Stance insurance

UX design

Stance Insurance: Redefining Car Insurance for the Next Generation

Overview

Stance Insurance is a South African digital insurance platform built for young drivers and car modification enthusiasts. It recognizes a group that most insurers ignore — people who genuinely love their cars and spend time (and money) making them unique.

The idea was simple: create an insurance experience that celebrates individuality instead of punishing it.

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The Problem

The problem?
Young, modified-car owners are treated like a liability by most insurance companies.

If you’re under 30 and your car has been lowered, tuned, or wrapped — good luck finding fair coverage. Traditional insurers either reject these drivers or charge premiums that make no sense.

In research, one user told us:

“My insurance quote was higher than what I paid for my car. Just because I added coilovers.”

That stuck with me. It wasn’t just about insurance — it was about feeling unseen by an industry that should protect you.

Goal

To design an insurance experience that’s:

Transparent — users know exactly what’s covered
Empowering — celebrates modifications instead of punishing them
Fast & friendly — no jargon, no judgment

My Role

I worked as the UX Designer, responsible for:

User Research & insights synthesis
User Flows & Information Architecture
Wireframes & Prototypes
Usability Testing
UI Design System

I collaborated with one developer, a business analyst, and a marketing lead.
Together, we set out to redesign what “trust” feels like in digital insurance.

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Design Process

1. Research

We interviewed young South African drivers between 18–30 who owned modified cars.
Key insights:

“I don’t trust insurance companies — they never explain the fine print.”
“I want to insure my mods. They’re part of my car’s identity.”
“Claims should be as simple as uploading photos.”

Pain points:

Complicated policy language
Unfair premiums
Slow, outdated claim processes

These insights grounded our design principles: clarity, speed, and celebration of individuality.

2. Personas

We developed personas to represent our core users:

Sipho (22) – first-time car owner, loves stance culture, wants flexible coverage.
Taryn (26) – freelance designer, owns a wrapped Mini Cooper, values transparency and control.
Jayden (29) – performance tuner, often rejected by insurers, needs modification coverage.

These personas helped us balance passion with practicality in the design.

3. Wireframing & Prototyping

We mapped the full journey: quote → coverage → claim.
Our first prototypes looked clean — but users still struggled with the insurance jargon.

So we rewrote everything:

“Comprehensive coverage” → “Everything’s covered — even your mods.”
“Third-party liability” → “Covers you if someone else’s car gets damaged.”

This copy change alone boosted comprehension and user trust.

We also added:

A “Mod Upload” feature (photo-based input during signup).

Quick-quote flow — 3 screens max.

Simple progress tracker during claims.

4. Usability Testing

We tested three rounds with 10 users each.
Every round shaped the next iteration.

Key results:

40% faster quote completion time
2× increase in successful claim submissions
Users described the design as “chilled but professional.”

That phrase became our UX tone anchor.

5. Visual Design

Car culture is bold, tactile, and fast — so the UI had to match.

We used:

Dark, matte palettes (black, dark green, carbon gray)
Light Green inspired by performance brake calipers
Rounded typography for readability
Minimal chrome to keep focus on content

Result: a confident interface that felt like part of the community — not a corporate outsider.

Key Features

✅ Mod-Friendly Coverage — insure custom parts & modifications
✅ Instant Quotes — no phone calls, just tap and go
✅ Simple Claims — upload, submit, done
✅ Full Mobile Access — manage policies anywhere