Digital onboarding
OSCAR HEALTH · SEPT' 24 - JAN' 25
UX/UI DESIGN
CONSUMER-FACING
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
GAMIFICATION
Oscar's captive, multi-page onboarding flow was blocking members from quickly accessing what the need.
I simplified the process, adding gamification elements and using insights from cognitive psychology to encourage task completion.
TEAM
1 Product Designer
1 Product Manager
1 UX Researcher
3 Software Engineers
ROLE
Design Lead, incl:
Discovery + Ideation
UX + Visual design
Vision ownership
01
BACKGROUND
In 2025, Oscar announced an expansion of plan offerings in Texas, including the introduction of GuidedCare HMO.
HMO plans are notorious for requiring members to choose a primary care physician (PCP) who manages all their healthcare needs. To see a specialist, you usually need a referral from your PCP, which can delay access to specialized care.
WHY THIS PROJECT
It's critical that new HMO members can easily select a PCP when they activate their account.
However over the years, Oscar's onboarding flow had turned into a catch-all for various business actions, becoming a lengthy and complex multi-page flow.
While this is helpful for us as an health insurer, it can be frustrating for a member who is looking to get into their app quickly with a specific task they need to complete - like selecting their PCP.
THE CHALLENGE
How can we encourage members to complete high priority actions while effectively educating them about their plan's benefits and limitations?
02
OUTCOME
A personalized, streamlined onboarding module beginning in the member's inbox, that lets them swiftly access the homepage, complete top-priority tasks, and track past actions without a lengthy process.
↑
35%
FLOW COMPLETION RATES
↑
6%
AVG. ADMIN TASK COMPLETION RATES
↑
23%
AVG. CLINICAL TASK COMPLETION RATES
03
HOW I GOT THERE
My design process consisted of a deep understanding of user’s perspective, promoting cross-functional collaboration, in-depth desk research, and testing assumptions whenever necessary.
EMPATHY BUILDING
Journey mapping workshops allowed us to truly understand what our users experience when they begin their journey with Oscar.
TASK PRIORITIZATION
As various teams at Oscar aimed to prioritize their own tasks in the onboarding flow based on individual OKRs, I facilitated a discussion incorporating data analysis to determine which tasks truly needed to be included.
COMP. ANALYSIS & RESEARCH
We learned that many companies were leveraging gamification to motivate new members to complete onboarding tasks.
Seeing how successful this can be, we considered adopting this strategy to make setting up a new health insurance plan less of a chore.
EARLY EXPLORATIONS
I explored a multitude of ideas quickly using lo-fi wireframes. Once we had directional alignment on a concept, our UX researcher tested design assumptions through interviews and prototype walkthroughs.
04
RESEARCH FINDINGS
Our checklist prototype that clearly displayed progress and linked task completion with a moment of delight met outstanding success.
"I mean of course for me I'm like, okay, let's finish setting it up….Let's get that out the way so then we can fully use the website."
"Now that I've selected a PCP, I kinda want to complete my whole profile…"
WHAT DOES THEORY TELL US?
There’s power in a winning streak.
When we suceed, our brains release dopamine, which boosts our mood, enhances focus, and encourages us to return to the source of that success.
Checklists tap into this by helping users start a winning streak through their body's natural dopamine response.
In later iterations, we built upon this by placing simpler tasks at the top of the onboarding checklist, making it really easy for users to start their winning streak.
Solution
The new onboarding flow now begins in our members’ inbox, where we kick things off by sending new members a personalized checklist directly to their email.
Once they’ve created their account, members breeze through the new onboarding – down from a multi-page flow into a single captive page, including the most important facts about their plan and a way to complete introductory tasks from their checklist, encouraging progress right off the bat.
The new onboarding experience places all key tasks onto a homepage module, without needing to be stuck in a long flow. It's also tailored to each member's needs. For example, members who are on a Guided Care HMO plan with Oscar see a task related to selecting their PCP.
To make the process feel more engaging, we turn each task completion into a small win. This makes it feel less like a chore and more like a fun challenge. When users complete their checklist, they’re greeted with celebratory confetti —just a moment of delight after all the work they’ve done.
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