Human Resources Claims Process
Redesigning the claims process for an HR platform
Due to the confidential nature of the original application for ICE, I recreated a few screens on Figma using IBM's carbon design system and altered information wherever necessary.
Role: UX researcher and UX designer
Duration: June 2024 - May 2025
The opportunity
As part of the challenge of redesigning ICE's entire HR platform, I was tasked with leading the redesign of the claims process. I joined the project after other workflows in the new application had already been developed, but the team was unable to pinpoint specific user frustrations during feedback sessions, thus running into hurdles with user satisfaction. As the first UX designer to work on the project, I had the unique opportunity to establish a solid framework for user research and testing. I worked with one other designer on this goal:
How might I improve an HR application by making the claims process more intuitive and efficient for our users?
The process
Over an 11-month period, I led the redesign of the claims process using an agile framework, ensuring user needs were continuously prioritized through iterative research, testing, and refinement.
Research & Discovery
My teammate and I first conducted an audit of the developed workflows and took note of areas for improvement in the user interface. We noted concerns like the inconsistency of components and language, a lack of a design system, and a lack of structure when it came to requirements gathering, user research, and usability testing.
We met with our lead developer to discuss the React Bootstrap library and established a base level design system that incorporated all of their existing components.
We spoke with our stakeholders and users to better understand their pain points with what had already been developed. They gave us a demo of their current application and pointed out aspects they wanted to keep and areas for improvement. My teammate and I later walked through some developed workflows in the new application and asked questions to pinpoint user frustrations, encouraging an open dialogue.
Based on their insights, we identified three key requirements:
1. They wanted a personalized dashboard that would display information depending on the user's role within the system
2. They wanted the navigation and form structure to feel more familiar throughout all workflows
3. They wanted an easy way to download reports in their desired format
Ideation & Design
After synthesizing our notes from requirements gathering, we created mockups for an employee dashboard page, a claims processing workflow, and a report exporting feature.
We employed an agile approach by involving our developers and stakeholders throughout each iteration. When we completed the first iteration of a mockup, we met with our developers to ensure that they understood the user need behind each element and had an opportunity to speak on the technical feasibility of development. We would then incorporate developer feedback into the mockup before presenting to our stakeholders for final adjustments and approval.
Testing & Refinement
While the stakeholders were responsible for writing off a mockup for development, we also heavily involved our end users in weekly feedback sessions. Due to the lack of a quality assurance testing process within the team, it was important to establish a structured schedule for usability testing to ensure every workflow was working as intended and meeting user needs.
We conducted regular usability testing with three user groups, each representing a different role and level of access within the system. We dedicated an hour to each group every week to ask prepared questions and recorded feedback in real time. In agile practice, we sometimes went back to the drawing board if user needs changed and we had to incorporate edits into our mockups.
Dashboard
The dashboard structure was similar across all user roles, but what differed was the page content. Different roles had different levels of access and shortcuts for navigation, as well as personalized links under each subsection: tasks, training, resources, and news.
Claims Table
The main table for claims serves as a working task list, and it is organized by priority. It populates all claims that have been assigned to the user by a manager, but they are also able to manually create a new claim if necessary.
One of the biggest user frustrations we tackled was infinite scrolling due to the high volume of assigned claims. We solved this issue by introducing table pagination, which allowed users to customize how many items per page they wanted to see at a time and easily navigate between each table page.
Download Report
We also incorporated a feature for downloading reports of the table data. Clicking on the button opens a modal that allows users to customize the visual by fiscal year and quarter, as well as chart type before downloading. Our users wanted a toggle to choose between pie charts and bar charts.
Create New Claim
Users can create a new claim from the main table page. They are asked to fill in all required form fields and attach relevant files before moving on in the workflow. Users expressed a strong preference for the workflow progress indicator to be on the left side, as it was familiar for them. The progress indicator was previously located across the top of the page. Fulfilling this request improved user satisfaction greatly, as many users were already hesitant about using a brand new application in the near future.
The Results
This project was about more than just fixing the claims process; it was about introducing UX to a team that hadn’t used it before. I brought in user research, usability testing, and a basic design system that worked with their existing tools.
What we achieved:
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Simplified the claims workflow with pagination, clearer layouts, and more familiar patterns
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Created a personalized dashboard experience based on user roles
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Added a report download feature with easy customization options
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Set up weekly usability testing to uncover real user pain points
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Helped shift the team toward a more user-centered way of working
My Reflection
Taking on this project was a unique opportunity to lead and advocate for UX at a broader level. As the team’s first UX designer, I introduced testing methods, collaborated closely with cross-functional teams, and helped establish a user-centered approach where none had existed before. Like any project, it came with its own set of constraints.
Constraint 1: Team Unfamiliarity with UX Design Processes
I introduced core UX concepts through informal workshops, design reviews, and by walking stakeholders through my deliverables. This helped build understanding and buy-in while aligning expectations across the team.
Constraint 2: No Formal QA Process
In the absence of a dedicated QA tester, usability testing became essential not only for user feedback but also for identifying functional issues. I designed tests that included technical questions and collaborated closely with developers to flag and resolve bugs early.
Constraint 3: Need for a Design System
The UI was originally inconsistent across workflows, with no design system in place. I partnered with the lead developer to audit existing components and built a lightweight design system using the React Bootstrap library. This brought consistency to the app and made future design work more efficient.