TRICARE

Focus

Goal

Project Year

Information architecture

Improve the existing information architecture

2022

TRICARE is one of the health programs that are offered to those in the military. It is a program that is has several plan options depending on the unique situations, circumstances, and military status of military members. Due to the diverse health needs and circumstances of military members, the website provides complex information that often times can become overwhelming and excessive.

  • Content clutter and improperly prioritized web content

  • The TRICARE program caters to a very diverse audience

  • Information architecture needs improvement

Challenges

Product Goal

TRICARE houses a lot of content for a large list of segments. Often, this makes it difficult for a TRICARE beneficiary to find the information they need and is relevant to them.

  • Maintain TRICARE branding

  • Declutter the pages and improve navigation

  • Provide organization to content and prioritize certain content

The organization has already conducted previous research, and currently has ongoing surveys for the TRICARE website that are distributed via emails to subscribers and on the website as pop ups. The reach of the survey is wide and includes a diverse group of people.

Based on data collected from the past 3 months, the navigation and organization of the website were already identified by the agency as an issue to tackle. To dig deeper, I conducted a separate survey, with questions related to navigation and organization.

Research

  • Research Goals

    • Understand how and why users utilize website

    • Identify areas of improvement regarding the navigation and organization of TRICARE’s plan pages

  • Users Surveyed

    • TRICARE beneficiaries*

  • Distribution

    • Email

    • Feedback popups on website

Needs

To start, I needed to determine the needs of both the business and its users to provide more direction for the design. Customer needs were determined through surveys, and business needs were determined by speaking with clients.

  • Business Needs

    • Improve TRICARE web survey scores

    • Maintain branding throughout the site

    • Simply provide and communicate necessary messages to beneficiaries

  • Customer Needs

    • A website that is intuitive and easier to navigate

    • Reduce excessive content on informational pages

    • A way to reference terms and acronyms to allows beneficiaries to understand the provided content

Task and User Flows

From the information gathered on the needs of the business and the users, I determined the goal of the user when using the website to create the task and user flows.

User Goal

to be able to navigate the website easily and find information on TRICARE health plans

Task Flow

Task flow for users trying to find information through TRICARE

User Flow

User flow of two possible scenarios in reaching the goal of purchasing insurance

Branding and Style

As an established program under the Defense Health Agency, TRICARE branding and style guides have already been determined. For this design project, I closely followed the branding and styling requirements of the agency when creating the wireframes and UI patterns.

TRICARE Branding & Style Guide

TRICARE Branding & Style Guide

UI Patterns

UI Patterns

Testing and Iteration

To test the prototype, I shared tests with prompts and tasks online, and collected the results digitally. Ten surveys were submitted.

Selecting Participants

The 10 participants were unfamiliar with the TRICARE website. This was done so that I was able to determine if the navigation of the website is simple enough for people with little to no knowledge of the program. The criteria for participants were:

  • At least 20 years old

  • Someone with little to no knowledge of the TRICARE program

Testing Process

I distributed the test online. The test consisted of 8 prompts on a mock-up that would naturally follow the process for enrolling into the TRICARE program.

  • Task 1

    You decided that you want to look for information about health plans that TRICARE offers so that you can decide on a plan to enroll in. Search for TRICARE health plans that are offered.

  • Task 2

    Upon seeing the list of TRICARE plans that are available, you decide that you want to learn more about the “TRICARE Prime” plan. Find out what “TRICARE Prime” is.

  • Task 3

    You’ve read the overview of TRICARE Prime, but now you want to learn about the details before making a decision to enroll in this health plan. You need to know about eligibility requirements, what this plan covers, and how much it will cost.

  • Task 4

    Where would you go to see if physical therapy was covered under this plan?

  • Task 5

    Where would you go to check how much you would be paying for this plan if you decided to sign up for TRICARE Prime?

  • Task 6

    You found that physical therapy was covered under TRICARE Prime, but you want to know how much your in-network copay would be. You searched through the table but couldn’t find that particular service. Where would you look to find the detailed summary of benefits PDF?

  • Task 7

    You found where to download the summary of benefits PDF file, but you want to reach out to someone to clarify some information. Where on the page would you click on to get in touch with someone?

  • Task 8

    After getting all of the information you need, you decide that you want to sign up for TRICARE Prime. Where would you click to sign up for this plan.

Findings

The following findings were discovered after the collection and analysis of each participant’s results:

  • Finding 1

    Finding area for supplemental documents was difficult

  • Finding 2

    Locating specific contact information was confusing

  • Finding 3

    The "Enroll" call-to-action was not obvious on the pages

Based on the test results, I revised the mock ups to address the top three areas of concern for users when trying to reach a goal.

Final Product