Shiv Shankar Gogia
"The vast amount of knowledge I have gained – thanks to the CUA – as well as the recognition and credibility that has come my way from within the organization as well as outside is huge!”
 
Shiv Shankar Gogia

Assistant Vice President, UI/UX
OneInsure

CUA reshaped my career in the right direction

by HFI

Tell us about your current role.

I am currently working as Assistant Vice President, UI/UX, at OneInsure. This is a one-stop destination for insurance consumers—helping them compare and buy insurance, assist in claims, as well as set reminders for timely premium payment. I have been in this role since June 2016.

In my current role, my responsibilities include:

  • Designing low and mid-fidelity wireframes for web and handheld devices
  • Usability audit, competitors’ analysis, information architecture, personas and scenarios creation, surveys, paper prototypes, task analysis, analytics reviews, and usability testing
  • Liaising between management, content writers, business analysts, testers, designers and developers

What projects are you currently working on?

Projects in my bucket are as follows:

  • OneInsure Website: On this portal, users gain information about various policies and compare them in an unbiased manner. The buying decision is made simple and quick.
  • B2C Mobile App: You can digitally store various policies in one place and get timely reminders for payments. Unlike other insurance apps, it does not matter where you’ve bought the policy from - you can simply register here and avail of various free services and support.

    In the competitor analysis, we probed the poor ratings on Play Store and created a UX strategy around that. To our satisfaction, it has worked well. We are now receiving fewer negative reviews by customers, as compared to our competitors. This has led to my increasing involvement in the initial stages of any project along with the key stakeholders.
  • B2B PoSP Mobile App: As a PoSP (Point of Sale Person) you can sell policies of multiple insurance companies, across both life and non-life categories. This app is like a one-stop location that assures the following:
    • Training modules and PoSP certification
    • Highly functional dashboard
    • Multi-category purchase options for clients
    • Lead management, transactions and RM support sections
    • Separate profile and commission sections
    • Claim and service assistance

How has the CUA training helped you in your day to day work?

Thanks to the CUA training, my entire approach to design is now user-centric. I am able to identify mistakes that will affect the user experience and consequently the business ROI. By applying the VIMM model, Fitts Law, visual affordance testing, etc., I find myself adhering more stringently to the user-centered design process. I now have the confidence of taking the right design decisions.

Prior to my CUA, I had worked on 500+ projects (website, web app and mobile app) for domestic and international clients, implementing UX just by reading blogs and articles. I wasn’t aware of a proper scientific methodology. Most of the times, my designs wouldn’t meet user or business goals. This adhoc approach changed. I was able to rectify the mistakes that could affect the ROI adversely.

The CUA reshaped my career – it landed me the dream job that I was refused before because I wasn’t trained in UX. The vast amount of knowledge I have gained, as well as the recognition and credibility that has come my way from within the organization as well as outside is huge!

I would like to say thanks to well-trained instructors of HFI for making me a UX warrior.

How has this changed the way you communicate with your management?

My process-oriented and user-centered design approach gives me the confidence in presenting a comprehensive UX strategy and ROI matrix to the management – using proven research, methodology and tools. Before the CUA training, I would get information from the stakeholders to build the product. But now, I am able to ask the relevant questions to stakeholders – regarding business, marketing and branding goals, targeted user segments, what kind of tasks are we aiming to achieve, etc. This systematic approach has helped such that the management now takes UX seriously and listens to our design recommendations.

What about your job excites you the most?

I am passionate about solving complex problems that users typically face with an insurance-related site / app through an intuitive design experience. I find my liaising role fruitful as it helps me interact across multiple teams and understand human behavior. To create something unique for users which is currently not available in the digital space (e.g., our B2C app OneInsure: Your Insurance App on Play Store) is a very satisfying experience for me in my role as a UX Architect.

What are the challenges you face in your work and how do you overcome them?

The challenges I face are typical to most UX design leads. Often stakeholders and other teams consider UX to be just graphic design and are of the opinion that anybody can create wireframes. This perception takes careful handling to change and I am still working on that!

Another common challenge is that the UX intervention happens at the last stage of the project – often to correct a negative after the launch. In such situations, I first fix the problem and then use the opportunity to educate management about the ROI of UX at the initial stage. This helps me to evangelize UX across the company too.

Often, I also come across screen designs that are aesthetically appealing and approved by higher management, but disregarding UX best practices. At times like these, I track user behavior and performance using tools such as CrazyEgg, Google Analytics and CleverTap. I then present a detailed observation report to my seniors / stakeholders, pointing out the pitfalls of not adhering to UX best practices.

How do you see your current role changing in the next couple of years?

I see myself in an exciting Chief Experience Officer (CXO) kind of role in the next 5 years and I am preparing myself for the challenging omni-channel experience by learning new technologies and upgrading my skills. Omni-channel will become the biggest challenge and will need to take into cognizance future-ready technologies like AI, ML, VR, AR, Blockchain, etc. Work allocation will become challenging and important. A leader of the future – like me – will need to be equipped to decide which task can be completed by whom (Human/Technology/Both).


CUA of the Month

Each month we highlight the successes and achievements of a different member of our CUA community. If you are a Certified Usability Analyst and would like to be considered for CUA of the Month recognition, please send a brief professional bio to hfi@humanfactors.com

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Reviewed: 18 Mar 2014

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Terms and Conditions for Public Training Courses

Reviewed: 18 Mar 2014

Cancellation of Course by HFI

HFI reserves the right to cancel any course up to 14 (fourteen) days prior to the first day of the course. Registrants will be promptly notified and will receive a full refund or be transferred to the equivalent class of their choice within a 12-month period. HFI is not responsible for travel expenses or any costs that may be incurred as a result of cancellations.

Cancellation of Course by Participants (All regions except India)

$100 processing fee if cancelling within two weeks of course start date.

Cancellation / Transfer by Participants (India)

4 Pack + Exam registration: Rs. 10,000 per participant processing fee (to be paid by the participant) if cancelling or transferring the course (4 Pack-CUA/CXA) registration before three weeks from the course start date. No refund or carry forward of the course fees if cancelling or transferring the course registration within three weeks before the course start date.

Cancellation / Transfer by Participants (Online Courses)

$100 processing fee if cancelling within two weeks of course start date. No cancellations or refunds less than two weeks prior to the first course start date.

Individual Modules: Rs. 3,000 per participant ‘per module’ processing fee (to be paid by the participant) if cancelling or transferring the course (any Individual HFI course) registration before three weeks from the course start date. No refund or carry forward of the course fees if cancelling or transferring the course registration within three weeks before the course start date.

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There will be no audio or video recording allowed in class. Students who have any disability that might affect their performance in this class are encouraged to speak with the instructor at the beginning of the class.

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