It's like Super, but for long service leave
Australian Government mandates that anyone working for 7 years in the construction industry is entitled to about 9 weeks of paid long service leave.
LeavePlus is the appointed long service leave administrator for the state of Victoria; part of a major economic driver that contributes around A$21.6 billion to the state's economy.
Business is at a huge loss because of a legacy system and tons of manual processes
LeavePlus faced a critical challenge with its outdated legacy system and manual processes. The existing "Avatar" platform, a patchwork of technologies from the past two decades, struggled to meet modern user expectations.
A direct result of which was extremely long processing time of basic claim requests, no visibility of statuses and a high volume of support calls
How is this impacting the business?
Everyone knew things were not good. We wanted to know how this was really impacting the business. so I partnered with all department leads to discover the following
Something had to change…and fast
As a first hire, it was my job to setup a design function, inspire executive stakeholders, increase engagement and help transform the business
Heres how I started…
My first 90 days at LeavePlus were a whirlwind of understanding, collaborating, and advocating for design thinking. I immersed myself in the company's culture, built relationships with key stakeholders, and championed a user-centered approach to transform their legacy product, Avatar.
Understanding the landscape
The first month at LeavePlus, I focused on understanding the current state of UX maturity, building relationships, and establishing a strong design presence.
Building relationships and identifying champions
I started by prioritising building relationships with key stakeholders across departments and identifying potential design champions who could advocate for user-centered design within their teams.
Product and team assessment
I then reviewed existing roadmaps, processes, and research to gain an understanding of the current state of the product and team workflows. UX maturity at LeavePlus was non-existent. This was an interesting challenge, one that I really enjoyed working on.
Building the Foundation
With an understanding of LeavePlus's landscape, I turned my attention to creating a design team and selling the value proposition to key stakeholders
Selling the value proposition of design
Inspired by my learnings at the Chief Design Officer school, I recognised the importance of executive buy-in for creating a mature design function at LeavePlus.
To achieve this, I delivered presentations and workshops aiming to secure their support and emphasize the value of design thinking in achieving LeavePlus's business goals.
Collaborative roadmap development
To ensure UX was aligned with LeavePlus's business objectives, I initiated collaborative roadmap development workshops with product managers, engineers, and key stakeholders.
These workshops aimed to integrate UX into the company's vision and objectives, prioritising user needs identified through earlier research and customer interviews. This approach ensured that the UX strategy was not developed in isolation but was woven into the fabric of the company's overall direction.
Build a design team
Recognizing that I couldn't achieve this transformation alone, I advocated for expanding the UX team. This involved securing resources to hire experienced UX researchers and additional designers, laying the groundwork for a robust team capable of tackling LeavePlus's design challenges.
Shaping the Product
In this phase I showcased the tangible impact of design and fostering a company-wide embrace of user-centered principles.
Early wins and building trust
To build momentum and demonstrate the value of UX, I focused on achieving early wins.
This included creating the 'Layers' design system and showcasing early design artifacts to stakeholders. These early successes helped build trust within the team and with other departments, paving the way for broader UX adoption across LeavePlus
Target low-hanging fruit
Another early win was to wireframe the easier features of Avatar. I prioritised the development of wireframes for Registration, Login and profiles —showcasing the potential of design thinking to stakeholders. This mirrored a strategy of sharing early design concepts company-wide to foster understanding, encourage feedback, and build excitement.
Data-driven continuous improvement
I leveraged data to inform design decisions, conducting rigorous testing with members, iterating on designs, and measuring success.
Testing with members
Regular usability testing sessions with LeavePlus members were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of designs. These sessions provided valuable insights into user pain points, preferences, and areas for improvement.
Data-driven design
I established a system for collecting and analyzing user data, including website analytics, user feedback, and A/B testing results. This data-driven approach ensured that design decisions were grounded in evidence and aligned with user needs and behaviors
The Journey Continues
The initial 90 days were just the beginning. The work continued over two years, tackling a wide range of features and functionalities. The same user-centered approach, data-driven design, and iterative processes were applied to each subsequent feature, ensuring consistency and continuous improvement
My UX process as a senior designer
My process follows a three-diamond approach, starting with understanding the problem, then define a clear plan, and finally build and refine the solution before launch.
Mapping out the member journey
Using insights from our research, we then mapped out every stage of the member's journey, including their pain points and frustrations. Then we asked ourselves, "What would it look like if we took all of the low points in this journey and elevated them?"
The curious case of logins
The previous login process forced members to rely on a 10-digit member ID, causing frustration and support requests. The redesigned system allows login with a member's email address or phone number, similar to modern platforms. Multi-factor authentication adds extra security, addressing previous vulnerabilities.
Now, that's more like a profile!
The old profile page was a bit of a mess, really. Information scattered everywhere, hard to find what you needed. Replaced by clean, intuitive… a breath of fresh air! It's about empowering them to take control of their information and feel confident that everything is up-to-date.
Drag to compare — old Avatar profile vs the redesigned experience
A better way to claim your long service leave
Ditched the old, clunky process for a streamlined, intuitive experience. Members can submit claims online, track progress effortlessly, and receive updates in real-time. It's all about clarity, efficiency, and putting members in control. Automate approximately 90% of the manual processes
Who doesn't like a free gift
After a member submits a claim, they get to choose a free gift! – a little something to show our appreciation. It's a small touch, but it's those little things that can make a big difference in the overall member experience.
What was the impact of this refactoring on the business and operations?
