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Optimizing Natural Disaster
UX Across Channels
PROJECT OVERVIEW
As USAA faced a significant rise in catastrophe-related claims due to increasingly unusual weather patterns, we identified an urgent need to improve the digital claims experience. This end-to-end initiative showcases how I led the effort to uncover gaps and pain points through journey mapping, user research, wireframing, and chatbot design. By enhancing the catastrophe experience, we aimed to better support members during disasters, reducing call volume, increasing self-service success, and ultimately improving overall member satisfaction.
UX STRATEGY: FROM DISCOVERY TO DELIVERY
This is a high-level simple diagram showing the starting point, the process, and the final output.
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JOURNEY MAPPING FOR MEMBER EXPERIENCE
I started by creating a member journey map, from the initial touchpoint through to the completion of their claim across various omnichannel experiences. This map offers a holistic view of the entire process and highlights how members navigate their claim journey. It also captures the voice of the member, helping us understand their needs and frustrations. Through this journey, I identified key gaps and pain points that we need to address to enhance the user experience—especially during catastrophic events.
JOURNEY MAP INSIGHTS: KEY GAPS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Here are some of my findings from creating the journey map. They include the current state, supporting data, showcases, and recommendations.
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CAT SMARTLINK VALIDATION PROCESSING MAP
This is an internal SmartLink process that defines the end-to-end flow. It helps visualize the overall process of how CAT alert messages are generated.
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ANALYZING CURRENT IA, UI, AND UX
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CONTENT AND UX REVIEW OF CAT PAGES
I conducted a thorough analysis of all CAT pages to identify any content gaps or usability issues, including those related to UI and UX. This work was part of a broader effort to improve the digital experience for members seeking support during catastrophe events. This page is one example from my review, highlighting areas where improvements can enhance clarity, accessibility, and overall user satisfaction.
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COMPETITOR RESEARCH
Competitor research helps USAA understand industry trends, member expectations, and innovation opportunities to improve our insurance experience and stay ahead in a competitive market.
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ENHANCING MEMBER COMMUNICATION WITH BRANDED RCS
Currently, USAA only supports one-way text messaging. Branded RCS offers a powerful way to engage with members more effectively and efficiently. With RCS, we can deliver rich media—such as videos, documents, and graphics—directly within the messaging thread. It allows members to access important information instantly, without needing to log in to 'My Messages' in the Claims Center.
INTEGRATING CHATBOT INTO CAT COMMUNICATION
USAA’s chatbot, EVA, currently offers limited support—especially during catastrophe events where timely and detailed information is critical. To address this, we launched Phase 1 and Phase 2 of an improvement initiative, with a continued roadmap into 2025. The goal: to enhance EVA’s capabilities, making it smarter, faster, and more helpful for members. Internally, we call this effort ‘Making EVA Smarter Than ChatGPT.’
Phase 1
Minimizing effort without customization by adding content for natural disaster information, claims, coverage, and details, based on the defending group above.
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Phase 2
Maximizing effort with customization. When a member logs in, we can identify their GEO location and display tailored content, including rich media such as MRU, watch videos, checklist PDFs, and graphic resources, and detailed information-directly within the EVA window, instead providing a link. This phase requires support from the IT team, and we need to confirm whether EVA can support these rich media contents.
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Phase 1
Phase 2
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EXPLORER WIREFRAME
I’ve created several versions of the Explorer to present content effectively. USAA has a component library, but it’s quite limited when it comes to applying it to real content. It was a challenge to design layouts that fit the right content using only the existing components. These wireframes are showcases of that work. At USAA, wireframes are built using components, so they often look almost like high-fidelity mockups.
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FINAL DESIGN & CONTENT STRATEGY: 5-ZONE PAGE FRAMEWORK
This 5-zone framework combines final design and content strategy to create clear, goal-driven digital experiences for USAA members. Each zone plays a key role—from orienting the member and highlighting priorities to introducing content, supporting task completion, and optionally closing with helpful guidance. The structure leverages components from USAA’s design library to ensure consistency and scalability.
Desktop View
Mobile View
Mobile View
Natural Disaster Hub
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Hurricane
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Wildfire
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Winter Strom
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Phase 2
Maximizing effort with customization. When a member logs in, we can identify their GEO location and display tailored content, including rich media such as MRU, watch videos, checklist PDFs, and graphic resources, and detailed information-directly within the EVA window, instead providing a link. This phase requires support from the IT team, and we need to confirm whether EVA can support these rich media contents.
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