Overview
I led the 0-to-1 product design for a new session-based insurance feature at PayByPhone, the leader for finding and paying for parking. I solved the core challenge of merging a "serious" financial product" into the app's "fast utility" flow without friction. My data-driven approach successfully launched the feature to over 2 million users, achieved a +568% visibility boost and a +60% conversion increase through targeted A/B testing.
🚨 The Challenge: Anxiety in the Parking Lot
Car break-ins were rising, creating anxiety for users leaving valuables. PayByPhone identified an opportunity to unlock a new revenue stream by offering quick, session-based contents insurance right when users felt most vulnerable.
The problem was fundamental: The main challenge was integrating something serious (buying insurance) into an app users rely on for a fast, simple utility (paying for parking).
How might we design a simple, optional Car Contents Insurance add-on directly in the parking flow without disruption?
🕵️ Phase 1: Validation and Insights
I proved both market demand and user needs before moving into designing phase.
The "Fake Door" Test (Quant): I tested with 50,000 live parkers by simulating the product in the live app. The interest level exceeded our internal revenue goals , validating product-market fit.
User Research (Qual): I conducted 20 user sessions. Key insights defined the product: users would buy if the policy had No Excess (no deductible) and Did Not Affect Existing Premiums.
🧪 Phase 2: Exploring the Solution
My design was guided by four key principles: Fast & Simple Addition , Clarity & Confidence , Rapid Development , and a Seamless Parking Experience.
Decision Point: Entry Point Placement
The most critical decision was integrating the insurance without adding friction to the parking flow. The user journey had to remain fast.
Existing Flow Analysis: I began by analyzing the existing user journey: Location Selection > Duration Selection > Payment > Confirmation. My goal was to find a placement that was prominent but non-interruptive.
Existing PayByPhone Parking Flow
Explorations: Since user research clearly identified that the purchase hinged on seeing the price and coverage details, I explored high-visibility options like a full-screen overlay after duration selection. I rejected this option because, although it offered maximum visibility for the new feature, it added an extra screen into the main flow, forcing a decision and interrupting the core task. This directly violated the Fast & Simple principle. I also rejected the expand/collapse card on the Confirm Parking screen because expanding the feature severely crowded the screen, which could lead to users missing crucial information before tapping to pay.
The Winner: Confirmation Screen Toggle with Link. I chose a simple toggle switch on the final Confirm Parking screen. This placement is the last non-interruptive point, allowing users to complete their primary task first. This was the strategic "sweet spot" because:
It allows us to display the price and link to coverage via the in-app overlay, balancing the user's need for information with the need for speed.
For the MVP, I could leverage the existing UI of the SMS reminder component to implement the toggle quickly, adhering to the Rapid Development principle.
Entry Point Explorations
Decision Point: Communicating Coverage (Clarity & Confidence)
After the user turns the toggle on, they proceed to the coverage details screen. This was the most constrained screen, balancing tight legal requirements with the need for speed.
The Constraint: Due to legal requirements, the full coverage details had to be displayed to the user before they could finalize the purchase. My goal was to make this legal information easy to scan and quick to understand for users who are rushing.
Explorations: I explored options like tab views and expand/collapse features for displaying covered/not-covered items, but the most impactful exploration was visual:
Ideal Exploration: I designed a version of the overlay using specific illustrations to help users instantly grasp the scope of coverage (Visual Strategy).
The Strategic Trade-Off: After discussion with engineering, I realized integrating the illustrations for the MVP would significantly delay the launch. To meet the deadline, I made a critical trade-off and aligned with the Rapid Development design principle. I launched the MVP using only text-based scannability (clear structure and bold headings) and saved the visually appealing illustrated screen for the next phase of post-launch refinement.
The Winner: Text-Based Scannability. The final design maximized structure and concise text, ensuring users could legally confirm coverage with minimal cognitive effort while still allowing for a rapid market entry.
Coverage Overlay Explorations
Decision Point: The Active Session Card (Peace of Mind)
The final step was providing clear, visual confirmation that the purchase was successful and that the user's belongings were protected. This element was crucial for delivering the core Peace of Mind value proposition.
Explorations: I explored various designs for the Active Session Card, testing different placements for the "Protected" status, and which icons provided the most clear and calming assurance to the user.
The Winner: The selected design provided a clear, persistent "Session Protected" status directly on the active parking card, along with a prominent link to "Learn more" (which opens the in-app overlay). This gave users immediate, constant reassurance without cluttering the primary parking status, fully closing the trust loop.
Active Session Card Explorations
✅ Phase 3: Final Design, Usability Testing, and Launch
This phase presents the final, polished product and the test results that confirmed it was ready for deployment.
Final MVP Flow Summary
The final design synthesized our three core decisions into a single, cohesive user flow:
1. Entry Point: Toggle on Confirmation Screen, leveraging the existing SMS component UI for Rapid Development.
2. Coverage Overlay: Text-based, legally compliant, in-app overlay designed for rapid scanning.
3. Active Session Card: Persistent "Session Protected" status for Peace of Mind.
Usability Testing
Before launch, I conducted usability testing to ensure the speed and clarity of the flow held up under real-world pressure.
Methodology: I conducted moderated tests with 18 participants. The tasks included purchasing insurance, extending parking, and stopping parking early.
Rich Findings (Data-Driven Validation):
Ease of Use: All participants found it easy to add insurance. The System Usability Scale (SUS score was >90) confirmed strong usability.
Flow Efficiency (SEQ): The flow was highly efficient, with an average SEQ rating of 6.5-6.3 per task.
Understanding Coverage: Most understood the insurance coverage.
Identified Confusion: Minor confusion was noted around the calculation of fees for extensions and if stopping early.
Outcome: Usability testing confirmed the concept is easy to use and well-understood overall, with minor confusion points informing the final designs. The team received final sign-off to launch the MVP.
Final MVP Flow: Balancing Speed, Compliance, and Trust
📈 Phase 4: The "Plot Twist" (Iteration and Growth)
Initial attach rates (conversion) post-launch were significantly lower than our expectations. I immediately ran quick user surveys and analyzed quantitative data to find the root cause, identifying two distinct issues:
Visibility Gap: 47% of users were not seeing the feature due to the subtle MVP design constraints.
Value Gap: Users who did see the feature were not converting because they did not immediately understand the clear value proposition.
I led two immediate, targeted A/B testing sprints to simultaneously address both of these issues and rescue the feature's performance.
Experiment A: The Visibility Boost 👁️
Hypothesis: A more prominent, high-contrast design would increase awareness and lead to higher conversion rates.
Action: I ran a multi-variant test on the confirmation screen, focusing on increasing the visual hierarchy of the toggle itself.
Result: Variant 3 led to a massive +568% increase in users clicking the insurance toggle, successfully unlocking feature adoption.
Visibility A/B Test
Experiment B: The Value Proposition ✍️
With visibility solved, I focused on boosting conversion by refining the value proposition.
Hypothesis: A simplified, singular value proposition, focusing on either pure emotional benefit or a streamlined functional benefit will outperform the complex, multi-claim Control copy, leading to higher conversion rates.
Action: I ran a multi-variant copy test to determine the most effective messaging approach.
Result: The winning copy (Variant 3) achieved a +60% increase in the attach rate. This result was crucial: it proved that users were not swayed by the emotional promise (Variant 4) or the detailed Control. Instead, they prioritized simple, direct protection language combined with the single, high-value financial incentive of "No excess required.
Value Proposition Copy A/B Test
🔄 Final Polish: Post-Launch Design System Update
Following the successful deployment and A/B testing phase, PayByPhone launched a new version of its design system. I took the responsibility of ensuring the insurance feature was fully compliant with the new visual standards.
Final Design with Design System Update
🏆 Results & Impact
This project successfully transformed a raw business idea into a scalable revenue stream and demonstrated the power of design leadership.
Scale and Revenue: Successfully designed and deployed the feature to 2 million monthly users, establishing a valuable new ancillary revenue stream.
Product Rescue: My post-launch, data-driven A/B testing strategy dramatically rescued the feature’s performance, driving the +568% and +60% growth numbers.
Media Validation: The launch was featured on the front page of Le Parisien-Haut de Seine, reaching over 1.2 million daily readers, validating the product's market success.