You get hurt on the job. What to do? WSIB is there for you.

For workers in Ontario, filing a WSIB claim is the first step toward receiving compensation and medical support related to the injury sustained at work. But the process is anything but seamless.

We're in the digital age and they're still using mail and fax.

During the pandemic, WSIB form faxes dropped by 13% and web increased by 17%. More than half of their web traffic comes from smartphone users aged 16-44 which is the same group that represents 55% of injury report submissions.

And they're already behind the trend. Two Canadian worker compensation boards (Alberta and BC) have already expanded their services with mobile apps since 2014. WSIB is not accommodating for the largest provincial population in Canada.

So how is this impacting the business?

This archaic system is consuming time and money. With 80% of the system still running on the organization’s internal infrastructure rather than on cloud, it makes data delivery slower and more costly.

What about the users?

We conducted secondary research through online forums and blogs to learn more about the user's experience and it revealed:

So how might we simplify the claim submission process for injured workers so they can complete it faster and feel at ease?

We interviewed 10 people to understand where the bottleneck happens and anything they liked about the process.

Besides the obvious of someone working professionally and having had to submit a claim, Ontario is one of the most diverse populations so we need to consider variable tech proficiency, language, and accessibility needs.

You can check out the📃Interview Guide here

Anxiety drives the experience through denied claims, lost reimbursements, and delayed recovery.

With 14M potential users, each with unique needs, we need to anchor our understanding of them.

Small, reversible missteps can lead to weeks-long detours.

Using insights from our research, we mapped out every stage an injured worker would experience in working with WSIB, surfacing all of the low points. Injured workers face significant challenges throughout the claims process. Even small missteps can snowball into major delays in already time-sensitive cases.

User stories

Designs

Whether starting fresh or returning to a claim, users are guided to the right next step without pressure. Clear actions and supportive cues help them report injuries confidently, not reactively.

We brought clarity to the forefront by surfacing real-time claim status and personalized action items directly on the home screen. With clear deadlines, progress updates, and contextual nudges, users stay informed and in control without needing to navigate through confusing menus or wait on a call.

For many users, especially immigrants unfamiliar with the system, injury claims can feel intimidating, confusing, or full of hidden expectations. We introduced info cards as gentle, in-context guidance throughout the form. These cards clarify intent, explain unfamiliar terms, and encourage proactive next steps. This helps users complete forms accurately and confidently, no matter their background or level of familiarity.

After a call with a case manager, it’s easy to forget what was said especially when you’re injured or overwhelmed. We built a feature that summarizes the conversation and converts into action items. Claimants receive a notification to review, confirm, and even add their own notes to create a record that builds trust and drives follow-through.

Testing how well the flow aligns with the real process and if the cues elicit the right actions.

The usability test was conducted internally with mutual connections who have varied levels of English fluency and technical proficiency, providing a diverse participant group. Tasks were completed in both moderated and unmoderated settings to observe users thought processes for new features and to validate their ability to take quick actions, respectively.

You can check out the full 📃Usability Test Plan here

The scenarios

analyze the results