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Making a case for Single Sign-On experience:
Convincing stakeholders and shaping design
Role :
UX Research, UX Design
Timeline :
12 Months
Team size :
2 UX Designers, 2 Researchers, 12 Participants
OVERVIEW
Optum is a leading American healthcare company that provides a wide range of services, including technology solutions, pharmacy care services, and direct healthcare services.
Who are the users
  • Individuals and families
  • Providers
  • Employers
  • Brokers and consultants
Why they use Optum?
  • Scheduling appointments with doctors and specialists
  • Getting prescriptions filled
  • Accessing medical records
  • Participating in wellness programs
  • Managing chronic conditions
  • Manging employer benefits
How does Optum help users?
Health care services
Finding care
Patient portal
Pay bill
Medicare
Pharmacy services
Optum Rx
Optum Home delivery
Specialty Pharmacy
Infusion Pharmacy
divvyDOSE
Genoa Healthcare
Financial services
Optum Financial
Optum Bank
Commuter account
Why is Sign-in important?
Optum's diverse range of healthcare services, each with its own unique sign-in process.
  • Most visited page after the homepage
  • Most searched keyword on Optum
  • Highest engagement rate: 66.5% (Site average: 36%)
  • Major driver of Optum site NPS
  • Users # 1 Job to be done
  • Top result from Google searches
  • Highest session-level traffic (84.4K)
And, why is Sign-in a problem now?
Affected NPS score
THE PROBLEM
"The current sign-in process is overly complex and fragmented, causing significant user confusion and decision fatigue"
PROBLEM SCOPING
It was important to scope this problem. The sign-in process should be streamlined to minimize user confusion and reduce decision fatigue. A simplified and intuitive sign-in experience will enhance user satisfaction and increase conversion rates. BAsed on that we came up with 2 OKR's.
#1
Simplify Optum's Sign-in
#2
Enhance User Satisfaction boosting the NPS
DESIGN APPROACH
Research
Stakeholder interviews
Ideation & Testing
Implementation
DISCOVERY
Research and insights
29.26%
Page traffic from the ‘Sign In’ link
Repeated clicking on the 'Sign In' button
1800
Range clicks on “Individual and families”
22,000
back and forth navigation
DISCOVERY
Stakeholder Analysis
Technical Limitations
1. Fragmented sign in process
  • Although all sign-ins lead to similar-looking HSID and OHID pages, their backend systems differ having unique sign-in links, potentially complicating integration.
2. Users mental model for State-Specific Portals
  • Patient portals required state selection before login, which confused users.
ROADBLOCKS
1. Significant Technical Debt
Require substantial backend modifications and cost.
2. Stakeholder Alignment
Convincing 12 LOB stakeholders can be challenging due to diverse priorities.
3. Covering for the backend
Directed to find a solution through redesigning the IA than the backend.
NEXT STEPS
Iterative Design Approach
Frequent stakeholder engagement
Test and Analyze
DESIGN
Ideation & Testing
PHASE 1: A/B TESTING: A Hub-Based Solution
The current sign-in process is overly complex. To streamline it, we conducted card sorting and created separate sign-in pages for every user base. This simplified the process, eliminating confusion caused by the previous tabbed navigation.
  • Removed tabbed navigation
  • Filter the jobs to be done
  • New Accessible clickable card component
  • Added fallback secondary navigation
DID THIS FIX THE PROBLEM?
Despite the hub's filters, many users found the sign-in page overwhelming. The A/B test showed that UI and language significantly affect user experience.
Sample size: 229,452
Test duration: 3 Weeks
only +5
increase in NPS
??
Users found the number of cards overwhelming and struggled to connect LOBs with their accounts.
PHASE 2: Leveraging RITE for Faster Sign-In Solutions
After the Hub design did not give us the expected results, I advocated for a more iterative testing approach. We adopted the Rapid Iterative Testing and Evaluation (RITE) method to gather insights and make rapid improvements.
WHY RITE?
  • Rapid Insights: RITE allows for quick identification and resolution of usability issues, leading to faster improvements.
  • Focus on early feedback
  • time-efficient method
  • Elimination of redundancy
MEASURING USER FEEDBACK
Users did not expect to have to confirm or change what state they are in before logging into a portal. Because of this, two-thirds of users failed the task that required them to change their location.
Sample size: 12
Test duration: 72 hours
60%
improvement in user confidence
45%
boost in ease scores for each task
MENTAL MODEL INSIGHT
1. Users expect a single sign on
I would assume I logged in on that first page up here in the top right and then I would just be logged in and able to use all of the features of the Optum site with that one login.
2. Users don't consider location for sign-in
“I wouldn't expect to have to go to the state to get the visit for that state. If I go to my patient portal, I should see all of my visits, no matter what state they're in.”
FINAL DESIGN FROM TESTING
Single Sign-on
Step 1: Single Sign-on merging high traffic portals
Step 1: Single Sign-on merging high traffic portals
Step 1: Single Sign-on merging high traffic portals
Step2: Lists accounts with user access
DESIGN
Implementation
We consolidated six high-traffic LOBs into a single login screen. For the remaining LOBs, we provided a 'Other member sites' option. If users is not able to sign-in, they will be prompted to check their access via other member sign-in links. This streamlined the process, and users can now view only their authorized portals that they have access to after logging in with their HSID. The backend was integrated to support this change, and stakeholders approved its implementation for A/B testing.
THE RESULT
49
Unique logins
reduced to
1
Unique login
7.22
Average clicks
cut down to
2
Average clicks (min. 4, max. 11)
RETROSPECTION
What would I do differently?
1. Test, fail, learn, pivot
To gain stakeholder support for backend changes, I emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making. While the initial hub design was pushed based on A/B testing alone, I proposed the RITE method for rapid iteration and user feedback. This approach provided valuable insights that convinced stakeholders of the need for backend modifications.
2. State patient portals
Despite our efforts, we couldn't fully address the state-dependent patient portal sign-in. Two-thirds of users struggled to change their location, indicating a lack of understanding. Earlier testing could have revealed this issue and convinced stakeholders to remove state dependency from the sign-in process.
RETROSPECTION
Personal Takeaways
1. You’re Not Trying Hard Enough, If You Don’t Fail
Even with the best intentions, design can falter. Our case study highlights the importance of relentless testing and iteration. By embracing failure as a learning opportunity, we were able to refine our sign-in process and deliver a truly user-centric experience.
2. Bringing teams together through Storytelling
As a UX designer, our work doesn't end with creating a design solution – we also need to convince stakeholders and clients to embrace it. Storytelling can be a valuable tool in making persuasive presentations that effectively communicate the merits of your design. This helped me establish a safe space for all stakeholders to share their opinion and address the problem together.

    Check out some other projects while you're at it:

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    JEDI Toolkit for CUI Designers

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    DesIGNED By Bhanu Prathap on WEBFLOW
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