Within my first month at the Zebra, I identified the need for an redeign of the insurance checkout process. I initiated and led the redesign to create a more user-friendly and efficient checkout process. As the sole designer, I conducted a competitive analysis and UX audit to identify our weaknesses. I then led cross functional workshops, A/B testing with interactive prototypes, and iterative design efforts to successfully ship the redesign.

The Zebra is an online insurance comparison website, mainly known for their auto insurance. People are able to view multiple quotes from different carriers and compare coverages, benefits, and pricing. However, not many users know that they can purchase insurance directly on the Zebra.

To kickstart the redesign, I conducted a thorough competitive analysis and audit of our purchasing flow.

Competitive Analysis: Examined insurance checkout experiences from industry leaders such as Geico and Allstate, along with standard e-commerce platforms like Stripe and Shopify.

Findings:

• The existing terminology was confusing and did not match industry standard terminology.
• We lacked a clear breakdown of pricing and payment options
• Our layout is not consistent with e-commerce checkout experiences.
• We do not provide any confirmation or review before purchase.

To create a streamlined, user-friendly checkout experience that instilled trust and clarity. My aim was to incorporate industry best practices, ensuring that users had all necessary information at each step of the process.

I developed multiple design iterations, including single-column, two-column layouts, and card-based designs, inspired by relevant product flows. I made sure to iterate on displaying discounts, savings, and payment options clearly.

I decided to move forward with the two column layout and information given feedback from stakeholders and its alignment with industry standards. With the new layout, I updated the payment section. I simplified the form and added a new review page. We then tested the existing designs vs the new flow.

I created interactive prototypes and conducted usability testing via usertesting.com with 10 users. 8 out of 10 users preferred the new designs, appreciating the detailed breakdown and review page. The other two users liked the new features proposed in the new design but preferred the old layout/visual style.

Findings:

• Users want a breakdown of pricing with savings and discount
• Users liked the pay in full and emphasized pricing was the most important to them
• Users want to review and confirm their policy before purchasing
• Users did not understand why they had to use a credit card when paying with bank account
• Users expect secure payment methods

After our testing and sharing the feedback to stakeholders, I worked with the team to determine areas of improvement in the flow. I then updated the designs, and created responsive designs.

Design Improvements:

• Clearly label savings in pricing card
• Separate the credit card to new page and provide more information and explain in review page
• Update visual elements
• Highlight the payment methods and schedule better for comfort and security

I worked closely with the dev team to make responsive designs, error states, edge cases. We successfully shipped the redesign in July. With the newly launched designs, our payment conversions went up by 4%. So far, there have been zero complaints about the checkout experience.

Diving right into the checkout redesign in my first 30 days was exciting. I learned a lot of things considering this was my first project at the Zebra:

• Attention to detail: Small adjustments like a simple toggle can have a big impact on user experience.
• Comfort: Considering how users feel and their trust towards the product is essential for complex flows
• User-centered design: Focusing on user needs and feedback will always be the way to go :)