UI/UX DESIGN / HEALTHCARE / WEB / 2022
Simplifying insurance shopping for international students and visitors in the U.S.
Overview
My role
I was Tigerless’s first in-house UX designer and worked with a cross-functional team that included 2 engineers, 1 product manager, 1 graphic designer, 1 copywriter, and leads from marketing, sales, and legal teams.
BACKGROUND
A confusing site experience was holding users from enrolling into insurance plans.
Tigerless operates in a niche market, offering specialized insurance for international students and visitors in the U.S. The company has helped its customers save over $100 million by providing affordable, well-matched insurance plans. Yet the previous website had usability issues that made it difficult for users to understand their options or complete enrollment with confidence, ultimately limiting the company’s growth.
The sales team identified the need for a new website that would make it easier for users to find the information they need and feel confident taking action. While most customers came with a specific goal, whether to meet school requirements, apply for H1B coverage, or explore other insurance options, the site’s structure made it difficult to locate relevant plans and move forward.
The redesign focused on reducing friction, simplifying the enrollment flow, and creating a more intuitive, approachable experience for customers navigating life in a foreign country.
RESEARCH
Conducting research to understand the company's business and users' pain points.
I started by working closely with the product manager to understand the nuances of the company’s niche business model, including how different plans are bundled and sold. After gaining a solid understanding of the business and key insurance terminologies, I met with the sales associate to learn about the company’s target users and the common issues they face when purchasing health insurance.
01. International students and visitors are not familiar with U.S. insurance policies and terminologies.
Many international students and visitors find U.S. health insurance policies difficult to understand. Terms like premiums, deductibles, copays, and in-network providers are rarely explained clearly. According to our sales team, over 80% of users purchase insurance only because it’s required by their school or visa, not because they understand the coverage. This lack of understanding can lead to poor plan choices, unexpected costs, and a lack of confidence in accessing care when needed.
02. Users struggle to compare plans and make informed decisions.
Many customers reported feeling overwhelmed when trying to compare different insurance plans. With limited understanding of the terminology and lack of guidance during the selection process, they often make decisions based on price alone, overlooking critical differences in coverage, deductibles, and provider networks. This can result in users selecting plans that don’t meet their actual needs, leading to frustration when seeking care.
03. Customer service teams are overburdened with repetitive explanations.
Because many users don’t understand U.S. insurance terms, customer service teams spend a lot of time answering the same basic questions, like what deductibles mean, what’s covered, and which plan meets school requirements. These repetitive conversations slow down the sales process and place a heavy burden on staff. This highlighted an opportunity to improve information design and help users find answers through self-service.
HOW-MIGHT-WE STATEMENT
How might we simplify insurance shopping and make pricing transparent for international students and visitors in the U.S.?
DESIGN CRITIQUE
Evaluating the old design.
Based on the valuable feedback gathered from our user research, we identified several key problems with the current design of the Tigerless Health platform.
REDESIGN
Designing with the customers in mind.
The previous website placed too much emphasis on marketing what Tigerless could do as a company, often using long blocks of text. However, customers weren’t coming to learn about the business, they just wanted to know if they could find the right insurance plan.
The redesign shifted the focus toward clarity and action. By simplifying the layout and reducing unnecessary content, the new design helps users quickly see their options and take the next step with confidence.
SOLUTIONS
Making insurance type selection instantly available for users visiting the site.
Unlike the previous landing page, which featured a large hero image and blocks of introductory text, the redesign focused on encouraging immediate actions. All available insurance types are now clearly displayed on the landing page in card format, helping users quickly find what they need and move forward without unnecessary reading or extra steps.
Minimizing the input required to view available plans.
Unlike the previous landing page, which featured a large hero image and blocks of introductory text, the redesign focused on encouraging immediate actions. All available insurance types are now clearly displayed on the landing page in card format, helping users quickly find what they need and move forward without unnecessary reading or extra steps.
Showing Informative articles below the input field in digestible cards.
To avoid overwhelming users, essential information about F-1 student health insurance is displayed in clearly labeled cards beneath the input area. Each card links to a dedicated page, allowing users to dive deeper into topics only when needed, without interrupting the plan selection flow.
Using separate cards to clearly differentiate plan options.
In the old design, plans were stacked closely together with minimal visual separation, making it difficult for users to compare details or understand what made each option unique. The new layout introduces individual cards for each plan, improving scannability and helping users more easily evaluate and choose the option that best fits their needs.
RESULTS & REFLECTION
When we removed the noise, users found what they needed.
© Wenju Huang 2025