Boosting Engagement and Efficiency Through Project Ownership
Company
Intact
Timeline
3.5 months (2023)
Project type
workflow improvement
Background
Intact is a property and casualty insurance company. The Strategic Design Team, comprising 1 Manager and 8 Service Designers, collaborates with cross-functional teams to address omni-channel challenges for business success.
Challenge
The Strategic Design Team experienced the challenge of inefficient project workflow. As returning projects were a key source of work for the team, satisfied project sponsors would significantly benefit the team. Improving their efficiency would benefit the team and enhance the business's omni-channel strategy.
Objective
This service design project aimed to identify the challenges faced by the team and explore ways to optimise their work experience, with the goal of boosting work efficiency and engagement.
My role
The sole Service Designer
Target audience
1 Director
1 Manager
8 Service Designers
Methods
2 discovery sessions
10 In-depth interviews
1 alignment workshop
2 co-creation workshops
Tool
Miro
Key outcome and deliverables
The top 3 challenges were identified.
Designers were empowered to initiate discovery projects in the team's 2024 roadmap, enhancing their engagement.
Mutual understanding across team levels were improved.
4-page research plan
50-page research insight report
Recommendation list
A lack of a shared framework for the team's work practices was thought to cause inefficiency
After receiving the brief from the team's Manager, I started with understanding the definition of inefficient project workflow from her point of view through 2 discovery sessions, below was the hypothesis, the initial problem space:
The hypothesis
Low project efficiency of the team
Why?
Designers need to spend time on managing stakeholders
Why?
Stakeholders do not understand the work practice of the team
Why?
A lack of a shared framework for the team's work practices
To validate the hypothesis and understand the causes of inefficiency, I intended to investigate 2 key areas:
The team's perspective
How do the designers work commonly and differently in a project?
Which aspects of the designers' experiences drive inefficiency or efficiency?
Project sponsors' perspective
How do the past and current sponsors think about working with the team in a project?
Due to the project’s scope, the focus was primarily on the team's perspective.
Examining workflows and challenges through 10 1:1 interviews
My action
Led 10 1:1 semi-structured interviews via Teams or in-person with the Director, Manager, and 8 designers.
Takeaways
Got a holistic view of the team’s dynamics, project origins, role interactions, and challenges.
Identified key work patterns and the top 3 categories of struggles experienced by the designers, which were developed into a project's journey map.
A closer look at my synthesis process
Different work practices were not the cause of inefficiency
Designers worked in flexible, iterative ways that allowed them to solve problems efficiently and effectively according to various factors. Therefore, the original hypothesis on inefficency was invalid, indicating a need to reframe the problem space.
Designers' top 3 struggles impacting efficiency and engagement
Beyond work practices, designers experienced 3 key struggles that hindered their progress and engagement in the initial stages of their project journey :
Recognising low engagement due to low-impact projects
Designers felt their value was underutilised as they passively received over 75% of their projects from executives, particularly quick-win initiatives that they found neither fulfilling nor impactful, leading to decreased engagement. They did not understand why the Manager assigned these projects to them.
Addressing business risks due to low engagement
Resolving this issue was crucial, as designers' lack of sense of purpose posed a risk to:
the team’s long-term stability
the company’s talent retention
the success of its omni-channel strategies
Shifting focus to empower designers’ true value
Enhancing engagement could also improve efficiency by fostering a more motivated and purpose-driven team. After aligning with the Director, Manager, and designers on its importance in an alignment workshop, the project focus shifted to empowering the team to deliver their true value, enhancing their engagement.
"How might the Strategic Design Team effectively uncover business problems and opportunities from other units so that they can deliver their true value to the company?"
Identifying 2 key directions for improvement
To leverage the designers' perspectives for improving their working conditions, I led a 1-hour online co-creation workshop on Miro, engaging 6 designers in 3 brainstorming activities. From the session, we identified and prioritised 7 improvement themes based on their impact and effort, leading to 2 key directions:
Based on the key insights from the co-creation session and earlier interviews, I created 2 recommendations that involved mostly the Strategic Design Team, aligning with the Manager’s preference to avoid burdening external parties.
Expand project sources with internal discovery sessions
The current flow
Designers did not have a structured internal discovery process.
Designers got assigned projects, while the Manager was stressed about securing opportunities for all designers.
Designers were not motivated by projects with minimal impact.
Recommendation
Involve designers in internal opportunity discovery sessions.
Start with opportunities from the current and past projects.
The improved flow
At the end of projects, designers identify opportunities (e.g. unresolved issues or problems that arose during the project), and document them in the "Opportunity Log".
In the quarterly internal discovery sessions, designers evaluate the opportunities with a framework assessing 4 areas: impact, confidence, ease, and urgency.
Designers are motivated by projects initiated by themselves.
The Manager follows up with the business units and convert the opportunities into actionable projects.
Reduce dependence on external sponsors through access to front-line employee systems
The current flow
Designers relied on projects from Executives and Business Units.
Designers had limited autonomy over project initiatives.
Recommendation
Grant designers read-only access to the reports and systems of the front-line staff, including claims adjusters, brokers and customer service representatives who have close interaction with the customers.
Include exploratory research in the team's roadmap to ensure designers have dedicated time to uncover opportunities through data analysis.
The improved flow
Designers have access to systems where operational and customer challenges are documented.
Designers can gain direct insights on operational and customer challenges.
Designers can leverage their expertise in identifying new opportunities, gaining more autonomy in project initiatives.
Empowering designers through ownership and engagement
After understanding the designers' strong motivation to create value through impactful projects, the Manager included team-initiated discovery projects in the 2024 roadmap, allowing designers to have greater ownership and engagement with their projects that fosters a stronger sense of purpose and improved work efficiency.
Enhanced trust between the Manager and designers
Designers now recognise the value of quick-fix projects in securing future impactful work. The Manager has also gained a better understanding of the designers' concerns, leading to increased mutual trust and alignment.
Evaluate the internal discovery process through a pilot programme
The internal discovery process and opportunity log is a key initiative in empowering the team to initiate their own projects. To evaluate its effectiveness and identify areas for improvement, I would recommend a pilot program with two designers focusing on the claims process, a top priority in the team’s project roadmap. Metrics could include the number of opportunities identified, conversion rates to projects, and feedback on usability and workflow alignment.
Iterative process and flexibility
I adapted my research methods and workshop activities as the project context evolved. I learned that as long as the objectives remain clear, the plan can be flexible.
Being mindful of personal bias in data synthesis
During the synthesis process, I recognised the impact of biases, such as confirmation bias and primacy bias, on interpreting data. To enhance objectivity, I actively challenged my assumptions and translated insights from multiple perspectives.
Balancing authority and focus in facilitation
As a facilitator in workshops, I learned to balance "kind authority" with managing participants' focus. It can ensure that the objective are achieved while respecting all voices.
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Thanks for making it this far! I truly appreciate your time in exploring my work, and I hope you could find my expertise in problem discovery and strategic recommendation valuable to your team. If you’re interested in diving deeper into the design process, I’d love to share my passion with you!
