Digital Injury Claims
Project Overview
Problem
Publix was handling in-store injury claims on paper, which caused delays, missing information, and lost or denied claims. The lack of tracking, visibility, and integration led to financial losses and a stressful experience for injured customers and associates.
Role
UX Designer
Responsibility
Lead the end-to-end UX for the new digital claims system, from research and process mapping through interaction design, form flows, and manager dashboards. Collaborate with operations, HR, legal, and US Bank to create guided, accessible claim workflows that fit store contexts and compliance needs.
Research
Overview
I mapped the current paper-based claims process by interviewing associates, managers, HR, and risk teams. I conducted on-site store and distribution center visits, observed injury reporting, and shadowed managers and HR during form completion. I analyzed historical claims to spot errors, missing data, and denial trends. These insights shaped user journeys and opportunity areas, directly informing the new digital flow and dashboards.
Key Findings
Injured associates often misunderstand required fields and skip important details, which leads to denials.
Managers rely on personal knowledge and sticky notes to track “in-flight” claims, which causes inconsistencies and lost paperwork.
HR spends significant time manually re-entering data from paper forms into systems, introducing new errors.
There is no single source of truth for claim status, so associates call multiple people to ask “what’s happening with my claim.”
User Personas
From our research, we put together 4 user personas that would represent the most common pain points and goals users hope to achieve.
Too much paperwork
Injured associates had to navigate long, confusing paper forms while in pain or stress.
Delayed processing
Claims were frequently delayed or lost between stores, HR, and US Bank, leaving associates without clear status updates.
Consistent errors
Store managers and HR spent hours correcting errors and chasing missing details before sending claims.
Losing money in processing
The lack of tracking, visibility, and integration led to financial losses and a stressful experience for injured associates.
Design
Overview
My approach to designing the digital claims experience modernizes the injury reporting process by replacing dense paper forms with guided, web-based flows and dashboards that surface the right information at the right time. The layouts prioritize clarity, progressive disclosure, and strong information grouping so store teams, HR, and banking partners can capture complete data, track claim status, and move from incident to payment with fewer errors and less manual follow-up.
Wireframes
Claim Submission Form
This screen uses a multi-step form with a clear progress indicator and chunked sections (Injury Overview, Location Information, Injured Individual Information, Address) to reduce cognitive load. The layout follows a two-column grid to shorten perceived length, uses consistent label/input patterns, and surfaces primary actions (“Next”, “Cancel”) with strong affordance while keeping help copy concise above the form.
Claim Details
This variation extends the submission flow by introducing an additional “Statement” section, keeping the same sectioned, card-based pattern so users recognize structure and know where they are. The design reinforces data accuracy with stable headings, generous spacing, and a familiar footer, making it easier for associates or managers to complete sensitive information without feeling overwhelmed.
Claims Dashboard
This manager/analyst dashboard aggregates key claims data into visual modules like charts, tables, and a claims overview donut to support quick scanning and trend recognition. The top-level metrics, recent activity, and dedicated areas for submission, documents, and guides are arranged in a card grid, helping users move seamlessly between monitoring performance and jumping into specific claim tasks.
Hi-Fidelity Mockups
Make complex systems feel simple and technology into great digital experiences
Distribution & Payment Detail View
The distribution tab presents payment details in an invoice-like format, showing payee information, claim codes, amounts, and a clear total at the bottom. A right-hand summary panel breaks down payments completed, pending, and remaining, giving HR and finance stakeholders an at-a-glance view of how funds are disbursed.
Claim Submission
I condensed the design to make the initial claim submission less intimidating by chunking the incident overview and injured-person information into clearly labeled sections with generous spacing. A horizontal stepper at the top reinforces progress, while primary actions (“Cancel”, “Next”) are anchored at the bottom in high-contrast buttons so managers and associates always know how to move forward.
Claims Manager Dashboard
The dashboard brings key metrics and work queues into one view, combining a claims performance chart, a “Filed Claims” table, and a donut-style claims overview. Tabs and filters allow managers to quickly pivot between claim states (Filed, Under Review, Approved, Denied, Paid), while the recent activity module surfaces time-sensitive updates without forcing users to dig into detail screens.
Final Solution
Through research, design, and testing, the project proved that guided, plain-language flows dramatically reduce cognitive load for injured associates and cut rework for managers and HR. Observing real-world reporting, interviewing stakeholders, and validating prototypes showed that status visibility, inline validation, and clear ownership at each step are just as important as the underlying data fields.
Launch Metrics
The new system reduced average claims processing time from multiple weeks to just a few days, slashed data entry errors by roughly 80–90%, and increased claim approval rates by more than 15 percentage points. By closing gaps that previously led to denials and leakage, the platform enabled recovery of roughly $2M in claim value annually while improving transparency and trust for associates navigating stressful injury events.
Metric | Before (Paper-Based) | After (Digital System) | Change / Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
Average claims processing time | 14–21 days | 2–3 days | 85% faster processing |
Data entry error rate | High (baseline) | 80% to 90% vs. baseline | Major reduction in rework and denials |
Claim approval rate | Lower baseline | +15 percentage points | More complete, accurate submissions |
Lost / delayed claim value | Significant annual leakage | $2M recovered per year | Revenue recovered instead of lost |
Associate visibility into claim | Low, no single source | Real-time status tracking | Fewer follow-up calls and uncertainty |
