The system
The internal platform underwriters use to create and manage policies, moving business through each stage of the process until it is bound.
The problem
Users had to work at reference level, even when a policy contained several related references needing the same action. The same task, decision or update was repeated many times for one policy: slow, repetitive and prone to inconsistency.
Business goal
Keep existing functionality while moving from a reference-level to a policy-level way of working, so users can manage a whole policy at once, finish tasks faster and have a better experience overall.
My role
I led the redesign of the platform's core processes, including Sanctions and Global Clearance checks, shifting users from a reference-by-reference way of working to a unified, policy-level workflow. I simplified the system while keeping familiar patterns intact and reducing clicks, which cut repetitive work and reduced task completion time by over 50%.
- Stakeholder interviews
- System analysis and user flows
- Design
- Design system and accessibility
- Gathering user feedback
- Handover and development support
Stakeholder interviews
I interviewed stakeholders to understand how the system worked, uncover the main pain points users faced, and build a deeper understanding of the underwriting process as a whole. That gave me the context to understand why each process existed, not just how it functioned on the surface.
System analysis and user flows
I began with a current-state analysis of the platform, auditing existing screens and mapping how each type of business moves through it, from manual and NTU/decline pipelines to renewals and sub-IDs. This surfaced the edge cases and niche scenarios the redesign had to support, and showed exactly where the reference-level process broke down.
From there, I defined end-to-end user flows for each process, covering every role, decision point, system state and exception, and mapped each step to its corresponding screen. The flows became a shared source of truth for the Product Owner, Business Analysts and developers, keeping complex underwriting logic consistent across the product.
Design
Redesigning the tasks was challenging, as each had its own distinct functionality. I needed to make them all consistent and easy to use without losing that individual complexity.
Throughout the process I worked closely with the Product Owner and Business Analysts to make sure nothing was missed and the designs matched the underlying functionality.
What users told me
Nested scrolls
Key details were buried inside scroll areas within scroll areas.
Too many clicks
Simple actions took far more steps than they should.
Too many popups
Work was constantly interrupted by modal windows.
Hidden information
Users had to open a full-screen view inside a popup just to see everything related to a task.
What changed
I redesigned the tasks in line with the design system so they're consistent across the board. A single global scroll replaced the nested ones. All policy references are now pre-selected, so actions apply to the whole policy by default. Popups were cut significantly, so users can act directly on the screen.
Underwriter Authorities
Underwriter Authorities checks whether an underwriter is allowed to write a given risk. If they're outside their limits, they need approval from a more senior underwriter.
This was an entirely new process. Approvals used to happen over email, which felt simpler to underwriters, but a new governance requirement meant it had to live inside the platform. My goal was to make that transition as easy as possible.
UAT sessions surfaced four key pain points:
- Too many clicks to complete the task
- Viewing details meant navigating through multiple layers
- No way to work across multiple references at once
- No way to see comments at a glance
I redesigned the task to address each of these directly, and users responded positively when I presented the updated design.
Design system and accessibility
I expanded and restructured the Figma design system with reusable components and patterns, and handed it over to the development team to keep the product consistent and scalable.
The existing system had grown without clear rules: colours were grouped loosely, type styles overlapped, and components lacked documentation. I restructured the foundations into clear, documented tiers, defined the full range of shades and states, and added usage guidance and real product examples for every component.
Colours
Reorganised into core brand colours, functional neutrals and status colours, each with a full range of shades and usage guidance.
Typography
A single type hierarchy with defined sizes, weights, line heights and usage, plus an annotated example showing how styles are applied in the product.
Components
Each component, such as badges, was documented by type and purpose, with guidance and real usage examples from the platform.
WCAG 2.1 AA, applied across the redesign
Colour contrast
Text and interface elements meet AA contrast ratios.
Keyboard navigation
Every task can be completed without a mouse.
Focus states
Clear, visible focus on every interactive element.
Accessible forms
Form patterns with proper labels, help text and error messages.
Gathering user feedback
I led design presentations and review sessions with users, Product Owners, Business Analysts, senior stakeholders and developers to validate concepts, gather feedback, resolve technical constraints and drive alignment on design decisions.
Handover and development support
I prepared detailed, ready-for-development files in Figma, including all user flows and annotations describing exact system behaviour, so the Business Analyst could turn them into developer stories.
I attended refinement sessions with developers. When technical constraints made parts of a design infeasible, I iterated quickly and re-issued updated designs to keep delivery on track.
Outcome
- Simplified a highly complex system into a more intuitive, user-friendly experience
- Cut task completion time by over 50%
- Enabled multi-reference actions at policy level, cutting repetitive manual work and improving consistency across related references
- Expanded and restructured the design system and handed it over to the development team
- Applied WCAG 2.1 AA standards across the redesign
- Supported developers through implementation, resolving design questions and reviewing delivered work against specifications
- Used AI tools to accelerate ideation and synthesise research notes, verifying every output against the requirements
Reflection
Working on a system this complex showed me how complicated flows can get, and how many niche scenarios there can be. However difficult the workflow, the design still needed to be understandable and easy to use.
It also taught me how important it is to balance user needs against technical feasibility. Covering the breadth of underwriting scenarios took constant, close collaboration between design, business analysis and development.
