Challenge Summary
Welcome to FreeBeer Quoting App Design Challenge. This challenge is focused on creating design concepts and visual ideas for a web-based mobile application to show the user experience of an innovative first-of-its-kind home insurance quoting application.
We do not currently have a web version of this application and need your expertise to create a one-of-a-kind experience!
In this challenge we are looking for DESIGN CONCEPTS on how UI/UX of this web-based Mobile Application should be designed in order to help achieve our business goals.
Round 1
Submit your initial designs for Checkpoint feedback
Show your basic concept, landing page and flow. Low fidelity for this is ok - spend some time to figure out how to take something that is traditionally complicated and clunky, and turn it into a very simple and beautiful design. Not a traditional multi-page forms application. Perhaps even a single-page application?
Take a picture is optional - if you can think of a way to creatively and intuitively make it part of the app, then great! If not, that’s ok - leave it out. We are not specifying the number of pages - we want you to think holistically about the user experience.
- If you have time - please provide us with a click map for your design.
- Readme.txt : Provide notes about your submission.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow! Use correct file numbering. (00, 01, 02, 03)
Round 2
Your Final designs for all the required pages with all checkpoint feedback implemented.
This should be high-fidelity...ready to take to the next step and build a prototype. Ask yourself, is this a complete polished user experience? What would you think if you used it for the first time? Would you think - “WOW, that’s different and really nice interface!”. That’s the reaction we want from users. If you don’t get that reaction from yourself and your friends, it’s not ready to submit yet!
The final submission should have the following minimal functionality:
- Map of properties around you
- Zoom / move around the map to adjust location
- Enter an address to select a different location
- Select a property to show property information
- Get an insurance quote - show basic coverages for the quote
- Some way to see history of quotes requested
- Ask an agent to contact you
- Please provide us with a click map for your design.
- Readme.txt : Provide notes about your submission.
- Make sure all pages have correct flow! Use correct file numbering. (00, 01, 02, 03)
FreeBeer is an insurance company. For most insurance companies, the process of getting a quote on home insurance occurs via a phone call. The homeowner calls a licensed insurance agent, who uses a web-based agent portal to generate a quote. The typical quoting process involves the homeowner answering many questions such as:
- Age of house
- Type of construction
- Proximity to water
- Flood zone
- Prior claims
and many more questions. We want to make this much easier and faster for both the homeowner and agent. The primary user for this application is the homeowner, although insurance agents could also use it.
Note: FreeBeer is a code name for the client.
Supporting Documents:
- Branding Guidelines (Branding Guidelines.pdf.zip)
- Mockup files (Screenshots.zip)
Design Concept Goals:
Do you use the same templates, forms, fonts, etc. when working on challenges? STOP! First thing is to throw those away. Do not use your standard tools and templates for this challenge. Do not use a cookie cutter approach to working on this challenge. We do not want a user experience that looks, flows, and feels like all the others. We will not accept a submission that is much the same as the others...it must be exceptional! It will take extra time, effort, and inspiration to win this challenge!
NOTE: Homework - look at a bunch of different websites or apps on your phone. Especially ones that shows information from a map. Out of 100 of these, probably one 1 stands out, makes you take a second look and say “WOW!”. That 1 app took a lot of talent, effort, and inspiration to make it simple. That is the app we are looking for. We will throw out the 99...we are looking only for that 1 app that takes something complicated and makes it simple and beautiful for the user. What makes companies like Apple, AirBNB, other other companies different and successful? It is the design! The focus on design and attention to detail sets them apart. Help us bring that differentiation to the insurance industry! YOU are the designer for this!
- How should this web-based mobile/tablet application work?
- What would make YOU say “WOW!” as a first time user?
- Can this be an effective single-page app?
- What do your family and friends say when you show them your design??
- How do you take something complicated and make it simple?
- ...and beautiful?
- Can you think of any other feature that would drive a consumer to user our app? We thought showing property information similar to Zillo. What can you think of?
- What events would trigger the thought of shopping for Homeowners Insurance on mobile?
Submission Details:
- Use the 320 x 480px (Standard sizes) for submission format.
- Make sure you create graphic in 'shape' format, so when resize for retina versions, graphic still look sharp!
- It will be great if you can provide the landscape version.
- Make sure you include screen effect ideas.
User Story:
NOTE: This is the client idea for how the app works and the basic functionality.
But YOU are the designer, not us!
If you want to jump on a Google Hangouts session to brainstorm - we are in!
Contact the copilot in forums to set it up!
- Homeowner is shopping for insurance for their house.
- Maybe the person is shopping for a new home
- The Free Beer insurance web site prompts them to install the quoting app on their mobile device.
- The app opens up to a clean & simple map, zoomed in to the user’s current location. Close enough to show individual properties.
- Alternative: we wondered if starting with the user taking a picture, then grabbing the GPS coordinate of the picture would be a good starting point. We ruled this out for now because we could not think of an elegant way to incorporate this into the flow. But YOU are the designer...maybe you can think of something?
- There is an address bar to allow the user to enter part or all an address to zoom the map for a different part of town
- User could also zoom around the map with their finger
- User can tap a house. Tapping brings up information about the property - value, taxes, address, picture (if one available)
- Alternative: the properties have value bubbles over each one. User can tap the value bubble to get information about the property.
- User may zoom around, exploring different properties
- User can “get an insurance quote”
- First time, they must accept terms and conditions. Not necessary for subsequent quotes
- Insurance quote shows some basic coverage assumptions: replacement value, deductable, belonging coverage, and premium.
- User may choose “have an agent contact me” if they want more information, or want to buy the insurance.
- User may want to see a history feed of insurance quotes they have requested
Challenge Requirements:
- The focus is to find a property and get a quote. Of course, there can be different ways to find a property or address.
- Then provide a way to connect with an agent.
- Showing property information, taking a picture, etc. are extra features that may drive the user to use our app for more than just an insurance quote.
- This will eventually be a responsive design - think mobile first and what the best user experience is for this application
- Design the overall screen flow optimized for smartphone browser.
- Design each screens with simple/clean/sophisticated manner
- Maybe this can be a single page!
- Review the user story and capture the interactions needed
- Review the submission rounds for requested screens.
IMPORTANT:
- Keep things consistent. This means all graphic styles should work together.
- All of the graphics should have a similar feel and general aesthetic appearance
Target User:
- Homeowner.
- Insurance Agent.
Judging Criteria:
Your submission will be judged on the following criteria:
- “Wow!” Did we say that out loud when we saw your design?
- Simple, Intuitive User experience
- Attention to detail - get the finer points right!
- Completeness and accuracy of the areas of functionality and content
Submission & Source Files:
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission File
Submit JPG/PNG for your submission files.
Source Files
All original source files of the submitted design. Files should be created in Adobe Photoshop and saved as layered PSD file, or Adobe Illustrator as a layered AI file.
Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify your graphics (sizes or colors) or modify overall colors. We may ask you to update your design or graphics based on checkpoint feedback.
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.