HMSA - BlueCross BlueShield
BlueCross BlueShield is a national health insurance provider, with each state operating independently under the brand. In Hawaii, HMSA represents this entity.
My position involved overseeing scrum and agile practices for a compact design team comprising a junior product designer, web designer, researcher, and myself as an individual contributor. I focused on enhancing experiences for providers, employers, and members alike.
Agency
Hawaiian Medical Service Association - BCBS
Role
Sr. UX Design Manager
Services
UI, UX, Direct Reports,
As a UX Design Manager at HMSA, I often had to roll up my sleeves and contribute as an individual contributor. Much of my time was spent building wireframes for new features within technical constraints. The experience was challenging due to the template-based framework and limited design components. Despite these obstacles, my mission was to advocate for innovation at every step, making this role a uniquely interesting experience.
Technical limitations were a consistent challenge, with constraints across the tech stack—ranging from rigid templates and limited icon libraries to restricted formatting capabilities. Building wireframes in Sketch became increasingly difficult as stakeholders often required high-fidelity mockups to fully grasp the design vision. Balancing innovation with development feasibility required ongoing negotiation, especially given the team’s limited resources and competing departmental priorities.
To help bridge that gap early in the process, I created annotated wireframes to align internal teams and clarify functionality. These served as a foundation for development discussions and helped surface technical conflicts before high-fidelity mockups were produced for broader stakeholder buy-in.
Proposal Annotation Headers
Vertical Scroll Form Stepper
Switch Accounts Header
Annotations
Annotations
Mobile Flow Pitch Concepts
Multiple Header Treatments
User flow
Control Panel UI
Outcome: We observed increased user engagement in key areas such as Explanation of Benefits (EOB), Accounts, and Find a Provider, along with improved navigation interaction overall. Daily site activity steadily grew, correlating with a noticeable reduction in call center volume—resulting in measurable cost savings for the organization.