Overview
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‍During my internship at WCF Insurance, I partnered with a senior UX designer to design and launch a completely new digital inspection platform for WCF’s safety inspectors. This included building a new mobile inspection feature inside an internal employee app that had never existed before and creating a brand-new web/desktop workflow for pre-inspection preparation.Before this project, inspectors relied solely on static PDFs, handwritten notes, and manual data entry. There was no mobile experience, and the web processes we designed did not previously exist. We created everything from the ground up.Along the way, I also helped establish the foundation for WCF’s first mobile design system.
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‍The Challenge
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‍Inspectors move through a workflow that was never designed as a single connected experience, which creates friction at every major step.

‍Challenges
‍Limited context at assignment makes preparation slow and uncertain.
On site notes and photos live in scattered tools.
Transferring large photo sets is unreliable and often fails.
The final PDF requires heavy manual editing and formatting.
Uploading the report adds extra effort after an already long process.

‍Challenge Statement
These disconnected tasks make the inspection workflow time consuming and inconsistent, reducing efficiency and increasing the chance of errors.
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‍Project Goals
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‍Summary
The project aims to build a fully integrated inspection experience that supports inspectors from assignment through final submission.

‍Goals
‍Provide clearer details at assignment.
Standardize note taking and photo capture.
Enable smooth and dependable photo transfer.
Reduce manual formatting in the final document.
Create a faster, more intuitive final upload step.

‍Goal Statement
By connecting each stage of the workflow, the solution should empower inspectors to move through their tasks with greater speed, accuracy, and confidence.





‍My Role
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‍As a UX Design Intern, I had full involvement throughout the end-to-end UX process:Conducted user research with inspectors and business stakeholders

Built information architecture, task flows, and user journey maps

Designed both web and mobile workflows from scratch

Created low-fidelity and high-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes

Helped build the foundation of WCF’s mobile design system

Participated in weekly cross-functional meetings with devs, PMs, BAs, and users

Presented designs regularly and iterated quickly based on direct user feedback

This was my first large-scale cross-functional project and a major opportunity to design entirely net-new experiences.




‍Design Process
1. Discovery & User Research
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‍Because no digital system existed, we focused heavily on understanding the current PDF and paper-only workflow.
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‍Research Activities
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‍User interviews with safety inspectors

Watching inspectors demo how they fill out PDFs during field visits

Mapping out the manual processes step-by-step

Reviewing business rules with analysts

Understanding how inspection data connected to Xanthos





Key Findings
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‍Inspectors needed fewer steps and clearer structure

PDF-based forms were inconsistent and poorly organized

Fieldwork required fast, simple mobile interactions

Offline capability and intuitive navigation were essential

This research formed the basis for the new IA and digital flow.




‍2. Information Architecture & Workflow DefinitionSince nothing existed digitally, we had to construct the IA from the ground up.
‍created:
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‍User journey maps (pre-inspection → on-site → post-inspection)

Task flows for starting inspections, creating visits, and completing inspection forms

Inspection logic flows for four inspection types

Web and mobile site maps

Data flow diagrams to ensure Xanthos integration

We transformed a loose, unstructured PDF workflow into a well-defined digital system.




‍3. Designing the New Web Experience (Pre-Inspection)
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‍The web version was not a redesign—it was entirely new.I designed screens and workflows that allowed inspectors to:Start an inspection

Review business and policy details

Select the inspection type (LRO, SHIS, SRI, Restaurant/Habitational)

Prepare needed information before traveling to the site

This new web flow created a standardized, consistent starting point for every inspection.




‍4. Designing the New Mobile Experience (On-Site)
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‍The mobile inspection feature was also brand-new and required building UI patterns from scratch.
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‍designed:
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‍Mobile dashboards and navigation patterns

The new “Create Visit” flow

Entire digital versions of the four inspection forms

Sectioned, mobile-friendly question flows

Input components such as toggles, dropdowns, text fields, and photo upload

Error states, progress indicators, and interaction patterns

The goal was to replace handwritten notes and PDFs with a simple, powerful mobile workflow.




‍5. Building WCF’s First Mobile Design System
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‍Because WCF had never built mobile-specific UI before, I helped create:Core components (buttons, fields, headers, menus)

Interaction patterns and spacing rules

Mobile form components

Accessibility considerations

Documentation for developer handoff

This project kick-started what is now becoming WCF’s full mobile design system.




‍6. Prototyping
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created both low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes in Figma for:Desktop workflows

Mobile flows

Four inspection forms

All major and edge-case interactions

These prototypes were used for internal reviews, usability testing, and developer alignment.




‍7. User Testing & Iteration
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‍With internal access to inspectors, we were able to test frequently.

‍Feedback resulted in improvements like:
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‍Clearer labeling and sectioning

Streamlined navigation requiring fewer taps

Contextual help text added to certain questions

More mobile-friendly grouping of related inspection tasks

Continuous access to users made iteration fast and efficient.




‍8. Cross-Functional Collaboration
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‍We held weekly meetings and daily check-ins involving:

Developers

Project Managers

Business Analysts

Safety Inspectors

Senior UX Designers

I presented updated flows, prototypes, and IA to ensure alignment across the entire team.Despite a tight timeline, we delivered the project ahead of schedule, thanks to efficient collaboration and rapid, informed design decisions.






‍Outcomes

‍A completely new digital inspection platform (web + mobile)

Fully digital mobile inspection forms replacing PDFs and handwritten notes

Brand-new desktop workflow for starting inspections

Faster, clearer, more accurate inspection process

Foundation of WCF’s first mobile design system

Stronger internal alignment between design, development, and safety teams




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Reflection
‍This was the most impactful project of my internship. I learned how to:Build end-to-end digital experiences without any existing UI or workflow

Conduct and apply user research to complex processes

Collaborate with a deeply cross-functional team

Develop scalable design system components

Navigate industry-specific constraints in the insurance and safety fields

Designing a system like this from scratch—without any existing screens or patterns—was challenging and intimidating at first, but ultimately transformative for both WCF and my growth as a designer.










Understanding the UserWCF’s primary users for this project are Safety Consultants, who conduct field inspections for businesses across several industries. Some inspections are required while others are voluntary, but all of them play a role in determining policy decisions and identifying risks. Each consultant receives assignments through Xanthos, which adds inspections to their work list and provides initial context for the upcoming visit.Consultants prepare in their own way since there has never been a standardized digital workflow. Many rely on personal notes, printouts, or PDFs viewed on their devices. Photos from the visit have been especially difficult to manage because they are stored on personal phones and must later be transferred to work computers.Their overall process follows four major steps.

1. Receiving the AssignmentAssignments arrive through Xanthos where consultants see which business they’ve been assigned to inspect. This is often the only structured step in their workflow. Everything afterward is handled differently depending on the individual.

2. Preparing for the VisitConsultants gather any background info they need and plan their visit. Preparation varies widely because there has never been a standardized digital system to guide them. Some rely on the PDF, others use notebooks, and many reference past reports to piece together what to expect.

3. Conducting the InspectionOn site, consultants walk through the business with a representative, gather notes, answer questions, and capture photos. Making the business owner comfortable is an important part of the experience. During this stage, consultants juggle:Handwritten notesPDF forms that are difficult to use on mobilePhotos stored on their personal phonesQuestions that change depending on the inspection typeThe lack of a unified tool leads to inconsistencies and unnecessary manual work.

4. Producing the Final ReportAfter the visit, consultants return to their computers to assemble everything. This is where the biggest pain points appear. Photos must be transferred from personal devices to work computers and often cannot be emailed due to file sizes. Many consultants use personal cloud storage to move files. They then fill out the inspection PDF by manually typing in notes, editing fields that are too small, and assembling a final report that may include dozens of images.The completed PDF or letter is then saved back into Xanthos. Because all of this is manual, each consultant creates their own process to keep everything organized.


Key Pain Points This research revealed consistent frustrations across consultants. Even though each person had their own process, several themes emerged.
‍1. Photo Transfer Issues Large photo files cannot be emailed and usually require personal cloud storage to move between devices.
‍2. PDF Limitations The existing PDF forms do not scale well on mobile screens and have fields too small for the required details.
‍3. Manual, Repetitive Work Re-entering notes, renaming files, inserting images, and assembling the report take significant time.
‍4. No Unified Workflow Because nothing connects the steps together, each consultant uses their own tools and methods. This creates inconsistent outcomes and a high risk of lost context or missing information.
‍5. Switching Between Tools Consultants juggle their camera app, PDF viewer, handwritten notes, and computer-based editing after the visit. Nothing is streamlined.




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