

Understanding the right needs requires starting with thorough customer research. Avoid beginning with assumptions about their digital maturity or young versus old. It’s essential to understand the customer’s psychology: what they need at each moment. Insurers recognize the difference between someone reviewing a file and someone dealing with damage, maybe even in a panic, needing immediate help. It’s essential to account for these scenarios.

Always involve users

Businesses think mainly in terms of productivity, cost rationalization, and helpdesk staffing – all legitimate concerns. However, one must also consider reputation and competition. If a customer feels poorly treated, they quickly switch providers. Think from the user’s perspective and involve them: what are their concerns? What do they need help with? Which tasks will they perform most frequently (these should be prominent in the application)? Often, developers and designers believe they should highlight an application’s unique selling points (USPs), but practice shows that a task-oriented approach is crucial. Never hide basic functions in a submenu just because ‘everyone has it’ or it’s ‘not trendy.’ You can still emphasize your USPs in marketing, but the tool itself must be straightforward and user-focused.

User-centricity is paramount, more so than trendy designs – although those are important too. Even if something looks beautiful and is straightforward, if it misses the mark, the product will fail. In a world where people have high expectations and easily shop around, this is a significant risk. This is especially true for the insurance sector, where customers compare applications to those of their banks.

Combining business goals and user needs

User needs are important but so are the goals of the business and they shouldn’t be overlooked . At thewave, we combine business goals and user needs.

We organize and facilitate workshops to help the organization to set out clear objectives, identify needs in the market, define the context, consider the limitations and constraints, and establish the conditions and metrics to measure the success of the initiative.

Once this preliminary work is done, we turn our attention to the design process itself.

Ready to embark on your digital transformation journey? Let's connect and explore how we can tailor our expertise to your unique needs.

Contact us at garifalia.kanellopoulos@thewave.tech and let's make your business digitally fit for success.