Journey optimisation within a benefits platform
Overview
A global commercial real estate organisation wanted to improve completion rates during its annual benefits enrolment window.
Previous enrolment data showed that many employees signed in and explored options, but dropped off before submitting selections.
The objective was to improve task completion within the existing digital platform without redesigning the product itself.
The solution needed to focus on content structure, timing and clarity.
Understanding the Problem
We reviewed platform analytics and previous enrolment data to understand where users were disengaging.
The pattern was consistent:
- Employees signed in
- Viewed benefits
- Delayed decisions
- Failed to complete submission
The issue wasn’t access. It was confidence and clarity.
Benefits information was available, but employees were making complex decisions in a short timeframe, often misunderstanding the full implications of their choices.
There was also a measurable increase in helpdesk queries during enrolment, suggesting friction in the decision process.
My Role
Working alongside the implementation team and the client, I designed and delivered a structured pre-enrolment content programme within the platform.
My focus included:
- Mapping content to the enrolment journey
- Designing a three-month communication runway
- Structuring weekly platform content
- Aligning messaging to key decision stages
- Simplifying benefit explanations
- Reducing ambiguity ahead of the enrolment window
The aim was to support users before they were required to act.
Approach
Designing around the user journey
We structured content around the progression:
Sign in → View → Submit → Complete
Each piece of content was designed to support movement through that sequence.
Rather than concentrating communication through a single channel during the enrolment window itself, we introduced a steady cadence in the three months leading up to it. This gave employees time to understand their options before deciding.
Reducing cognitive load
Content focused on:
- Clear explanations of individual benefits
- Practical examples
- Reminders of key deadlines
- Direct links to relevant sections of the platform
The emphasis was on clarity and preparation, not promotion.
Supporting informed decisions
We used plain language and consistent framing to reduce ambiguity. Where possible, benefits were explained in terms of real-life impact rather than in-depth policy detail.
This helped users understand how benefits can support them in their everyday life, not just what a benefit was or did.
Outcome
The structured content approach resulted in measurable improvements across the enrolment journey:
- 100% increase in employees completing at least one benefit purchase
- Employees were twice as likely to complete a purchase from sign-in to submission
- 29% increase in sign-ins
- 30% increase in benefit views
- 12x fewer helpdesk queries related to benefits
Completion rates increased from approximately 20% to 39%.
The work demonstrated that improving clarity and progression within a digital journey can significantly influence task completion without altering core platform functionality.
What this shows
The results clearly show how clarity and preparation reduce friction. And especially how informed content decisions can help ease this.
By structuring content around the actual user journey, not the user journey defined by product, and by giving employees time to understand their choices, we were able to influence task completion without redesigning the system.
For me, this is content design at its most practical — supporting behaviour change inside an existing digital environment.
