LIZ BEVAN CONTENT DESIGNER
Making claims easier
tl;dr This project overhauled a complex health, dental, and disability claims process by implementing a streamlined, plain-language, and step-by-step framework, and more modern form functionality to eliminate user friction. The redesign achieved a 42% reduction in form drop-offs, decreased submission times to under 20 minutes, and lowered related support calls by 35%.
The problem
Sun Life members experiencing a stressful time with illness or injury faced massive friction during health and insurance claims process due to a complex, non-linear multi-page website, complex medical terminology, and a lack of clear guidance on what to do next. This led to high drop-off rates, heightened user anxiety, a high number of customer service center calls, and prolonged processing bottlenecks for claim administrators.
The solution
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Streamlined information architecture: Reorganized the multi-page submission process into a logical, progressive step-by-step framework to reduce cognitive overload. Completed for long- and short-term disability, dental, prescriptions, vision, and more.
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Clarified confusing questions: Rephrased dense legal and medical terminology into simple, accessible language and embedded direct links to contextual tooltips.
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Added progress indicators: Implemented a visible top stepper with clear checkmarks to track completion and show users exactly where they are in the process.
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Introduced conditional logic scaffolding: Designed dynamic form fields that adapt post-input to hide irrelevant sections and prevent user error.
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Centralized resource links: Structured high-friction steps to include direct documentation support, ensuring users could complete the web form without abandoning the page.
The impact
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Reduced form completion drop-off rates by 42% across the website.
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Decreased average submission time from over an hour to under 20 minutes.
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Lowered customer support inquiries regarding form ambiguity by 35%.
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Earned 4-star or higher ratings from 80% of surveyed members.
Before this project began, clients were only able to access non-fillable pdf forms in the depths of the desktop site. There was no mobile experience.
I assisted the project team in creating the business case for the mobile app project, contributing heavily to the proposal section.
Highlight:
Short-term disability claims
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The problem:
Sun Life members faced significant friction navigating a cumbersome, multi-page desktop process to submit disability claims, often struggling to attach required paperwork and diagnosis details. This complex experience caused coverage delays during critical periods of illness or injury, while the cold, corporate tone left members feeling unsupported. Previous improvements to the process included the creation of a 15-page PDF that was overly complicated and unfocused.
The solution:
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Mapped User Journeys: Researched end-to-end short-term disability requirements from initial diagnosis to final decision, analyzing a dense 15-page procedural document.
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Optimized Form Flows: Identified the core 5 required steps common to 85% of all submissions to create a simplified, high-impact framework.
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Integrated Empathy Standards: Applied a new empathy framework and style guide to eliminate cold, corporate phrasing and resolve member complaints.
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Centralized Resources: Embedded required forms directly into the relevant steps of the transactional flow, unifying previously fragmented digital experiences.
mySunLife mobile app home screen.
The member selects their plan.
Employing the empathy framework built alongside this project, wishing the member a healthy recovery.
mySunLife mobile app home screen.