2024Design

Customer Portal Navigation

During this period in 2024, we were struggling to maintain NPS scores — and the feedback was pointing to the same friction points: customers couldn't find how to update their payment method or submit a claim. The features existed but the experience didn't make them findable.

Role

Lead UX Designer

Timeline

6 Months

Tools

Figma, FigJam, WalkMe

Methodology

User Research, Findability, Usability Testing, Information Architecture

Problem

The team struggled with declining NPS scores. Customers couldn't locate payment method updates or claims submission features — the functionality existed but lacked discoverability. Navigation assumed an internal organisational model misaligned with user mental models, creating barriers to goal completion.

Research & Discovery

Intent Mismatch

Users expected actionable items prominently displayed, not buried in generic categories

Label Confusion

The term 'Services' meant different things to different users — none connected it to transactions

Wayfinding Deficit

No contextual guidance after portal entry; all navigation items received equal visual emphasis

Mobile Divergence

Mobile abandonment rates exceeded desktop due to collapsed navigation hiding already-elusive options

Process

Card Sorting

Open card sort with 10 participants to understand natural content grouping and terminology

Mental Models Analysis

Identified varying user approaches — some item-focused, others action-oriented

IA Restructuring

Reorganised sitemap around task-based categories (Claims, Payments, Policies, Account) reflecting user language

Prototype & Validation

Built Figma prototypes tested with 5 users to confirm structural improvements

Gallery

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Solution

A navigation system reflecting user language and mental models — not internal product organisation.

01
Replaced static homepage with a contextual dashboard surfacing account-state-aware actions
02
Reduced friction to near single-click interactions for the most common tasks
03
Restructured navigation around user tasks, not internal product organisation
04
Implemented personalised, state-aware action surfaces

Outcomes

The new structure received positive usability feedback with a clear roadmap for iterative improvements based on analytics and user data. Identified user journeys and mental models laid the groundwork for a more contextual, task-driven portal experience.

Learnings

Hypothesis vs. Assumptions

Validate hypotheses through research; avoid projecting assumptions onto users during interviews

Navigation Primacy

Sophisticated features become useless if users cannot locate them

Perspective & Balance

Step back when overwhelmed by data to maintain a holistic understanding of the problem