Mutual of Omaha

Rearchitecting the Corporate Website

Overview

As part of a company-wide brand revitalization effort, Mutual of Omaha began the redesign of its corporate website. It provided the opportunity to restructure the site to better align with user needs.

The goal was to create an experience with cohesive messaging and consistent user flows. In just eight short months, my team launched an entirely updated site that increased leads and received the approval of senior leadership.

My Role

As lead UX designer on this project, I paired closely with the lead UI designer to shape the direction, get alignment from the Product Owner, and present updates to the organization in town-halls. We split design duties, each focusing on our areas of expertise (for me it was IA, content strategy, and structure). We had support from a team of UX and UI designers, and we directed work to ensure the project was running smoothly and nothing fell through the cracks.

This was a large-scale initiative that required collaboration with a large development and QA team, as well as BA's, creative, copywriting, and compliance.

Setting New Standards

The first step to meet the aggressive deadline was to create an updated look and feel for the brand. This new direction laid the foundation for the corporate website and an advertising campaign developed by an outside agency. We partnered to craft concepts that were presented to senior leadership.

Initial Concepts

The homepage was used as a starting point to convey our design treatments. Stakeholder feedback helped guide the final direction.

Building a Consistent Language

A design system with reusable components was essential in order to build the site quickly. The team chose to use an atomic design methodology to create scalable visual and interaction patterns. The company’s other digital properties had to implement the new look shortly after the corporate site launch, and a solid foundation would help expedite that process.

Disjointed Design

The existing site utilized several iterations of design guidelines, resulting in a disjointed feeling.

An atomic system enabled the team to create a site that was flexible. It could easily be modified to support new products and content in the future.

Streamlining the Experience

Standardized content was essential to make it easy for users to find the information they needed. A conceptual sitemap allowed me to see a high level picture of the content each product required.

Templating the Site

I spearheaded an initiative to define page templates. I built wireframes and proposed content sections that would create a natural flow. Uniform layouts made site development fast and efficient and kept the project on schedule.

Sub-Nav

Allows users to navigate through product information or quickly take action whenever they're ready

Introduction

Introduces what the product does and what value it brings to the user and their loved ones.

Who This is Right For

Outlines who this product works well for. Could be based on life stage, employment status, medical condition, etc.

Call to Action

Allows users to engage with the company in a variety of methods. They can get the help of an agent in person or over the phone, or begin applying themselves online.

The goal was to offer users guidance. We needed to help them move from interested researchers to confident action-takers.

Reevaluating Content

It had become clear that the initial plan to use the copy “as-is” would result in a disjointed and confusing experience for users. I recommended an overhaul to the existing content. Stakeholders agreed that the increase in scope was outweighed by the opportunity to create a more cohesive experience across products.

I partnered with content authors to ensure the copy reinforced the information architecture. Together we shaped the templates to support each product's unique requirements.

Documenting Site Architecture

I used a detailed sitemap to keep track of how old content translated into the new structure. It ensured nothing fell through the cracks. The spreadsheet was enhanced throughout the project and was used by the entire team to keep key information organized.

Detailed Spreadsheet

This was a valuable tool for the dev, QA, and design teams. It helped everyone understand the structure of the site and documented a wide array of information, assisting with both SEO optimization and meeting ADA requirements.

The Outcome

The team met their immovable deadline and launched a fully updated site in May of 2017. We pioneered innovative workflows and facilitated collaboration between marketing, product, compliance, copywriting, design, development, and more. The site guides users through a journey of discovery, information gathering, and purchasing and has resulted in an increase in leads and customer conversion.

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