Well-being Score SulAmérica Seguros
About SulAmérica
SulAmérica is a company with over 128 years of history, dedicated to delivering Comprehensive Health to its more than 7 million clients through Health, Dental, Life, Pension, and Investment products and services. It has over 4,000 employees and a distribution network made up of thousands of insurance brokers across Brazil.
Goal:
Validate the product concept and develop a solution proposal that is attractive to the user.
What was done
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Project scope definition
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Stakeholder interviews
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Benchmarking
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Desk research
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Ideation
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User journey mapping
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High-fidelity prototype
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Usability testing and concept validation
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Results analysis and deliverables production
My role
As the project lead and researcher, my responsibility was to ensure the completion of the tasks outlined in the framework, maintaining their quality and actively participating in the research and discovery process.
Project Scope Definition
Although the Kick-off meeting and initial briefing marked the start of the project, the meeting with stakeholders proved to be strategic for the success of the delivery. During the Kick-off, we introduced our project team and all stakeholders, as well as the framework and timelines. The stakeholder meeting aimed to delve deeper into the project’s core theme.
We used the Scoping Canvas as a tool to address all areas of interest related to the central topic of the project. The presence of all stakeholders was extremely important, as each one, with their unique perspective and expertise, was able to contribute significantly.
The role of the Project Lead and the Researcher was to guide the completion of the Scoping Canvas and provide insights and questions that would foster a rich discussion to support the understanding and deepening of the project's central theme.
Stakeholders Interviews
After the general meeting with stakeholders, we conducted individual interviews with the heads of the areas related to the project. We selected representatives from the Design, Product, and Innovation teams.
At this stage, our team already had a preliminary understanding of the project’s theme. The main goal of the interviews was to clarify specific questions and refine certain details about the product ecosystem.
Based on the outcome of the scoping meeting and the stakeholder interviews, the project guidelines and the objective to be validated were defined, serving as a reference for the team throughout the entire process. In these initial discussions, the client presented non-negotiable requirements for the project, such as the inclusion of financial, mental, and physical health in the proposed solution, as these areas were part of their product portfolio.
We arrived at the following project proposal:
Build a Score concept that is easily understood by users and presents a clear value proposition by connecting financial health with mental and physical health.
As Project Lead and Researcher, my main responsibility was to ensure that the project guidelines were consistently considered, in order to highlight priorities and ensure the right decisions were made. At the same time, for every piece of material produced, we constantly questioned whether it aligned with the project’s final proposal. The client had established non-negotiable requirements for the project but encouraged limitless innovation.
Benchmark
Our benchmark began with a few suggestions already mapped out by the client. The goal was to analyze super apps that featured an ecosystem of sub-products. On the other hand, we also brought in analyses of apps categorized as wellness and health apps.
Although not a direct benchmark, Uber was a major source of inspiration in terms of structure and the presence of features within an ecosystem.
The Betterfly app served as a strong direct inspiration, as it offered a scoring system related to mental health and well-being.
Other benchmarks were considered for their unique characteristics, such as Mercado Livre and its points and rewards dynamics. Duolingo was also a great source of inspiration, particularly for its iconography and the way it reflects user status based on app usage.
Desk Research
Since the stakeholders brought many research topics and reading suggestions, we decided to break down a few key points to obtain more relevant results. First, we understood that it was essential to investigate how the topic of well-being was addressed in practice by related apps, and which organizations were associated with these apps—such as health insurance companies. The second important point was to analyze applied research on quality of life, examining how the initial questionnaires were structured and what results they produced, as in the case of the Blue Zones and their lifestyle methodology.
At this stage, my role as Project Lead and Researcher was to support the internal team and actively contribute to the research. I also validated each finding to ensure it aligned with the overall objective of the project and the relevance of the research. Additionally, we presented the client with an interpretation of the content assimilated by the team and what would be used in the next steps of the project.
Some key questions that emerged from the Desk Research:
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How do apps approach the measurement of health and well-being?
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How can health be measured?
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Is quality of life related to health?
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What is the concept of balance?
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How can happiness be evaluated?
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What is the index for a better life?
Ideation
As a team, we understood that we still had many questions regarding the development of a solution proposal and an effective questionnaire/script to use in the concept test. Therefore, we held an internal ideation session with the design team from Estúdio Marte to generate ideas for the prototype.
User Journey
The journey of the super app ecosystem had already been developed and was presented by the client. Our project’s main objective was to validate the initial concept of the super app journey and propose a user loyalty strategy through a well-being and health score.
To achieve this, it was essential to understand all the products and services that would be offered within the super app, which had already been outlined by the client. As the Project Lead, I was responsible for gathering information from all the development areas involved in the super app, working closely with a designated point of contact on the client’s side.
Prototype
During the prototype development phase, we chose to understand all the user decision-making points within the super app. This allowed us to identify the exact moment to introduce our proposed solution.
At this stage, as Project Lead and Researcher, my role was to ensure the solution was as aligned as possible with the initial proposal, as well as to stay on schedule and keep all reports up to date.
App Hierarchy
It was important to detail the hierarchy of the super app so we could analyze and understand the user's possible actions within the solution.
Wireframes
The first wireframes were presented to the client so that everyone could understand the proposal, along with the corresponding rationale. We also conducted a design critique focused on improving the layout and the activities the user would perform in the app.
Based on the outcomes of the design critique and all client feedback, we were able to develop the first version of the high-fidelity prototype.
At this stage, we already took into account the user interaction for those who would be interviewed during the usability test.
Score Models Presented for Validation
One of the project's objectives was to validate the score concept from the user's perspective. To do this, we tested three different proposals so users could demonstrate their familiarity with each one in practice.
High fidelity
After all client validations, we moved on to a final version of the prototype for user testing.
Usability testing and Concept validation
We defined a sample of 8 people with varied profiles, ages between 26 to 50 years, with average digital knowledge and belonging to classes B and C. The definitions of recruitment criteria were necessary for the company hired for this service to select the relevant profiles.
Script
The user test consisted of a moderated demonstration of the app, followed by a conversation about the interviewees' universe. We sought to understand their habits and behaviors, the use of applications, and how they monitor their health and well-being. During the test, we heard suggestions on how to make the app more appealing.
We conducted a point analysis to highlight which points raised by users constituted problems or obstacles.
Results and deliveries
Insights
The insights gained from the interviews, after clustering all the collected content, were presented in the form of insight cards. The client could dynamically read the interpretation of the insight and validate it through the statements and comments of the interviewees.
Results obtained
After the concept validation test, we listed all the points raised from the user's perspective. Below are some relevant points:
About the visual model of the Score:
The interviewed individuals had difficulties understanding the Score version in a triangular format. There were indications of a specific difficulty in interpreting the colors. They found it easier to follow a bar graph in green, yellow, and red colors. None of the interviewees seemed to understand the overall number assigned to the numerical Score, but everyone appreciated the health assistant option.
About data sharing:
A large part of the interviewees expressed discomfort with the request for the CPF, worrying about data security. They mentioned that it would be necessary to gain trust in the app through reviews and recommendations from other users. They suggested that the CPF be requested at a later stage in the experience. There was no resistance to providing the ZIP code.
About the scoring of the Score level:
When accessing a fake profile in an advanced stage of the app, the interviewees noticed the benefits associated with the score level. It was clear to everyone the relationship between the score and the gain of benefits, as well as the scoring dynamics.
About the app's impact on real life:
The majority of the interviewees spontaneously reported that they were able to perceive the usefulness of the app in daily care for well-being and health. They particularly highlighted the overall view of different areas of life provided by the app and its ability to correlate them.
Based on the findings, we suggest the following steps:
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Structure: Explore the relationship between the Score and the level ratings.
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User Goals: Define in more depth how to map the user's path in each area of life.
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Suggestion Evaluation: Consider both feature suggestions and recommendations from influencers and awards mentioned.
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Social Aspects: Test features like badges, communities, following friends and influencers.
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Challenge Curation: Ensure that challenges are aligned with the user's goals and level, reflecting this throughout the content.
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Building Trust: Raise user awareness about the request for sensitive data to mitigate distrust. The purchase of products within the environment also depends on this feeling of trust.
Designers: Tassine (PD Senior), Elena Coelho (UX Designer Junior), Ana Paula Torquato (UX Researcher/ Project Lead).