Technological advancements and shifting customer expectations in the insurance industry are reshaping the way services are delivered, making understanding user interactions and satisfaction levels more important than ever.
With this comes the rise of UX research, a new but important role dedicated to understanding end users and sharing insights with product teams so that they can create seamless and smooth technology solutions for users to easily and efficiently tackle their work. But how do UX researchers do that, exactly?
Researchers would visit users
In the past, user research was mostly conducted in-person. Researchers would identify the end users of a product and schedule research sessions with them, in which researchers would interview and observe them using products in real-life scenarios. Researchers would then synthesize their insights to create user personas and journey maps that highlight the user’s goals, needs, and pain points to product design teams so that teams can empathize with the user and create user-friendly workflows and interfaces.
However, in recent years, there has been a notable transformation in the workplace landscape, marked by a decline in traditional office environments as remote work gains in popularity. And with this increase in popularity, UX researchers had to find a way to perform research remotely.
The rise of remote research
UX researchers have learned to use online tools, like teleconferencing, to speak to research candidates remotely. Research techniques like card sorting, usability testing, and data synthesis can now be performed digitally thanks to new UX tools, allowing UX researchers to achieve the same results faster.
This new approach comes with its advantages: it provides increased flexibility and efficiency. Researchers can conduct studies without the constraints of a physical location, enabling quicker recruitment of hard-to-reach end users such as underwriters and claims managers, who might be working exclusively from their home offices. Researchers and participants can choose times that best fit their schedules, potentially increasing participation rates and reducing cancellations. New tools, such as participant databases and online screening tools, have emerged to assist researchers with recruitment, significantly speeding up the recruitment process.
Remote research also allows contact with more customers and users in shorter time periods across many geographic locations, providing a holistic inclusion of the customer base. For example, for a recent product redesign project, the UX team at Insurity was able to speak with 6 customers and 15 users across 9 different states in the US over the course of 2 months, a process that would’ve taken many months and many flights in-person. This accelerated timeframe allowed us to compile our research results sooner, in turn letting our product team kick off development earlier than scheduled.
Where remote research lacks
There are situations where remote research methods will not work, and in-person research methods are required. One reason is because it is easier to pick up on audible and visual cues, workplace inefficiencies, and other potential distractions that could disrupt a person’s day in person. For instance, the workflow of a claims field representative would be better observed in person. One could observe the field representative collect data on pen and paper, capture a photo on a mobile or tablet device, and then compile the insights on a desktop in the office. The field representative’s usage of multiple devices might’ve been missed using only remote research methods.
Another area where in-person research excels is in the personal connection. Being in the same room as your participants helps you to pick up on non-verbal cues like body language that might not be picked up on camera. It is also easier to develop rapport, which might allow for a more comfortable and honest dialogue with the research participant.
Balancing Remote and In-Person Research for Optimal Insights
Remote research offers numerous benefits such as flexibility, efficiency, and broader geographic reach, but it also presents challenges like maintaining engagement and developing rapport with participants. UX researchers must determine the appropriate use of in-person or remote research methods to most efficiently achieve results. As the insurance industry continues to navigate this evolving period, embracing user research will be key to innovating and delivering products that meet the evolving expectations of users in today’s digital age.