Quantitative Agent Research - Westfield Insurance
The project
My company was about to embark on a multi-year, multi-million dollar project to reimagine the insurance quoting process for our independent agents.
The research question
The UX research team was tasked with determining
the biggest issues with the current process,
the biggest needs to be addressed with the new process,
possible differentiators that would make agents choose our products over other carriers.
My role
My role in this project included performing research, analyzing research and creating reports and personas.
Methodology
Our team of 3 conducted qualitative research with 75 agents. This research was done in one hour blocks, in person or by phone, and alternated between interviews and process sketches.
Process Sketching
Process sketches were used to walk the user through the process of quoting insurance business, from the time they learn from their customer that a quote is needed through to issuance of the insurance policy. We were interested not only in determining the steps in the process, but also the communication methods that were used. We worked with the insurance agent, our template, and post its to map the process.
Data synthesis
When all of the interviews and process sketches were complete, each data point learned was entered into a database and tagged into one of 25 relevant data categories.
Dimensions Analysis
These data categories were then sorted into characteristics in which our users differed from each other. Data points were plotted on dimensions based on these characteristics, and personas were developed based on the characteristics that occurred together most frequenlty.
Insights
Once the data points were plotted on differing characteristics, emerging patterns led to the development of 6 different personas.
When beginning research, we theorized that our personas would be role based, following the role of an individual at their agency. But our research determined that in fact, the differences in our users were not based on role, but mostly based on their ways of working and the type of work environment that they were comfortable in (multi-tasking in a busy office versus one quote at a time in a one person agency, for example). This made a great difference in how we would design for ease of use.