Claims Correspondence Tracking Widget

Are adjudicators wasting time opening a correspondence application they didn't always need to open? Two user interviews later, I found out I was wrong — and that was the best possible outcome.

Duration

Dec-Mar, 2026

Client

Federal Contractor

Services

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User Research

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Strategic Design

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Prototyping

Challenge

Adjudicators had no unified view of outbound letter packet statuses, requiring manual checks in a siloed application. The assumption was that a dashboard widget could reduce that friction.

Solution

Ran a research-first design sprint, iterating early concepts around four correspondence statuses, then pressure-testing the assumption with real users before any stakeholder commitment. Research revealed the workflow required adjudicators to open the full application regardless, making the efficiency gain null. The concept was shelved, development resources were protected, and strategy was redirected toward higher-impact areas.

Impact

Scheduled user interviews before stakeholder buy-in, not after. Keeping concepts at low-commitment wireframes meant the pivot cost two interviews — not a development cycle. This project exists in my portfolio not despite the outcome, but because of it.