UX Design Internship
A comprehensive UX design internship experience at Protective Life, contributing to their brand redesign and website improvement.
Internship Overview
During my UX Design internship at Protective Life, I gained hands-on experience in every step of the UX design process. The internship coincided with the company's brand redesign, providing me with the unique opportunity to contribute to the transformation of their digital presence.
Working closely with the design and development teams, I helped redesign key user flows, conducted user research, and implemented best practices in accessibility and visual design. This experience allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge in a real-world setting while making meaningful contributions to the company's digital transformation.
Tools & Methods
Project Showcase
Direct to Consumer webflow redesign
User research and testing results
Key Projects
Direct to Consumer Webflows
My primary responsibility during the internship was redesigning the user flows for each of the company's "Direct to Consumer" pages. This project was particularly significant as it was part of the company's broader brand redesign initiative.
Throughout the redesign process, I adhered to best design practices, ADA visual standards, and the new brand guidelines. I focused on creating intuitive navigation paths, simplifying complex forms, and ensuring a consistent visual language across all pages. The redesigned flows significantly improved the user experience, making it easier for customers to find information and complete transactions.
User Research & Testing
In addition to the webflow redesign, I was involved in various research and testing activities that informed our design decisions:
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Tree Jack Testing: Conducted tests on the new website navigation structure to evaluate its intuitiveness and effectiveness. The results helped identify areas where users struggled to find information, leading to improvements in the site architecture.
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Competitor Analysis: Performed comprehensive analyses of competitor websites to identify industry best practices, innovative features, and potential areas for differentiation.
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Stakeholder Interviews: Conducted interviews with key stakeholders to gather requirements, understand business objectives, and align the design direction with organizational goals.
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Content Interviews: Worked with content creators to ensure that the design effectively communicated the intended messages and supported the content strategy.
Skills Developed
UX Research
Gained experience in planning and conducting user research, including interviews, usability testing, and analyzing research data to inform design decisions.
Information Architecture
Developed skills in organizing and structuring content to create intuitive navigation systems and user flows that enhance findability and usability.
Wireframing & Prototyping
Created low and high-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes using Figma to visualize design concepts and test user interactions.
Accessibility Design
Implemented ADA visual standards and accessibility best practices to ensure the website was usable by people with diverse abilities and needs.
Collaboration
Worked effectively with cross-functional teams including designers, developers, content creators, and business stakeholders to deliver cohesive solutions.
Brand Implementation
Applied brand guidelines consistently across digital products, ensuring visual cohesion while maintaining usability and accessibility.
Challenges & Solutions
Balancing Brand Guidelines with Usability
Challenge: Implementing the new brand guidelines while ensuring optimal usability and accessibility, particularly for complex financial forms and information.
Solution: Created a design system that incorporated the brand's visual elements while prioritizing readability and ease of use. Used contrast checking tools to ensure text remained legible, and implemented progressive disclosure techniques for complex information.
Simplifying Complex User Flows
Challenge: Redesigning complex user flows for insurance quote and application processes that involved numerous steps and decision points.
Solution: Mapped the existing flows and identified pain points through user research. Restructured the flows to reduce cognitive load by breaking complex processes into manageable steps, adding progress indicators, and providing clear guidance at each stage. The redesigned flows significantly reduced drop-off rates and improved completion times.
Outcomes & Learnings
The internship provided invaluable real-world experience in UX design within a corporate environment. Key outcomes and learnings included:
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Professional Growth: Gained practical experience in applying UX methodologies in a professional setting, working within constraints, and delivering results that met business objectives.
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Technical Skills: Enhanced proficiency with industry-standard tools like Figma, Miro, and Optimal Workshop, and learned how to integrate these tools into an efficient workflow.
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Industry Knowledge: Developed a deeper understanding of the financial services industry, its unique challenges, and the importance of trust and clarity in user experience design for financial products.
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Tangible Impact: Contributed to a significant brand redesign that improved user experience and business outcomes, with the redesigned flows being implemented on the live website.
See My Work in Action
Visit the Protective Life website to see the results of my internship work. The Direct to Consumer pages showcase the redesigned user flows and implementation of the new brand guidelines.