Ford Insure
Case Study Details
Date October to December 2016
Client Ford Insure (Allianz corporate partner)
Project Dealer Portal and Customer Quote and Buy
Role Senior Designer
Skills Interaction Design / UI / UX / Visual Design / Wireframes
“From the outset, Marlon took ownership of taking extremely complex business requirements and turning them into a usable and intuitive interface. Without Marlon’s expertise, the project was in danger of being overly complicated but he quickly produced wireframes that articulated the design solution that Ford were extremely pleased with. I would happily work with Marlon again”
Objective
Our goal was to create an exceptional user experience through the development of a comprehensive online platform to support the newly established corporate partnership between Allianz Insurance and Ford. This platform consisted of three key components:
Customer-Facing Website: We designed and implemented a user-centric, customer-facing website that reflected the essence of the Allianz-Ford partnership. The website provided a seamless and intuitive experience for users seeking insurance solutions for their Ford vehicles. We emphasised ease of navigation, clear information presentation and a visually appealing interface.
Quote and Purchase System (Acturis Integration): We integrated the Acturis system to facilitate a robust quote and buy process. Users could effortlessly obtain insurance quotes and complete their purchases with minimal friction. We emphasised transparency in pricing and policy details, as well as an efficient user flow from quote to payment.
Dealer Portal: We created a user-friendly dealer portal exclusively for Ford dealerships. This portal empowered dealers to efficiently place customers purchasing new Ford vehicles on either 1-day or 7-day insurance cover, aligning with industry standards. We prioritised simplicity, speed and accuracy in the portal's design, recognising the importance of dealer-customer interactions.
Fig 1.1 Ford Insure customer-facing website
The Challenge
Complex User Flows Translation
The internal project team had produced extremely detailed and complex user flows for the websites. Translating these intricate schematics into three distinct usable websites, each catering to different user groups, posed a significant challenge. It required meticulous planning and design to ensure that the resulting websites effectively met user needs and business requirements.
Designing for Success
To bridge the gap between complex user flows and practical design solutions, I created comprehensive wireframes (see Fig 1.2 below). These wireframes served as a crucial bridge between concept and execution. Once the wireframes received approval, they paved the way for the full visual design.
In this project, my role was central to both the creation of wireframes and the development of the visual design. Additionally, I oversaw a team of two other designers during the design phase to ensure that the project adhered to its deadlines.
Fig 1.2 - Sample of comprehensive low-fidelity wireframes
Results and Success Metrics
Increased user engagement and conversion rates on the website.
Positive feedback from Ford dealerships regarding the ease of use of the dealer portal.
Reduction in support enquiries due to intuitive design and information accessibility.
Conclusion
The project was a resounding success, and its impact lasted several years after its delivery. My primary focus was on delivering the complete visual design, and while I wasn't directly involved in the website's development, I am pleased to note that the developers faithfully adhered to my original design specifications.
By addressing the outlined challenges and adhering to these guidelines and objectives, we successfully delivered designs that not only met but exceeded the expectations of users engaging with the Allianz-Ford partnership platform.
