Designing a cyber risk platform for the Insurance industry
Taking Bitsight's Cyber Insurance offering from a reskinned third party risk management app to a platform designed for specific cyber insurance jobs.
Designing a cyber risk platform for the Insurance industry
Taking Bitsight's Cyber Insurance offering from a reskinned third party risk management app to a platform designed for specific cyber insurance jobs.
Designing a cyber risk platform for the Insurance industry
Taking Bitsight's Cyber Insurance offering from a reskinned third party risk management app to a platform designed for specific cyber insurance jobs.
Designing a cyber risk platform for the Insurance industry
Taking Bitsight's Cyber Insurance offering from a reskinned third party risk management app to a platform designed for specific cyber insurance jobs.
Role
Lead Product Designer
Project Collaborators
1 Product Manager 4 Developers
Timeline
11 months
Role
Lead Product Designer
Project Collaborators
1 Product Manager 4 Developers
Timeline
11 months
Role
Lead Product Designer
Project Collaborators
1 Product Manager 4 Developers
Timeline
11 months Research 1 month Designing & testing 3 months Engineering 7 months
Role
Lead Product Designer
Project Collaborators
1 Product Manager 4 Developers
Timeline
11 months
Overview
In 2025, more than 50% of cyber insurance premiums are written with Bitsight data using the Bitsight Cyber Insurance application. Today, the experience is smooth, but it used to be confusing, slow and clunky.
Overview
In 2025, more than 50% of cyber insurance premiums are written with Bitsight data using the Bitsight Cyber Insurance application. Today, the experience is smooth, but it used to be confusing, slow and clunky.
Overview
In 2025, more than 50% of cyber insurance premiums are written with Bitsight data using the Bitsight Cyber Insurance application. Today, the experience is smooth, but it used to be confusing, slow and clunky.
Overview
In 2025, more than 50% of cyber insurance premiums are written with Bitsight data using the Bitsight Cyber Insurance application. Today, the experience is smooth, but it used to be confusing, slow and clunky.
Problem
The application is disconnected from what users are trying to accomplish. The application wasn’t designed for insurance users, and the size of the insurance portfolios caused a lot of performance issues.
Problem
The application is disconnected from what users are trying to accomplish. The application wasn’t designed for insurance users, and the size of the insurance portfolios caused a lot of performance issues.
Problem
The application is disconnected from what users are trying to accomplish. The application wasn’t designed for insurance users, and the size of the insurance portfolios caused a lot of performance issues.
Problem
The application is disconnected from what users are trying to accomplish. The application wasn’t designed for insurance users, and the size of the insurance portfolios caused a lot of performance issues.
Solution
Redesign the app for Insurance jobs. We redesigned the structure and language of the application through research about the insurance industry jobs and many rounds of user resting.
Solution
Redesign the app for Insurance jobs. We redesigned the structure and language of the application through research about the insurance industry jobs and many rounds of user resting.
Solution
Redesign the app for Insurance jobs. We redesigned the structure and language of the application through research about the insurance industry jobs and many rounds of user resting.
Solution
Redesign the app for Insurance jobs. We redesigned the structure and language of the application through research about the insurance industry jobs and many rounds of user resting.
Experience transformation
Home page provides direction and use case jumping off points.
More shallow navigation tree structure makes it easier to get to the most frequently used pages.
Uses terminology from the Insurance industry instead of risk related terms users are unfamiliar with.
Navigation is faster and easier to support from a development perspective.
Experience transformation
Home page provides direction and use case jumping off points.
More shallow navigation tree structure makes it easier to get to the most frequently used pages.
Uses terminology from the Insurance industry instead of risk related terms users are unfamiliar with.
Navigation is faster and easier to support from a development perspective.
The home page of the Cyber Insurance application before redesign.
The home page of the Cyber Insurance application after redesign.
Outcomes
Overall
Revenue increase of 20%
Cyber Insurance sales grew by $1M year over year after launch of the new application.
Revenue increase of 20%
Cyber Insurance sales grew by $1M year over year after launch of the new application.
Revenue increase of 20%
Cyber Insurance sales grew by $1M year over year after launch of the new application.
Revenue increase of 20%
Cyber Insurance sales grew by $1M year over year after launch of the new application.
Performance increase of 70%
Page load time drastically decreased, allowing users with tens of thousands of companies in a single portfolio to save lots of time during their work day.
Performance increase of 70%
Page load time drastically decreased, allowing users with tens of thousands of companies in a single portfolio to save lots of time during their work day.
Performance increase of 70%
Page load time drastically decreased, allowing users with tens of thousands of companies in a single portfolio to save lots of time during their work day.
Performance increase of 70%
Page load time drastically decreased, allowing users with tens of thousands of companies in a single portfolio to save lots of time during their work day.
Usability increase of 30%
The insurance application exceeded its usability score goal by 4 points for a usability score (SUS) of 80 which puts it in the rank of top 10% usability.
Usability increase of 30%
The insurance application exceeded its usability score goal by 4 points for a usability score (SUS) of 80 which puts it in the rank of top 10% usability.
Usability increase of 30%
The insurance application exceeded its usability score goal by 4 points for a usability score (SUS) of 80 which puts it in the rank of top 10% usability.
Usability increase of 30%
The insurance application exceeded its usability score goal by 4 points for a usability score (SUS) of 80 which puts it in the rank of top 10% usability.
Experience transformation
Home page provides direction and use case jumping off points.
More shallow navigation tree structure makes it easier to get to the most frequently used pages.
Uses terminology from the Insurance industry instead of risk related terms users are unfamiliar with.
Navigation is faster and easier to support from a development perspective.
Experience transformation
Home page provides direction and use case jumping off points.
More shallow navigation tree structure makes it easier to get to the most frequently used pages.
Uses terminology from the Insurance industry instead of risk related terms users are unfamiliar with.
Navigation is faster and easier to support from a development perspective.
Experience transformation
Home page provides direction and use case jumping off points.
More shallow navigation tree structure makes it easier to get to the most frequently used pages.
Uses terminology from the Insurance industry instead of risk related terms users are unfamiliar with.
Navigation is faster and easier to support from a development perspective.
The home page of the Cyber Insurance application before redesign.
The home page of the Cyber Insurance application after redesign.
Phase 1 Foundational ‘Jobs to be done’ research
I interviewed insurance 7 customers and learned that the three main jobs for Cyber Insurance are Underwriting, Loss Control and Portfolio Management.
Phase 1 Foundational ‘Jobs to be done’ research
I interviewed insurance 7 customers and learned that the three main jobs for Cyber Insurance are Underwriting, Loss Control and Portfolio Management.
Phase 1 Foundational ‘Jobs to be done’ research
I interviewed insurance 7 customers and learned that the three main jobs for Cyber Insurance are Underwriting, Loss Control and Portfolio Management.
Phase 1 Foundational ‘Jobs to be done’ research
I interviewed insurance 7 customers and learned that the three main jobs for Cyber Insurance are Underwriting, Loss Control and Portfolio Management.
High level relationship map created from interviewing different Insurance disciplines and review with Insurance industry experts.
Underwriting
The process of bringing Cyber Insurance clients into the portfolio.
Top findings:
Underwriters are not necessarily technical.
They have a constantly shifting set of underwriting guidelines.
The communication channels underwriters must go through are painful.
Underwriting
The process of bringing Cyber Insurance clients into the portfolio.
Top findings:
Underwriters are not necessarily technical.
They have a constantly shifting set of underwriting guidelines.
The communication channels underwriters must go through are painful.
Underwriting
The process of bringing Cyber Insurance clients into the portfolio.
Top findings:
Underwriters are not necessarily technical.
They have a constantly shifting set of underwriting guidelines.
The communication channels underwriters must go through are painful.
User journey of the Underwriting job created from user interviews.
Loss Control
The process of identifying areas of improvement in a client’s cyber security practices and connecting with them to remediate the problem areas.
Top findings:
Not all insurers prioritize funding for an independent loss control program.
Complex communication channel similar to underwriting.
Loss Control
The process of identifying areas of improvement in a client’s cyber security practices and connecting with them to remediate the problem areas.
Top findings:
Not all insurers prioritize funding for an independent loss control program.
Complex communication channel similar to underwriting.
Loss Control
The process of identifying areas of improvement in a client’s cyber security practices and connecting with them to remediate the problem areas.
Top findings:
Not all insurers prioritize funding for an independent loss control program.
Complex communication channel similar to underwriting.
User journey of the Loss Control job created from user interviews.
Underwriting
The process of bringing Cyber Insurance clients into the portfolio.
Top findings:
- Underwriters are not necessarily technical.
- They have a constantly shifting set of underwriting guidelines.
- The communication channels underwriters must go through are painful.
Underwriting
The process of bringing Cyber Insurance clients into the portfolio.
Top findings:
- Underwriters are not necessarily technical.
- They have a constantly shifting set of underwriting guidelines.
- The communication channels underwriters must go through are painful.
User journey of the Underwriting job created from user interviews.
Loss Control
The process of identifying areas of improvement in a client’s cyber security practices and connecting with them to remediate the problem areas.
Top findings:
- Not all insurers prioritize funding for an independent loss control program.
- Complex communication channel similar to underwriting.
Loss Control
The process of identifying areas of improvement in a client’s cyber security practices and connecting with them to remediate the problem areas.
Top findings:
- Not all insurers prioritize funding for an independent loss control program.
- Complex communication channel similar to underwriting.
User journey of the Loss Control job created from user interviews.
Portfolio Management
The process of maintaining a clear understanding of risk accumulation in the insurance portfolio.
Top findings:
- Risk management practices depend heavily on quality and completeness of data
- Portfolio managers must aggregate and synthesize data on a regular cadence
Portfolio Management
The process of maintaining a clear understanding of risk accumulation in the insurance portfolio.
Top findings:
- Risk management practices depend heavily on quality and completeness of data
- Portfolio managers must aggregate and synthesize data on a regular cadence
User journey of the Portfolio Management job created from user interviews.
Portfolio Management
The process of maintaining a clear understanding of risk accumulation in the insurance portfolio.
Top findings:
Risk management practices depend heavily on quality and completeness of data
Portfolio managers must aggregate and synthesize data on a regular cadence
Portfolio Management
The process of maintaining a clear understanding of risk accumulation in the insurance portfolio.
Top findings:
Risk management practices depend heavily on quality and completeness of data
Portfolio managers must aggregate and synthesize data on a regular cadence
Portfolio Management
The process of maintaining a clear understanding of risk accumulation in the insurance portfolio.
Top findings:
Risk management practices depend heavily on quality and completeness of data
Portfolio managers must aggregate and synthesize data on a regular cadence
User journey of the Portfolio Management job created from user interviews.
Phase 2 Information Architecture redesign and testing
With a foundational understanding of Cyber Insurance jobs, I could see how out of sync with the needs of our customers were with the way the current application was organized. I ran user tests to redesign and refine the structure of the navigation.
Phase 2 Information Architecture redesign and testing
With a foundational understanding of Cyber Insurance jobs, I could see how out of sync with the needs of our customers were with the way the current application was organized. I ran user tests to redesign and refine the structure of the navigation.
Phase 2 Information Architecture redesign and testing
With a foundational understanding of Cyber Insurance jobs, I could see how out of sync with the needs of our customers were with the way the current application was organized. I ran user tests to redesign and refine the structure of the navigation.
Phase 2 Information Architecture redesign and testing
With a foundational understanding of Cyber Insurance jobs, I could see how out of sync with the needs of our customers were with the way the current application was organized. I ran user tests to redesign and refine the structure of the navigation.
Creating, testing and iterating on a navigation structure
I conducted three studies to create and refine the navigational structure of the app to greater align with Cyber Insurance jobs.
Card sort with internal subject matter experts revealed a starting place for navigation structure.
First treejack test showed a baseline level of task success to judge further refinements against.
Second treejack test showed where terminology and page organization refinements had an effect and where they needed further changes.
Creating, testing and iterating on a navigation structure
I conducted three studies to create and refine the navigational structure of the app to greater align with Cyber Insurance jobs.
Card sort with internal subject matter experts revealed a starting place for navigation structure.
First treejack test showed a baseline level of task success to judge further refinements against.
Second treejack test showed where terminology and page organization refinements had an effect and where they needed further changes.
Creating, testing and iterating on a navigation structure
I conducted three studies to create and refine the navigational structure of the app to greater align with Cyber Insurance jobs.
Card sort with internal subject matter experts revealed a starting place for navigation structure.
First treejack test showed a baseline level of task success to judge further refinements against.
Second treejack test showed where terminology and page organization refinements had an effect and where they needed further changes.
The resulting categories of the card sort study.
The navigation tested during the first treejack test.
The refined navigation tested during the second treejack test.
Creating, testing and iterating on a navigation structure
I conducted three studies to create and refine the navigational structure of the app to greater align with Cyber Insurance jobs.
Card sort with internal subject matter experts revealed a starting place for navigation structure.
First treejack test showed a baseline level of task success to judge further refinements against.
Second treejack test showed where terminology and page organization refinements had an effect and where they needed further changes.
Creating, testing and iterating on a navigation structure
I conducted three studies to create and refine the navigational structure of the app to greater align with Cyber Insurance jobs.
Card sort with internal subject matter experts revealed a starting place for navigation structure.
First treejack test showed a baseline level of task success to judge further refinements against.
Second treejack test showed where terminology and page organization refinements had an effect and where they needed further changes.
The resulting categories of the card sort study.
The navigation tested during the first treejack test.
The refined navigation tested during the second treejack test.
Phase 3 Usability Testing a high-fidelity prototype
I created a functional prototype of the new application experience for usability testing the new structure, language and look of the application.
Phase 3 Usability Testing a high-fidelity prototype
I created a functional prototype of the new application experience for usability testing the new structure, language and look of the application.
Phase 3 Usability Testing a high-fidelity prototype
I created a functional prototype of the new application experience for usability testing the new structure, language and look of the application.
Phase 3 Usability Testing a high-fidelity prototype
I created a functional prototype of the new application experience for usability testing the new structure, language and look of the application.
“It’s more intuitive than the current product”
- Cyber Risk Manager
“It’s more intuitive than the current product”
- Cyber Risk Manager
“It’s more intuitive than the current product”
- Cyber Risk Manager
“It’s more intuitive than the current product”
- Cyber Risk Manager
“I like the homepage with the dashboard, it makes it nice and easy”
- Underwriting Officer
“I like the homepage with the dashboard, it makes it nice and easy”
- Underwriting Officer
“I like the homepage with the dashboard, it makes it nice and easy”
- Underwriting Officer
"The ability to jump around things on this sidebar is a nice improvement.”
- Client Manager
"The ability to jump around things on this sidebar is a nice improvement.”
- Client Manager
"The ability to jump around things on this sidebar is a nice improvement.”
- Client Manager
Prototyping the new app structure
Based off the results of the research, the application pages were sorted into groups of pages that corresponded to the main jobs:
Portfolio management → Portfolio Risk
Underwriting → Client Risk
Loss Control → Client Engagement
I also added a dashboard home page to provide jumping off points for the main workflows, which was lacking in the previous application.
Prototyping the new app structure
Based off the results of the research, the application pages were sorted into groups of pages that corresponded to the main jobs:
Portfolio management → Portfolio Risk
Underwriting → Client Risk
Loss Control → Client Engagement
I also added a dashboard home page to provide jumping off points for the main workflows, which was lacking in the previous application.
Prototyping the new app structure
Based off the results of the research, the application pages were sorted into groups of pages that corresponded to the main jobs:
Portfolio management → Portfolio Risk
Underwriting → Client Risk
Loss Control → Client Engagement
I also added a dashboard home page to provide jumping off points for the main workflows, which was lacking in the previous application.
An image of the prototyped experience in Figma.
Usability testing the prototype
I facilitated a usability test where participants were given a list of tasks to complete with the prototype.
Top takeaways:
Participants would rather see recent companies than recent folders for underwriting
Company Risk Vector Grade Breakdown, an expensive concept was not received well enough to warrant the investment
Adding more direct launch points for loss control and portfolio management at the top of the dashboard was a beneficial change
Usability testing the prototype
I facilitated a usability test where participants were given a list of tasks to complete with the prototype.
Top takeaways:
Participants would rather see recent companies than recent folders for underwriting
Company Risk Vector Grade Breakdown, an expensive concept was not received well enough to warrant the investment
Adding more direct launch points for loss control and portfolio management at the top of the dashboard was a beneficial change
Usability testing the prototype
I facilitated a usability test where participants were given a list of tasks to complete with the prototype.
Top takeaways:
Participants would rather see recent companies than recent folders for underwriting
Company Risk Vector Grade Breakdown, an expensive concept was not received well enough to warrant the investment
Adding more direct launch points for loss control and portfolio management at the top of the dashboard was a beneficial change
The prototype and navigation used during testing.
Prototyping the new app structure
Based off the results of the research, the application pages were sorted into groups of pages that corresponded to the main jobs:
Portfolio management → Portfolio Risk
Underwriting → Client Risk
Loss Control → Client Engagement
I also added a dashboard home page to provide jumping off points for the main workflows, which was lacking in the previous application.
Prototyping the new app structure
Based off the results of the research, the application pages were sorted into groups of pages that corresponded to the main jobs:
Portfolio management → Portfolio Risk
Underwriting → Client Risk
Loss Control → Client Engagement
I also added a dashboard home page to provide jumping off points for the main workflows, which was lacking in the previous application.
An image of the prototyped experience in Figma.
Usability testing the prototype
I facilitated a usability test where participants were given a list of tasks to complete with the prototype.
Top takeaways:
Participants would rather see recent companies than recent folders for underwriting
Company Risk Vector Grade Breakdown, an expensive concept was not received well enough to warrant the investment
Adding more direct launch points for loss control and portfolio management at the top of the dashboard was a beneficial change
Usability testing the prototype
I facilitated a usability test where participants were given a list of tasks to complete with the prototype.
Top takeaways:
Participants would rather see recent companies than recent folders for underwriting
Company Risk Vector Grade Breakdown, an expensive concept was not received well enough to warrant the investment
Adding more direct launch points for loss control and portfolio management at the top of the dashboard was a beneficial change
The prototype and navigation used during testing.
Phase 4 Implementation
I collaborated with the development team throughout implementation, iterating to emphasize speed and component usage.
Phase 4 Implementation
I collaborated with the development team throughout implementation, iterating to emphasize speed and component usage.
Phase 4 Implementation
I collaborated with the development team throughout implementation, iterating to emphasize speed and component usage.
Phase 4 Implementation
I collaborated with the development team throughout implementation, iterating to emphasize speed and component usage.
Collaborating with Engineering to balance speed and usability improvements
Increased speed
Found overlap between user task success and ways to content that decreased API call load
Used modern components with better support
Improved usability
Aligned with industry terminology
Made highest value pages easiest to get to
Used modern components for faster adoption
Collaborating with Engineering to balance speed and usability improvements
Increased speed
Found overlap between user task success and ways to content that decreased API call load
Used modern components with better support
Improved usability
Aligned with industry terminology
Made highest value pages easiest to get to
Used modern components for faster adoption
Collaborating with Engineering to balance speed and usability improvements
Increased speed
Found overlap between user task success and ways to content that decreased API call load
Used modern components with better support
Improved usability
Aligned with industry terminology
Made highest value pages easiest to get to
Used modern components for faster adoption
Password: delightful-pixels
An internal video announcing the new Cyber Insurance application experience.
Password: delightful-pixels
An internal video announcing the new Cyber Insurance application experience.
Collaborating with Engineering to balance speed and usability improvements
Increased speed
Found overlap between user task success and ways to content that decreased API call load
Used modern components with better support
Improved usability
Aligned with industry terminology
Made highest value pages easiest to get to
Used modern components for faster adoption
Collaborating with Engineering to balance speed and usability improvements
Increased speed
Found overlap between user task success and ways to content that decreased API call load
Used modern components with better support
Improved usability
Aligned with industry terminology
Made highest value pages easiest to get to
Used modern components for faster adoption
Reflections
Giving time to foundational research saves time down the road.
We took time to gain a deep understanding of what the customer is trying to achieve outside of a single technology vendor which gave us clarity in so many moments farther down the product design process.
A small and independent team can move mountains.
You don’t have to have a lot of people to accomplish great improvements. What we did really turned around the Cyber Insurance user experience within a year.
Reflections
Giving time to foundational research saves time down the road.
We took time to gain a deep understanding of what the customer is trying to achieve outside of a single technology vendor which gave us clarity in so many moments farther down the product design process.
A small and independent team can move mountains.
You don’t have to have a lot of people to accomplish great improvements. What we did really turned around the Cyber Insurance user experience within a year.
Reflections
Giving time to foundational research saves time down the road.
We took time to gain a deep understanding of what the customer is trying to achieve outside of a single technology vendor which gave us clarity in so many moments farther down the product design process.
A small and independent team can move mountains.
You don’t have to have a lot of people to accomplish great improvements. What we did really turned around the Cyber Insurance user experience within a year.
Reflections
Giving time to foundational research saves time down the road.
We took time to gain a deep understanding of what the customer is trying to achieve outside of a single technology vendor which gave us clarity in so many moments farther down the product design process.
A small and independent team can move mountains.
You don’t have to have a lot of people to accomplish great improvements. What we did really turned around the Cyber Insurance user experience within a year.
From collaborators on this project
Zhichun Ye
Engineering leader
“I had the opportunity to work with Blythe on several product initiatives on both the TPRM and the Insurance side. She brought a strong and thoughtful approach to design that consistently elevated the quality of our work. She holds a high standard for design and product quality, and she’s not afraid to advocate for what she believes is best for the user, and that energy helped push the team toward better outcomes. Blythe was always available to collaborate closely with engineering, offering context, feedback, and a shared focus on building the best solution. “
Chris Klinchik
Product Leader
“Blythe is an exceptionally talented UX professional with a unique ability to manage the complexities of business demands, use her empathy to deeply understand customer jobs and problems, and designing a product that most acutely serves their needs. While establishing a new product in a new industry vertical, Blythe and I were able to establish a new Jobs to be Done framework that served as a Rosetta stone for the entire team while taking a new product to market within the first 8 months of working together. She'd be a great asset at any organization and I personally look forward to working with her again in the future.”
From collaborators on this project
Zhichun Ye
Engineering leader
“I had the opportunity to work with Blythe on several product initiatives on both the TPRM and the Insurance side. She brought a strong and thoughtful approach to design that consistently elevated the quality of our work. She holds a high standard for design and product quality, and she’s not afraid to advocate for what she believes is best for the user, and that energy helped push the team toward better outcomes. Blythe was always available to collaborate closely with engineering, offering context, feedback, and a shared focus on building the best solution. “
Chris Klinchik
Product Leader
“Blythe is an exceptionally talented UX professional with a unique ability to manage the complexities of business demands, use her empathy to deeply understand customer jobs and problems, and designing a product that most acutely serves their needs. While establishing a new product in a new industry vertical, Blythe and I were able to establish a new Jobs to be Done framework that served as a Rosetta stone for the entire team while taking a new product to market within the first 8 months of working together. She'd be a great asset at any organization and I personally look forward to working with her again in the future.”
From collaborators on this project
Zhichun Ye
Engineering leader
“I had the opportunity to work with Blythe on several product initiatives on both the TPRM and the Insurance side. She brought a strong and thoughtful approach to design that consistently elevated the quality of our work. She holds a high standard for design and product quality, and she’s not afraid to advocate for what she believes is best for the user, and that energy helped push the team toward better outcomes. Blythe was always available to collaborate closely with engineering, offering context, feedback, and a shared focus on building the best solution. “
Chris Klinchik
Product Leader
“Blythe is an exceptionally talented UX professional with a unique ability to manage the complexities of business demands, use her empathy to deeply understand customer jobs and problems, and designing a product that most acutely serves their needs. While establishing a new product in a new industry vertical, Blythe and I were able to establish a new Jobs to be Done framework that served as a Rosetta stone for the entire team while taking a new product to market within the first 8 months of working together. She'd be a great asset at any organization and I personally look forward to working with her again in the future.”
From collaborators on this project
Zhichun Ye
Engineering leader
“I had the opportunity to work with Blythe on several product initiatives on both the TPRM and the Insurance side. She brought a strong and thoughtful approach to design that consistently elevated the quality of our work. She holds a high standard for design and product quality, and she’s not afraid to advocate for what she believes is best for the user, and that energy helped push the team toward better outcomes. Blythe was always available to collaborate closely with engineering, offering context, feedback, and a shared focus on building the best solution. “
Chris Klinchik
Product Leader
“Blythe is an exceptionally talented UX professional with a unique ability to manage the complexities of business demands, use her empathy to deeply understand customer jobs and problems, and designing a product that most acutely serves their needs. While establishing a new product in a new industry vertical, Blythe and I were able to establish a new Jobs to be Done framework that served as a Rosetta stone for the entire team while taking a new product to market within the first 8 months of working together. She'd be a great asset at any organization and I personally look forward to working with her again in the future.”
