Aetna Shop, Buy and Enroll
Redesigning Aetna’s Medicare Enrollment
Choosing a Medicare plan is one of the most complex and overwhelming healthcare decisions consumers face. Many individuals 65 and older struggle with understanding their options, comparing plans, and feeling confident in their choice. The previous Aetna Shop, Buy, and Enroll experience was outdated and confusing, leading to decision fatigue, frustration, and lost trust in the process.
As the Inclusive Design Lead, I focused on making the shopping and enrollment journey simpler, clearer, and more accessible—reducing cognitive load, accommodating limited dexterity, and ensuring that users felt empowered rather than overwhelmed. By embedding user research, accessibility best practices, and thoughtful interaction design, we transformed the Medicare selection experience into a seamless, confidence-building journey for older adults.
My Role
- Accessiblity design
Team
- Six designers
- UX researcher
- Content strategist
- Design director
- Product designer
Tools
- Sketch
- Invision
Reducing Cognitive Load: Clearer Navigation & Decision Support
Medicare is complex, and too much information at once can be overwhelming. Our research showed that older users often felt uncertain, lost, or anxious when trying to navigate their plan options. To address this, we focused on progressive disclosure, simplified choices, and clear guidance.
- Guided Onboarding & Welcome Flow: We designed a step-by-step "Know Where to Start" experience that helped users identify their needs before diving into plan comparisons.
- Breaking Down Complex Information: Instead of presenting large blocks of medical and insurance jargon, we structured content into digestible, plain-language sections with tooltips, FAQs, and contextual help where needed.
- Side-by-Side Plan Comparisons: Users could easily assess potential costs, filter plans, and shortlist options, reducing the mental burden of comparing multiple variables at once.
- Trust-Building Design: We incorporated visual cues, real-user testimonials, and decision support tools to increase confidence and reduce uncertainty in plan selection.
By prioritizing clarity and cognitive ease, we made it simpler for users to explore their options, compare plans with confidence, and make informed decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Designing for Limited Dexterity: Accessible & Effortless Interactions
Many older adults experience reduced fine motor skills, making precise interactions—such as clicking small buttons, scrolling, or filling out forms—frustrating or even impossible. Our design approach prioritized larger, high-contrast UI elements, touch-friendly controls, and an effortless enrollment flow.
- Tap-Friendly Design: Buttons, links, and form fields were optimized for touch, ensuring ease of use on both desktop and mobile without requiring precision.
- Keyboard & Voice Navigation: Users could navigate through the experience using keyboard shortcuts, screen readers, and voice commands, ensuring accessibility for those who rely on assistive technologies.
- Minimized Form Fatigue: We streamlined the enrollment process by breaking it into short, guided steps rather than presenting a long, intimidating form. Autofill, saved progress, and inline guidance reduced effort and frustration.
- Error Prevention & Assistance: To reduce frustration with typos and missing fields, we implemented real-time validation, clear error messages, and smart suggestions, preventing unnecessary back-and-forth corrections.
By prioritizing touch-friendly, error-proof, and accessible interactions, we ensured that any user, regardless of dexterity or ability, could shop for and enroll in a Medicare plan without struggle.
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A More Inclusive, Confidence-Boosting Medicare Enrollment Experience
Through a human-centered approach, we transformed Aetna’s Shop, Buy, and Enroll platform into an intuitive, accessible, and supportive tool that helps older adults navigate Medicare with confidence. By reducing cognitive load, designing for limited dexterity, and incorporating progressive, trust-building guidance, we created an experience that empowers users rather than overwhelms them.
This redesign not only enhanced usability and accessibility but also drove engagement and increased successful enrollments, reinforcing Aetna’s commitment to making healthcare simpler and more inclusive for all.