Insurance digital transformation

Client: Tokio Marine Nichido

Industry: Insurance

Year: 2018-2019

My roles: Project lead, Research, Digital product design, Service design, UX design, Interaction design  

Introduction

Context

One universal app for all insurances

Tokio Marine Nichido is the largest insurance corporation in Japan, providing various types of insurance including car, life, and home. 

The company launched one digital application, “Mobile Agent” in 2017. It was a car accident app to connect customers with an agent for accident support. 

The original “Mobile Agent” app was just the first step in their digital transformation. Tokio Marine Nichido planned to transform the car accident app into a universal application, which provides valuable services for all types of insurance.   

 

Challenge

Many features, but no value

Tokio Marine Nichido struggled to develop the new application. Especially, the app development team was having a hard time. 

First of all, no one had a clear value proposition for the new application. Then, stakeholders from different departments requested additional features for their own services. Even random ideas like coupon codes and a pedometer. The app team ended up having a Frankenstein concept, which might have many features but provide no value to customers. 

At that point, Tokio Marine Nichido needed support to proceed with the app development. 

Develop a new insurance application from scratch

We worked on six projects with Tokio Marine Nichido for two years, supporting the app team to define the basis, create user experience, and iterate on prototyping. 

Project

1st project

Start small 

  • Define an overall value proposition and basic structure

  • Validate with customers

2nd project

Sharpen our hypothesis 

  • Validate with insurance agents

  • Finalize the overall value proposition and basic structure

3rd project

Bring a concept to life

  • Prototype a MVP application

4th project

Envision the future

  • Prototype advanced features

  • Develop a strategy and roadmap for future updates

5th project

Explore insurance chatbot

  • Develop a chatbot feature

6th project

Improve claiming experience

  • Develop an insurance claim feature

Approach

Challenge the complex nature of insurance 

Insurance is very complex. And, we weren’t insurance experts. Countless discussions with stakeholders were the only way to catch up. We asked questions and they answered. We worked hard to understand what is going on. 

Then, we needed to simplify the complex nature and create a smooth user experience. This step required a different approach; we suggested and they evaluated it. Repeating trials and errors enabled us to overcome the complexity of insurance.  

Pursue user-centered approach

Tokio Marine Nichido is a big corporation in Japan. The app development team unconsciously took a stakeholder-centered approach, focusing on getting internal approvals. They listened to stakeholders more than customers. 

Our job was to disrupt the existing approach and help the app team focus on customer needs. We kept bringing user perspectives in every discussion with the app team. And, the user validation was a game-changer. The team members started to focus on customers rather than stakeholders. It took a long time, but we made a mindset shift.  

Break down organizational silos 

The new application covers all types of insurance. It means that the app development involved stakeholders from diverse departments. It was a big challenge for us because Tokyo Marine Nichido had organizational silos. 

We conducted many workshops to bridge the silos. Stakeholders from different departments discussed and created together in one place. The co-working experience helped them leave the organizational silos behind and go after the same goal to develop one universal app for all their services.   

Outcome

Value proposition

UI kit

User flow

Information architecture

Prototype

Visual design

Result

Launched the new Mobile Agent app

After launching in 2019, the new application received many positive reviews regarding the updated features. And, the app development triggered an organizational change to connect all departments together. 

Tokyo Marine Nichido still keeps working on digital transformation.  

 

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