Verisk Analytics: From Engineering-Led Design to User-Centric Solutions

Overview

In early 2022, Verisk Analytics faced a critical challenge: their SaaS application, despite being feature-rich and technically robust, was failing to meet user expectations. As an engineering-led organization with limited design resources, they needed expertise to bridge the gap between technical capabilities and user needs. This case study explores how a three-month UX research and design initiative transformed their application’s usability and user satisfaction.

The Challenge

The situation at Verisk exemplified a common disconnect in engineering-led organizations. With only one full-time designer supporting the entire operation, the company’s approach to product development prioritized technical functionality over user experience. This led to several critical issues:

  • Misaligned Perspectives: The company believed user dissatisfaction stemmed from insufficient features or poor implementation. However, users were actually overwhelmed by unnecessary features and unclear interactions.
  • Technical-First Mindset: Development decisions were primarily driven by engineering considerations rather than user needs.
  • Limited Design Resources: A single full-time designer couldn’t adequately address the scope of UX challenges across the application suite.
  • Poor Error Handling: Users struggled with unclear action consequences and lack of feedback, leading to mistakes and frustration.

Research & Discovery

Stakeholder Interviews

The initial phase focused on understanding internal perspectives and technical constraints. Key activities included:

  • Conducting in-depth interviews with product owners and senior management
  • Documenting perceived problems and proposed solutions
  • Gathering technical constraints and business objectives
  • Understanding the development team’s perspective on user complaints

User Research

Following stakeholder interviews, the focus shifted to direct user engagement:

  • Interview Scope: Comprehensive interviews with users across experience levels, from power users to novices
  • Observation Sessions: Screen-sharing sessions to watch users interact with the application in real-time
  • Pain Point Documentation: Systematic recording of user frustrations and workflow interruptions
  • Feedback Collection: Gathering specific examples of problematic interactions and unclear processes

Key Findings

Heuristic Analysis

The analysis revealed four critical violations of basic usability principles:

  1. Error Prevention: The system lacked proper safeguards against destructive actions
  2. Error Recovery: Users struggled to understand and correct mistakes
  3. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design: Interface contained unnecessary complexity
  4. User Control and Freedom: Limited ability to undo actions or navigate efficiently

User Pain Points

Through user interviews and observation sessions, several key issues emerged:

  • Feature Overload: Users felt overwhelmed by unnecessary features that complicated their workflows
  • Lack of Feedback: Actions completed without clear confirmation or status updates
  • Unclear Consequences: Users couldn’t predict the outcome of their actions
  • Complex Navigation: Difficulty finding essential features and understanding system structure

Solution Development

Collaborative Workshops

To ensure buy-in and technical feasibility, workshops brought together key stakeholders:

  • Product and technical leads participated in solution ideation
  • Teams aligned on addressing user feedback
  • Solutions were prioritized based on value and complexity
  • Implementation approaches were evaluated for technical feasibility

Design System Enhancements

The solution centered on systematic improvements to the design system:

  • New Components: Development of clear feedback mechanisms for user actions
  • Interaction Patterns: Implementation of consistent, intuitive interaction models
  • Documentation: Comprehensive guidelines for component usage and implementation
  • Visual Feedback: Clear indicators for destructive actions and system status

Implementation & Impact

Key Metrics Improvement

The implementation of these changes led to significant improvements across all key metrics:

Customer Reception

The project’s impact extended beyond metrics:

  • User Empowerment: Customers felt heard and valued for the first time
  • Stronger Relationships: Improved trust between Verisk and its users
  • Positive Adoption: Users embraced new interaction patterns and feedback mechanisms
  • Enhanced Perception: Strengthened customer confidence in the platform

Lessons Learned

What Went Well

  • Direct User Engagement: Screen-sharing sessions provided invaluable insights into real usage patterns
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Cross-functional workshops ensured feasible and effective solutions
  • Design System Impact: Systematic improvements created consistent, scalable changes
  • Metric-Driven Decisions: Clear success metrics guided prioritization and validation

What Could Be Improved

  • Customer Workshops: Additional workshops with customers could have uncovered deeper insights
  • Timeline Constraints: The three-month contract limited the scope of possible improvements
  • Feature Prioritization: Earlier involvement of technical leads could have streamlined prioritization

Looking Forward

This project demonstrated the vital importance of balancing technical capabilities with user needs. The success of the direct user engagement approach and the impact of systematic design improvements provided a clear roadmap for future initiatives. The experience highlighted how even short-term, focused UX initiatives can drive significant improvements in user satisfaction and product usability.

For organizations looking to transform engineering-led products into user-centric solutions, this case study emphasizes the importance of:

  • Understanding the disconnect between internal assumptions and user reality
  • Engaging directly with users to observe their actual behavior
  • Creating systematic, scalable solutions through design system improvements
  • Measuring and communicating impact through clear metrics

These lessons continue to influence approaches to similar challenges, demonstrating how user-centered design can transform technical products into intuitive, effective solutions.

© 2025 Corey Nelson UX, Product Conversation Designer