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Case study 01 · UX/UI redesign · Content discovery · 2024

Southern Cross Travel Insurance: blog navigation

A navigation redesign for a travel-insurance blog full of useful articles that visitors could not easily find: a search bar with suggestions and filters, plus five clear categories.

Role
UX research, UX/UI design
Challenge
Make a large library of articles quick to search and browse for both experienced and first-time travellers, in line with the team's marketing and SEO goals.
Duration
February to April 2024
Tools
Figma, research and documentation tools
Audience
Readers aged 18 to 60
The redesigned Southern Cross Travel Insurance blog on a laptop and a phone: a search bar under an illustration of travellers, a featured article, a list of featured articles and a destinations row.

01 · What was the problem?

Conducted

Overview

The Southern Cross Travel Insurance blog held a wealth of valuable content, but visitors found it hard to move through the articles. There was no intuitive way to search for a topic, which caused frustration and a weaker experience. The goal was to redesign the navigation so it was more user-friendly and drove more engagement.

The project ran from February to April 2024 and followed a design-thinking process: empathise, define, ideate, design and test. It is separate from the purchase-flow redesign for the same brand.

02 · What was changed?

Conducted

Problem and solution

Target audience: people aged 18 to 60.

  • The problem

    Visitors could not find relevant articles because there was no search function and the content was poorly organised. That led to frustration, a high bounce rate and reduced engagement.

  • The solution

    A search bar at the top of the blog with auto-suggestions and filters, and articles organised into five categories: Travel Tips, Insurance Advice, Destination Guides, Customer Stories and Company News.

  • Travel tips
  • Insurance advice
  • Destination guides
  • Customer stories
  • Company news
Fig. — The solution: a search bar with suggestions and filters, plus five clear categories.

03 · What did the team see?

Conducted

Qualitative research

I interviewed the marketing team in person to understand the blog's experience. The conversations focused on content discoverability, how navigation affects engagement, and how improvements could make content more accessible and reduce bounce rates.

Findings: visitors struggled to find content without a structured navigation system. Many abandoned the blog or relied on external search engines to locate articles, and bounce rates were higher than the team expected, a sign of frustration in discovery.

From this I proposed a keyword search plus categorisation into key themes, to improve engagement and align with the marketing and SEO goals by making content more accessible and SEO-friendly.

  1. Q1

    What challenges do users face when navigating the Southern Cross Travel Insurance blog?

  2. Q2

    How do users typically find articles, and what difficulties do they encounter?

  3. Q3

    What are the most common topics users search for or request?

  4. Q4

    How does the blog currently contribute to marketing and SEO goals?

  5. Q5

    What metrics indicate whether users are engaging with the content effectively?

  6. Q6

    What improvements would enhance the blog's usability and discoverability?

Fig. — Interview guide used with the marketing team.

04 · Who reads the blog?

Conducted

Personas

Two contrasting readers set the range the navigation had to serve: David, an experienced traveller who wants depth and filters, and Sarah, a first-time traveller who wants short, practical answers fast.

David Lee

38 · IT consultant · Experienced traveller

David is an IT consultant who travels frequently for work and leisure. He wants detailed, technical information on insurance options and travel destinations.

“I know what I'm looking for, but finding it on the blog shouldn't take this long.”

Technology comfort

  • IT & Internet
  • Software
  • Mobile apps
  • Social networks

Goals

  • Stay updated on new destinations and insurance options
  • Read customer stories and destination guides for inspiration
  • Quickly compare insurance options and find detailed, technical information

Motivations

  • A fast, efficient experience with quick access to in-depth content
  • Expert insights and advanced travel advice

Challenges

  • Dislikes cluttered, disorganised websites
  • Finds it time-consuming to locate articles that match his advanced knowledge
  • Frustrated by a lack of filtering options

Content preferences

  • Detailed, in-depth guides with expert-level insights
  • Reads mostly on desktop at home in the evening, sometimes on mobile while travelling
  • Bookmarks and saves articles on platforms like Pocket
Fig. — Persona: David Lee. A representative profile, not a real individual.

Sarah May

29 · Marketing coordinator · First-time traveller

Sarah is planning her first international trip. She seeks clear, practical advice on travel insurance and tips for first-time travellers.

“I just want a quick way to find the info I need without scrolling through endless articles.”

Technology comfort

  • IT & Internet
  • Software
  • Mobile apps
  • Social networks

Goals

  • Find travel tips and insurance advice for her first international trip
  • Research destinations and budget options
  • Make sure she is fully covered for any potential issues

Motivations

  • Informed decisions about travel insurance, with no surprises on the trip
  • Practical, easy-to-understand travel planning advice

Challenges

  • Overwhelmed by the volume of blog content
  • Struggles to find articles on insurance and first-time travel tips
  • Often leaves the site without finding what she needs

Content preferences

  • Reads articles on mobile during her commute
  • Prefers short, practical content such as travel tips and insurance advice
  • Occasionally watches videos for travel inspiration
Fig. — Persona: Sarah May. A representative profile, not a real individual.

05 · Where is the gap?

Conducted

Competitor analysis

I compared the blog with Allianz, WorldCare and Cover-More. Search was the clearest gap: competitors offered some form of it, while Southern Cross offered none, despite strong categorisation, SEO and update frequency. This reflects the market as assessed in 2024, not a current review.

AllianzWorldCareCover-MoreSouthern Cross Travel Insurance
Content focusTravel insurance details and assistance servicesTravel tips, destination guides and cultural insightsTravel insurance information and tipsTravel insurance, tips and destination guides
Content structureStructured posts on insurance plans and travel adviceOrganised by travel themes and destinationsBlog posts categorised by destination and travel tipsCategorised into clear sections (e.g. Travel Tips, Insurance Advice)
Search functionalityAdvanced search with filtersBasic search feature availableSearchable content by categoryNo search bar
User engagementBlog comments, social media engagementBlog comments, social media integrationBlog comments, social media sharingBlog comments, social media sharing
Visual designProfessional design with informative graphicsClean design, easy navigationEngaging visuals, interactive contentSimple, clean design with easy navigation
Mobile optimisationMobile-responsive with easy navigationMobile-optimised designFully responsive for mobileMobile-friendly layout
SEO performanceSEO optimised with comprehensive contentModerate SEO, basic keywordsStrong SEO, focused on travelStrong SEO with categorisation and clear headings
Content updatesRegular updates (monthly)Regular updates (monthly)Frequent updates (bi-weekly)Regular updates (weekly/monthly)
Target audienceTravellers seeking detailed insurance information and assistanceTravellers interested in cultural insights and tipsTravellers looking for insurance advice and destination tipsTravellers seeking insurance information
Fig. — Competitive comparison as assessed during the project (2024), not a current verified review. Scroll sideways on small screens.

  • Allianz

    Strengths

    • Professional, clean design with informative graphics
    • Detailed travel insurance content that builds trust

    Weaknesses

    • Less frequent blog updates make it harder to stay fresh
    • Limited social media integration reduces interaction and sharing

  • WorldCare

    Strengths

    • Culturally relevant travel tips for a broad range of travellers
    • Regularly updated, destination-based content

    Weaknesses

    • Limited search functionality compared to competitors
    • Content organisation could be more intuitive; themes are scattered

  • Cover-More

    Strengths

    • Clear focus on travel insurance, with detailed coverage posts
    • Strong SEO strategy helps the blog rank for relevant terms

    Weaknesses

    • Design and content could be more visually engaging
    • Less non-insurance travel content limits broader appeal

  • Southern Cross Travel Insurance

    Strengths

    • Clear categorisation makes navigation easier
    • Regular updates keep content fresh and relevant

    Weaknesses

    • No search function, so specific articles are hard to find
    • Basic design with limited interactivity may affect engagement

06 · How do the pages work?

Conducted

Mid-fidelity wireframes

Mid-fidelity wireframes set out the page layouts, the content hierarchy and the responsive components before any visual design.

  • Insurance guides

    A hub page that helps readers explore the different guides, with clear categories and easy navigation.

  • Guide detail

    A detailed guide with a clear content structure, related guides and supporting components.

  • Article layout

    A content-focused article page with a clean reading experience and supporting components.

  • Australia

    A location-specific page with key information, state guides and supporting content.

Mid-fidelity wireframes for four pages: an insurance guides hub with category sections, guide cards and a newsletter sign-up; a guide detail page with related guides and a call to action; an article layout with content blocks; and an Australia page with state cards and an information section. Each shows the reusable components beside it.
Four page layouts with their repeatable components. Select the image to view it full size.

07 · What did it become?

Conducted

Final design

The finished blog on desktop and mobile: a search bar at the top, featured articles, and browsable destination, inspiration and safety sections, followed by a newsletter sign-up.

The final blog design on desktop and mobile: a search bar under a travellers illustration, a featured article and featured articles list, destination, inspiration and safety card rows, a newsletter sign-up and the footer.
Final blog design, desktop and mobile. Select the image to view it full size.

08 · How is it kept consistent?

Conducted

Style guide

A compact design system documents type, spacing, grid and colour, so the redesigned navigation stays consistent with the brand and accessible across every touchpoint.

Style guide. Typography in Omnes: Heading 1 bold 48px on 56px line height, Heading 2 bold 36px on 44px, Sub Heading semi bold 22px on 28px, Body Medium regular 18px on 32px, Body Small regular 16px on 24px. Spacing scale 10, 20, 32, 60, 80, 100 and 120px. A 12-column desktop grid at 1440px with a 24px gutter, 50px margin and stretch type. Colours: primary blue #009ADE, secondary pale blue #E6F5FE, black #000000, body text #4A4A4A, accents orange #FF671F, pink #E7447B and yellow #FFBF3F, neutrals #626366 and #F0F0F0.
The project's design system: type, spacing, grid and colour. Select the image to view it full size.

Outcomes

What came out of it.

  • Reported

    The changes were reported to increase search usage, reduce bounce rate and improve SEO performance, improving engagement and discoverability.

  • Demonstrates

    A research-led redesign: stakeholder interviews, two contrasting personas, a competitor review and a documented style guide.

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