UX Writing
Main screen redesign: From an insurance app to a digital ecosystem
#UX Writing #InsurTech #Information Architecture
Situation
QIC is an insurance company whose main product is car insurance. As the company expanded into travel, lifestyle, and other services, it started moving towards an ecosystem model.
But the app still looked and worked like a car insurance app.
But the app still looked and worked like a car insurance app.
- The home screen was built around car insurance, with a widget showing basic information about the user's car and insurance status.
- The bottom navigation had four tabs: Home, My Cars, Insurance, and City. City became a catch-all for everything else, including major products like the car market. As the ecosystem grew, this structure gave new products a less visible and less intuitive place in the app, despite their potential value to the business.
There was also a user behavior challenge. Unlike banking or shopping apps, insurance apps aren't something people typically open every day. Many users come back only when they need to renew a policy, make a claim, or get help. If nothing goes wrong, they might open the app just once a year to renew their insurance.
The redesign needed to reflect the company's growing range of services and give users more reasons to explore the app without making their essential insurance tasks harder to find.
The redesign needed to reflect the company's growing range of services and give users more reasons to explore the app without making their essential insurance tasks harder to find.
Task
Our goal was to redesign the home screen and navigation to support QIC's new positioning as an ecosystem.
This meant:
My focus as a UX writer was on information architecture, navigation labels, content hierarchy, and making the structure understandable across English and Arabic.
This meant:
- Making new products and services easier to discover
- Rethinking the information architecture across the home screen and related sections
- Keeping core insurance tasks easy to access
- Creating a structure that could grow as new products were added
- Balancing business priorities with what users actually needed
My focus as a UX writer was on information architecture, navigation labels, content hierarchy, and making the structure understandable across English and Arabic.
Action
The redesign wasn't a straightforward process. We went through multiple iterations, sometimes working on different parts of the app in parallel. Not every decision worked as expected, so we learned along the way, revisited earlier choices, and gradually worked towards a better solution
MOVING FROM A CAR-FIRST HOME SCREEN TO AN ECOSYSTEM VIEW
We started by exploring a new home screen concept built around product verticals — dedicated entry points for different areas of the ecosystem. The idea was to show users that QIC offered more than car insurance and give each product area a visible place in the app.
1st iteration: Replacing the car widget with a vertical
We removed the car widget from the home screen and replaced it with a My Car vertical.
MOVING FROM A CAR-FIRST HOME SCREEN TO AN ECOSYSTEM VIEW
We started by exploring a new home screen concept built around product verticals — dedicated entry points for different areas of the ecosystem. The idea was to show users that QIC offered more than car insurance and give each product area a visible place in the app.
1st iteration: Replacing the car widget with a vertical
We removed the car widget from the home screen and replaced it with a My Car vertical.
However, this created a navigation issue: My Car now appeared both on the home screen and in the bottom navigation. Having two entry points with the same name created unnecessary duplication and made the structure less clear.
2nd iteration: Moving My Car to the bottom navigation
To avoid duplication, we removed My Car from the list of verticals and kept it in the bottom navigation for quick access.
But users weren't happy with this change. Without the car widget on the home screen, they could no longer see key information about their car and insurance at a glance. And since car insurance was still QIC's core product, removing this information from the home screen didn't make much sense.
3rd iteration: Bringing back the car widget with more value
We brought the car widget back, but made it more useful. Instead of just showing insurance status, it now brought together key car-related information and actions: upcoming repairs, detailing and car wash appointments with quick booking options, claim statuses, and an easy way to file a new claim.
This way, users could access essential information at a glance while also discovering relevant services from the wider ecosystem.
2nd iteration: Moving My Car to the bottom navigation
To avoid duplication, we removed My Car from the list of verticals and kept it in the bottom navigation for quick access.
But users weren't happy with this change. Without the car widget on the home screen, they could no longer see key information about their car and insurance at a glance. And since car insurance was still QIC's core product, removing this information from the home screen didn't make much sense.
3rd iteration: Bringing back the car widget with more value
We brought the car widget back, but made it more useful. Instead of just showing insurance status, it now brought together key car-related information and actions: upcoming repairs, detailing and car wash appointments with quick booking options, claim statuses, and an easy way to file a new claim.
This way, users could access essential information at a glance while also discovering relevant services from the wider ecosystem.
RETHINKING APP NAVIGATION
The original bottom navigation included Home, My Car, Insurance, and City.
City was particularly problematic. Usability testing showed that the label was too abstract, and users couldn't tell what they would find in the section. It also received relatively few clicks.
Since much of the content was related to car services, we proposed renaming the tab Services. We ran an A/B test and saw the share of home screen transitions to this tab increase by 3.5% so we kept the new label.
The original bottom navigation included Home, My Car, Insurance, and City.
City was particularly problematic. Usability testing showed that the label was too abstract, and users couldn't tell what they would find in the section. It also received relatively few clicks.
Since much of the content was related to car services, we proposed renaming the tab Services. We ran an A/B test and saw the share of home screen transitions to this tab increase by 3.5% so we kept the new label.
However, this change introduced another challenge.
The section included a tile with prayer time reminders, originally called Islam — a broad name intended to leave room for more features in the future.
The section included a tile with prayer time reminders, originally called Islam — a broad name intended to leave room for more features in the future.
While this fit the City concept, renaming the tab to Services meant that Islam was now presented as a service, which felt inappropriate.
We discussed this with our Arabic localizer, who confirmed the cultural concern. They also pointed out that the Arabic label already used a broader term closer to "Islamic" rather than the name of the religion itself.
We decided to rename the tile Prayer Times, a familiar label in other apps in the region. It described the actual functionality more clearly and fit better into the new information architecture.
Another option was to introduce a broader Lifestyle section, where the tile would fit more naturally. However, this would have required reorganizing other features, such as Events. Since this wasn't a priority for stakeholders at the time, we went with the more focused naming change.
MAKING HELP EASIER TO FIND
As more services were added, the support experience became more complex.
Previously, Help fit into a single bottom sheet. But as we needed to accommodate support options from different business units, we had to turn it into a series of screens organized as a decision tree.
We discussed this with our Arabic localizer, who confirmed the cultural concern. They also pointed out that the Arabic label already used a broader term closer to "Islamic" rather than the name of the religion itself.
We decided to rename the tile Prayer Times, a familiar label in other apps in the region. It described the actual functionality more clearly and fit better into the new information architecture.
Another option was to introduce a broader Lifestyle section, where the tile would fit more naturally. However, this would have required reorganizing other features, such as Events. Since this wasn't a priority for stakeholders at the time, we went with the more focused naming change.
MAKING HELP EASIER TO FIND
As more services were added, the support experience became more complex.
Previously, Help fit into a single bottom sheet. But as we needed to accommodate support options from different business units, we had to turn it into a series of screens organized as a decision tree.
This added more steps to the support journey, so we introduced a prominent Help tile in the Quick Actions section of the home screen to make it easier to find.
However, this wasn't enough. We started receiving complaints in chat from users who couldn't find Roadside Assistance — one of the most important support features for car insurance customers.
This showed that the new ecosystem structure was making a critical existing task harder. To address this, we added Help to the bottom navigation, giving users a more direct way to access support.
This showed that the new ecosystem structure was making a critical existing task harder. To address this, we added Help to the bottom navigation, giving users a more direct way to access support.
DEFINING A CLEARER CONTENT HIERARCHY
As the number of products and widgets grew, we needed a more consistent way to decide what belonged on the home screen and where.
Different business teams wanted visibility for their products, but giving everything equal priority would make the screen harder to use.
We mapped out the home screen structure, defining the purpose of each block, its role in the user journey, and the business goals it supported.
The main principle was simple: put what users need first, then give them room to explore.
As the number of products and widgets grew, we needed a more consistent way to decide what belonged on the home screen and where.
Different business teams wanted visibility for their products, but giving everything equal priority would make the screen harder to use.
We mapped out the home screen structure, defining the purpose of each block, its role in the user journey, and the business goals it supported.
The main principle was simple: put what users need first, then give them room to explore.
Top of the screen: immediate needs and quick actions
The first part of the screen focused on information and actions users were most likely to need:
We also kept space for in-app stories and occasional promotional banners to share product news and offers, while making sure they didn't get in the way of essential tasks.
Further down: product discovery
The lower part of the screen was designed for more casual browsing. Widgets introduced products and services such as Travel, Events, and Car Market, allowing users to explore them without leaving the home screen.
These widgets served both product and marketing goals: helping users discover new services while encouraging them to explore and use those products.
Since the home screen was designed for potentially infinite scrolling, this structure helped us keep the most useful content within easy reach while giving new products space to grow.
Always within reach: personal area in the bottom navigation
The bottom navigation remained visible regardless of how far users scrolled. It provided quick access to their personal area, where they could find everything related to their cars, insurance policies, and other products.
Most of these features required users to log in, as they were tied to personal information and active products. The idea was to keep everything users needed to manage their own products in one place, always easy to access.
The first part of the screen focused on information and actions users were most likely to need:
- Notifications about payments, renewals, and other time-sensitive updates.
- Product verticals as entry points to the ecosystem.
- A car widget with insurance details, vehicle information, and relevant actions.
- Quick Actions for common tasks, without mixing them with promotional content.
We also kept space for in-app stories and occasional promotional banners to share product news and offers, while making sure they didn't get in the way of essential tasks.
Further down: product discovery
The lower part of the screen was designed for more casual browsing. Widgets introduced products and services such as Travel, Events, and Car Market, allowing users to explore them without leaving the home screen.
These widgets served both product and marketing goals: helping users discover new services while encouraging them to explore and use those products.
Since the home screen was designed for potentially infinite scrolling, this structure helped us keep the most useful content within easy reach while giving new products space to grow.
Always within reach: personal area in the bottom navigation
The bottom navigation remained visible regardless of how far users scrolled. It provided quick access to their personal area, where they could find everything related to their cars, insurance policies, and other products.
Most of these features required users to log in, as they were tied to personal information and active products. The idea was to keep everything users needed to manage their own products in one place, always easy to access.
Result
The main outcome was that we started moving away from QIC's insurance-only positioning. The new structure gave different business areas more visibility and laid the groundwork for presenting QIC as an ecosystem rather than just an insurance company.
Better discoverability for Hotels
Adding Hotels to the home screen gave users a new entry point into the hotel booking flow. Nearly half of users who visited the home screen navigated to Hotels, with 1.5% completing a booking.
This showed that the home screen could help users discover and engage with products beyond insurance.
More engagement with Services
After renaming City to Services, the share of home screen transitions to this tab increased by 3.5%.
However, in a later iteration, we moved Services out of the bottom navigation and made it a vertical on the home screen. This helped us keep the bottom navigation focused on the user's personal area and essential actions.
What didn't work: Car Market
Car Market had its own brand name, QIC Market, but we decided to shorten it to Market on the home screen to avoid repeating QIC across the interface. We expected the image of car keys on the tile to provide enough context.
Better discoverability for Hotels
Adding Hotels to the home screen gave users a new entry point into the hotel booking flow. Nearly half of users who visited the home screen navigated to Hotels, with 1.5% completing a booking.
This showed that the home screen could help users discover and engage with products beyond insurance.
More engagement with Services
After renaming City to Services, the share of home screen transitions to this tab increased by 3.5%.
However, in a later iteration, we moved Services out of the bottom navigation and made it a vertical on the home screen. This helped us keep the bottom navigation focused on the user's personal area and essential actions.
What didn't work: Car Market
Car Market had its own brand name, QIC Market, but we decided to shorten it to Market on the home screen to avoid repeating QIC across the interface. We expected the image of car keys on the tile to provide enough context.
Instead, we saw a drop in transitions to Car Market. One possible explanation was that neither the label nor the image clearly communicated what the product was about. We replaced the keys with a car image, and transitions improved.
This taught us that when introducing an unfamiliar product, clarity matters more than keeping labels short or following brand naming conventions. Sometimes a more explicit label is the better choice.
The bigger picture
The redesign helped us start representing QIC's expansion beyond insurance while keeping its core services accessible.
But changing how users perceive a company takes more than an app redesign. It also requires communication, marketing, and time to build awareness of new products.
So while we made progress in how the ecosystem was presented and discovered in the app, the broader shift in perception is still a work in progress.
This taught us that when introducing an unfamiliar product, clarity matters more than keeping labels short or following brand naming conventions. Sometimes a more explicit label is the better choice.
The bigger picture
The redesign helped us start representing QIC's expansion beyond insurance while keeping its core services accessible.
But changing how users perceive a company takes more than an app redesign. It also requires communication, marketing, and time to build awareness of new products.
So while we made progress in how the ecosystem was presented and discovered in the app, the broader shift in perception is still a work in progress.
