SmartHelp

All Case Studies

My Role: Product Designer

Collaboration: Product, Engineering, Operations, and Leadership

Domain: Internal Data Platform and Enterprise Platform

Scale: Supports 500+ internal users and thousands of cases

Smarthelp

Elevance Health, Inc.

Accelerating Member Support

Redesigning internal member support to give associates real-time access to centralized data, reducing friction and enabling faster, more confident member interactions.

All Case Studies

My Role: Product Designer

Collaboration: Product, Engineering, Operations, and Leadership

Domain: Internal Data Platform and Enterprise Platform

Scale: Supports 500+ internal users and thousands of cases

Smarthelp

Elevance Health, Inc.

Accelerating Member Support

Redesigning internal member support to give associates real-time access to centralized data, reducing friction and enabling faster, more confident member interactions.

Context

Elevance Health associates were supporting members across fragmented systems, which slowed response times and made accessing centralized member data cumbersome. The EMPI platform existed but did not surface actionable insights efficiently, limiting associates’ ability to resolve issues quickly and confidently. I was brought in to redesign the platform, creating a more intuitive, mobile-first experience that streamlined workflows, reduced friction, and gave associates real-time access to the information they needed. This redesign empowered teams to support members faster, make better-informed decisions, and feel confident in their day-to-day work.

Challenge & Problem

Associates were struggling to support members efficiently because the EMPI platform did not surface critical information clearly or in real time. Navigating multiple systems was slow and confusing, creating frustration, increasing errors, and delaying member support. I was brought in to simplify workflows, centralize key member data, and surface actionable insights. The challenge was to design an intuitive, mobile-first platform that balanced usability with privacy and compliance requirements while empowering associates to resolve issues faster and with greater confidence.

Updated screen showing annotated membersearch

Old EMPI interface showing fragmented data and unclear member insights.

Approach & Rationale

To improve fragmented workflows and speed up access to member data, I focused on creating a centralized, intuitive platform that prioritized clarity and efficiency. Navigation was simplified, actionable insights were surfaced upfront, and the mobile-first design aligned with associates’ daily workflows, enabling them to support members faster and more confidently.

Key design decisions were guided by privacy and compliance requirements, since the platform handled sensitive member information. Trade-offs, like limiting data exposure upfront to maintain compliance, determined which insights could be surfaced immediately versus accessed deeper in the workflow. Iterating with limited analytics and prioritizing usability ensured the redesign met both user needs and regulatory standards while delivering meaningful improvements in workflow efficiency and confidence.

Updated screen showing annotated EMPI search

Annotated hi-fidelity screens showing improvements over previous designs, including clearer workflows, centralized member data, and actionable insights that reduced friction and empowered associates to support members faster.

Execution

I led the redesign by mapping existing workflows and identifying friction points across multiple systems. Design explorations focused on centralizing member data, surfacing actionable insights, and simplifying navigation to make workflows faster and more intuitive. I iterated rapidly through low- and high-fidelity prototypes, validating flows, hierarchy, and usability across devices.

Usability tests were carefully structured to avoid collecting sensitive health data, using realistic scenarios and dummy accounts. Feedback from these sessions guided interface refinements, feature prioritization, and workflow improvements, ensuring the final design reduced friction and allowed associates to support members efficiently.

Early low-fidelity sketches exploring centralized data and simplified navigation.

Outcomes

Usability testing and associate feedback showed that speed, clarity, and confidence were critical. I Usability testing and associate feedback showed that speed, clarity, and confidence were critical. I focused on centralizing member data and surfacing actionable insights. This reduced mental overhead and allowed associates to resolve issues faster and more reliably. Iterating on layout, hierarchy, and system feedback improved workflows without adding complexity. on centralizing member data and surfacing actionable insights. This reduced mental overhead and allowed associates to resolve issues faster and more reliably. Iterating on layout, hierarchy, and system feedback improved workflows without adding complexity.

I influenced product, engineering, and operations teams to make outcome-driven decisions rather than chasing features. This ensured design improvements were feasible, scalable, and met real associate needs.

Associates noted the redesigned platform made information easier to access, reduced switching between tools, and gave them confidence in supporting members. The project reinforced the value of clarity, focus, and empathy in designing internal systems that directly impact member trust.

Research Feedback

“This makes it much easier to understand what's going on with a member without jumping between tools."

Operations Service Associate, Member Support

"I feel more confident responding quickly because everything I need is right in front of me."

Operations Specialist, Care Team

Learning

This project reinforced how critical clarity and prioritization are when designing internal healthcare tools. Small improvements in information hierarchy and system feedback had an outsized impact on associate confidence and speed. Working within strict privacy and compliance constraints pushed me to be more intentional about what data mattered most and how it was presented. Leading this work strengthened my ability to balance user needs, technical realities, and organizational goals, and it shaped how I approach complex, regulated platforms where trust and efficiency are essential.