Storytelling

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Who​ ​Loves​ ​Paying​ ​Premiums?

Challenge​ ​&​ ​Selection

I​ ​am​ ​a​ ​Senior​ ​Associate​ ​at​ ​a​ ​ ​top​ ​consulting​ ​firm​ ​based​ ​in​ ​Johannesburg​ ​called​ EducaSTEM  based​ ​ ​in​ ​Rivonia,Sandton.I​ ​have​ ​been​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​join​ ​as​ ​UX​ ​Designer​ ​and​ ​apply​ ​Design  Thinking​ ​on​ ​a​ ​project​ ​for​ ​an​ ​insurance​ ​company.    GetSure​ ​is​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​largest​ ​insurance​ ​companies​ ​in​ ​the​ ​South​ ​Africa​ ​ ​providing  Health,Legal​ ​&​ ​Funeral​ ​insurance.​ ​They​ ​need​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​how​ ​they​ ​can​ ​reconnect​ ​with  their​ ​customers​ ​using​ ​Storytelling.    They​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​put​ ​human-beings​ ​back​ ​into​ ​the​ ​experience​ ​of​ ​what​ ​made​ ​their​ ​customers  love​ ​GetSure​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​place.​ ​They​ ​needed​ ​to​ ​rediscover​ ​what​ ​made​ ​their​ ​customers​ ​so  attracted​ ​to​ ​their​ ​insurance​ ​offerings​ ​in​ ​the​ ​first​ ​place.    The​ ​users​ ​who​ ​used​ ​GetSure​ ​are​ ​humans​ ​who​ ​primarily​ ​come​ ​from​ ​predominantly  lower-income​ ​households​ ​whose​ ​are​ ​rich​ ​enough​ ​ ​to​ ​afford​ ​government​ ​insurance​ ​but​ ​not  rich​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​afford​ ​high-end​ ​private​ ​insurance.    The​ ​users​ ​pay​ ​a​ ​premium​ ​of​ ​R60​ ​per​ ​month​ ​on​ ​average​ ​,​ ​these​ ​are​ ​humans​ ​who​ ​are  lower-middle​ ​income​ ​in​ ​society​ ​who​ ​after​ ​settling​ ​debit​ ​orders​ ​ ​such​ ​a​ ​ ​car​ ​repayments,  bonds​ ​ ​and​ ​school​ ​fees​ ​have​ ​next-to-nothing​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​the​ ​R60​ ​or​ ​would​ ​rather​ ​not​ ​pay​ ​at  all..    I​ ​have​ ​used​ ​this​ ​information​ ​together​ ​with​ ​the​ ​power​ ​of​ ​Storytelling​ ​in​ ​order​ ​for​ ​GetSure​ ​to  understand​ ​taking​ ​a​ ​human-centered​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​their​ ​insurance​ ​offerings​ ​and​ ​gain​ ​new  insights​ ​into​ ​their​ ​current​ ​product​ ​offerings.

Majid Ali  Submission​ ​for​ ​Design​ ​Thinking​ ​For​ ​Innovation

Application

Imagine​ ​a​ ​35-year-old​ ​woman​ ​named​ ​Matshepo​ ​Mathebula.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​a​ ​Senior​ ​Manager​ ​at​ ​a  Trucking​ ​Company.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​a​ ​single​ ​black​ ​mother​ ​who​ ​has​ ​four​ ​children​ ​aged​ ​ ​4,12,3​ ​and​ ​9  respectively.    Matshepo​ ​is​ ​a​ ​young,black​ ​working​ ​professional​ ​woman​ ​who​ ​typically​ ​works​ ​40hrs​ ​in​ ​a​ ​week  and​ ​her​ ​job​ ​commands​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​her​ ​time.​ ​She​ ​cherishes​ ​familial​ ​values​ ​as​ ​she​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​be  around​ ​for​ ​the​ ​growth​ ​of​ ​her​ ​four​ ​children.    Her​ ​four​ ​children​ ​only​ ​get​ ​a​ ​chance​ ​to​ ​see​ ​her​ ​on​ ​weekends​ ​because​ ​her​ ​job​ ​requires​ ​her​ ​to  be​ ​at​ ​different​ ​trucking​ ​site​ ​across​ ​the​ ​country​ ​week-in-week​ ​out.​ ​ ​A​ ​nanny​ ​is​ ​typically​ ​used  to​ ​supervising​ ​over​ ​her​ ​four​ ​kids​ ​during​ ​the​ ​week​ ​.    She​ ​has​ ​a​ ​monthly​ ​car-payment​ ​on​ ​an​ ​entry​ ​level​ ​sedan​ ​of​ ​R5​ ​500​ ​per​ ​month,​ ​a​ ​bond  repayment​ ​of​ ​R8000​ ​per​ ​month​ ​and​ ​her​ ​total​ ​month-to-month​ ​grocery​ ​cost​ ​for​ ​her​ ​family​ ​of  about​ ​R3400​ ​per​ ​month.​ ​She​ ​earns​ ​net​ ​of​ ​tax​ ​of​ ​about​ ​R20​ ​000​ ​per​ ​month.​ ​She​ ​is​ ​left​ ​with​ ​a  mere​ ​R6500​ ​per​ ​month​ ​to​ ​“enjoy”​ ​her​ ​time​ ​with​ ​her​ ​kids.​ ​ ​The​ ​last​ ​thing​ ​on​ ​her​ ​mind​ ​is​ ​the  insurance​ ​payment​ ​of​ ​R300​ ​(R60​ ​X​ ​5)​ ​,​ ​she​ ​routinely​ ​skips​ ​it.​ ​Opting​ ​instead​ ​to​ ​let​ ​the  payments​ ​roll-over​ ​into​ ​the​ ​next​ ​month.      One​ ​day​ ​her​ ​12​ ​year​ ​old​ ​falls​ ​chronically​ ​sick​ ​at​ ​school.​ ​She​ ​has​ ​been​ ​so​ ​busy​ ​that​ ​she​ ​only  found​ ​out​ ​that​ ​her​ ​child​ ​is​ ​at​ ​a​ ​local​ ​government​ ​hospital​ ​after​ ​he​ ​had​ ​been​ ​induced​ ​in​ ​a  coma​ ​for​ ​the​ ​last​ ​3​ ​hours​ ​,​ ​rendering​ ​him​ ​almost​ ​paralyzed.     In​ ​a​ ​heightened​ ​state​ ​of​ ​panic​ ​,​ ​she​ ​remembered​ ​that​ ​she​ ​has​ ​GetSure​ ​Health​ ​Insurance​ ​that  covers​ ​her​ ​child​ ​.​ ​She​ ​phoned​ ​a​ ​GetSure​ ​consultant​ ​immediately​ ​to​ ​begin​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of  trying​ ​to​ ​save​ ​her​ ​child’s​ ​life.      Storytelling​ ​together​ ​with​ ​Storyboarding​ ​helped​ ​GetSure​ ​gain​ ​key​ ​new​ ​insights​ ​into​ ​why​ ​there  is​ ​a​ ​disconnect(see​ ​diagram​ ​below)

Majid Ali  Submission​ ​for​ ​Design​ ​Thinking​ ​For​ ​Innovation

Majid Ali  Submission​ ​for​ ​Design​ ​Thinking​ ​For​ ​Innovation

Insight​ ​&​ ​Approach

I​ ​had​ ​previously​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​my​ ​privileged​ ​economic​ ​background​ ​,​ ​never​ ​thought  about​ ​how​ ​difficult​ ​ ​and​ ​complex​ ​the​ ​social​ ​stigma​ ​around​ ​not​ ​being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​your  child’s​ ​healthcare​ ​let​ ​alone​ ​a​ ​motor-vehicle​ ​insurance​ ​is​ ​heavy.     Insuring​ ​your​ ​loved​ ​ones​ ​whether​ ​it​ ​is​ ​legally,​ ​health​ ​or​ ​funeral-wise​ ​is​ ​a​ ​social-status  phenomenon​ ​amongst​ ​GetSure​ ​users​ ​themselves​ ​and​ ​humans​ ​who​ ​pay​ ​insurance​ ​in​ ​any  shape​ ​or​ ​form​ ​generally.    Design​ ​Thinking​ ​and​ ​the​ ​power​ ​of​ ​Storytelling​ ​helped​ ​the​ ​team​ ​and​ ​me​ ​personally​ ​on  GetSure​ ​to​ ​understand​ ​that​ ​simply​ ​viewing​ ​the​ ​payment​ ​as​ ​a​ ​“regular”​ ​payment​ ​and​ ​not​ ​as  an​ ​emotionally-sensitive​ ​one​ ​allowed​ ​us​ ​to​ ​open​ ​our​ ​eyes​ ​to​ ​the​ ​ ​real​ ​insightful​ ​reality.    The​ ​stigma​ ​of​ ​not​ ​being​ ​able​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​quick,​ ​simplified​ ​way​ ​to​ ​your​ ​pay​ ​your​ ​insurance  premium​ ​ ​without​ ​it​ ​coming​ ​up​ ​in​ ​conversation​ ​in​ ​difficult.​ ​Their​ ​customers​ ​never​ ​want​ ​to  appear​ ​broke​ ​as​ ​they​ ​cannot​ ​afford​ ​high-end​ ​insurance​ ​themselves.     The​ ​pain,​ ​shame​ ​and​ ​general​ ​sense​ ​of​ ​“​ ​why​ ​me​ ​God”​ ​is​ ​still​ ​so​ ​heavy​ ​that​ ​people​ ​would  rather​ ​wait​ ​to​ ​be​ ​told​ ​they​ ​are​ ​forced​ ​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​this​ ​premium​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​actually​ ​pay​ ​it​ ​on​ ​time.      Design​ ​Thinking​ ​and​ ​Storytelling​ ​has​ ​helped​ ​us​ ​to​ ​actually​ ​unlock​ ​the​ ​real​ ​problem​ ​by  realising​ ​that​ ​users​ ​in​ ​fact​ ​might​ ​be​ ​telling​ ​us​ ​that​ ​it’s​ ​not​ ​the​ ​issue​ ​of​ ​paying​ ​ ​,​ ​it’s​ ​how​ ​do​ ​we  pay​ ​discreetly​ ​without​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​shame​.      Next​ ​time,​ ​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​the​ ​and​ ​show​ ​how​ ​the​ ​power​ ​of​ ​Storytelling​ ​is​ ​key​ ​to​ ​not​ ​only  Design​ ​Thinking​ ​but​ ​to​ ​unlocking​ ​business​ ​innovation​ ​in​ ​the​ ​insurance​ ​industry​ ​as​ ​a​ ​whole,  we​ ​will​ ​run​ ​a​ ​Learning​ ​Launch​ ​for​ ​GetSure​ ​ ​in​ ​order​ ​pilot​ ​whether​ ​Matshepo​ ​will​ ​in​ ​one​ ​day  save​ ​her​ ​child’s​ ​life​ ​because​ ​she​ ​paid​ ​that​ ​R60​ ​per​ ​month.

Majid Ali  Submission​ ​for​ ​Design​ ​Thinking​ ​For​ ​Innovation

