Reguard

A UX overhaul to boost customer lifetime value and trust in furniture warranties

Laptop displaying Reguard website offering hassle-free product protection with features like 24/7 support, easy claim filing, and an intuitive portal, alongside protection plans for furniture.

The problem: “File a Claim” flow was blocked by backend jargon, unclear content, and UX gaps

What I did: Reframed the flow, mapped backend fields to friendly UI terms, led UX execution + testing

What changed: Enabled a successful product launch ($300M evaluation), improved usability, and protected business goals

Summary

Reguard is a warranty administrator and insurance joint venture (with Ashley Furniture via AshComm) focused on the furniture industry. We provided a new way for customers to maintain their warranty with chatbots, quick registration, tailored contract lengths, and more.

My Deliverables

User Flow, Wireframing, Prototyping, User Testing, Design QA

Role

Sr. Product Designer

Tools

Google Sheets, Forms, Figma

When

2022

Team

Myself

1 Product Manager

1 Project Manager

4 Software Developers

The Challenge

Filling the UX gap from 0 to 1

I joined Reguard two months into development as the Head of Design had just resigned, making me the most senior product designer on the team. Reguard was a newly funded joint venture aiming to disrupt the furniture warranty space for Ashley Furniture customers.

Key challenges:

  • The core "File a Claim" experience was blocked by backend/UX disconnects.

  • Business and legal content was still being defined, delaying UI clarity.

  • A legacy warranty system (PCMI) created friction between technical field requirements and a user-friendly experience.

If left unresolved, this bottleneck would delay launch and undermine customer trust in the product.

The Approach

Creating clarity between backend systems and user needs

I partnered with product leadership to clarify which tasks would unblock progress and align with business goals. The team needed clarity around structure and flow, so I began by assessing what had been built and where gaps remained.

Discovery

  • Audited backend PCMI field requirements and workflows

  • Interviewed business stakeholders and legal to clarify policy terms

  • Reviewed prior designs and early design systems for gaps

  • Competitor audit of warranty and protection plan UX patterns

Strategy

  • Reframed the "File a Claim" flow as a progressive disclosure experience to reduce drop-off

  • Translated backend jargon into human-readable UI copy

  • Created alignment between business/legal requirements and design execution

Planning

  • Built a shared spreadsheet that mapped backend fields → frontend labels

  • Proposed a phased input flow (dropdowns first, text input later)

  • Prioritized mobile-first to account for user behavior

Step 1 - Damage Details

Step 1 - Damage Details

Step 1 - Damage Details

Step 1 - Damage Details

Step 1 - Damage Details

Step 1 - Damage Details

Smartphone screen displaying a claim filing form for a Jarreau Sofa Chaise. The form includes fields for damage description, suggested topics, and product condition options. A progress indicator shows step 2 of 4.

The Work

Step 2 - Description of Details

Smartphone displaying a form for damage description with suggested topics and product condition options."

Discovery & Insights

  • Identified critical discrepancies between PCMI backend fields and frontend form inputs

  • Developed a shared taxonomy for backend/frontend handoffs

  • Advocated for content clarity and field constraints in legal and business discussions

Experience Mapping & IA

  • Designed a four-step "File a Claim" experience:

    • Damage Details (dropdowns)

    • Description of Details (write-in + multiple choice)

    • Upload Photos

    • Verify Contact Info

  • Strategically ordered inputs to minimize friction and drop-offs

Design Execution

  • Mobile-first UI design that scaled to desktop/tablet

  • Used dropdowns early to build form confidence

  • Enabled photo uploads with zoom and delete features

  • Integrated smart autofill for contact info from user history

  • Built a summary page for last-step validation

Iteration & Feedback

  • Led usability testing via Usertesting.com

  • Crafted moderated test scripts and survey questions

  • Top insights:

    • Screen-to-screen flow felt intuitive

    • Content was easy to understand

    • Form duration was reasonable

    • Dropdown-first approach boosted user momentum

Step 3 - Upload Photos

Step 3 - Upload Photos

Step 3 - Upload Photos

Step 3 - Upload Photos

The Results

  • Successfully launched "File a Claim" flow, a critical epic that determined if users could get service or refunds.

  • Helped keep the venture on track for a February 2023 regional launch, and nationwide rollout in June 2023.

  • Smoothed out backend-frontend field mismatches that previously blocked development.

  • Proved business value: Reguard was pre-launch valued at $300M with projected year-one revenue of $8M.

  • Built strong alignment between design, product, legal, and engineering in a highly fluid 0–1 environment.

  • My UX solutions bought time for better design outcomes, allowing the team to weather engineering QA challenges downstream.

Step 4 - Verify Contact Info.

Step 4 - Verify Contact Info.

Claim Summary

Claim Summary

Claim Summary

Claim Summary

Completion - Success

Completion - Success

Reflection

What I learned: The importance of proactively mapping backend-to-frontend data early in 0–1 product builds. Great UX is often about clarity, not complexity.

What I’d do differently: Push for more involvement in early design system governance to avoid siloed UI decisions that had to be later reworked.

This project reminded me that product design is often about building alignment before building screens.