A UX overhaul to boost customer lifetime value and trust in furniture warranties
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
Figma, Jira, UserTesting, Google Sheets, Forms
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.
The core "File a Claim" experience was blocked by backend/UX disconnects.
A legacy warranty system (PCMI) created friction between technical field requirements and a user-friendly experience.
Business and legal content was still being defined, delaying UI clarity.
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
Execution
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
🏗️ The Work
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
🚀 The Results
Design Accomplishments:
Smoothed out backend-frontend field mismatches that previously blocked development.
My UX solutions bought time for better design outcomes, allowing the team to weather engineering QA challenges downstream.
Successfully launched "File a Claim" flow, a critical epic that determined if users could get service or refunds.
Business Successes:
Built strong alignment between design, product, legal, and engineering in a highly fluid 0–1 environment.
Proved business value: Reguard was pre-launch valued at $300M with projected year-one revenue of $8M.
Helped keep the venture on track for a February 2023 regional launch, and nationwide rollout in June 2023.
Testimony
“Uba has consistently demonstrated excellence, innovation, and leadership throughout his tenure at NAX. In his role at NAX, Uba spearheaded the UX design for Reguard - our largest venture to date.
He was instrumental in ensuring the application’s user-friendliness and overall success. His comprehensive skills, spanning design QA, UX writing, and usability testing, were invaluable to Reguard and many other projects at NAX.
Beyond project-specific contributions, Uba is well versed in competitive analysis, user journey mapping, service blueprints, and information architecture. His work has optimized collaboration across our business, product, and engineering divisions.
However, what stands out most about Uba is his commendable ability to communicate effectively across various functions. He doesn’t just communicate well, he does so in a way that endears him to each function and pushes them towards the team’s goals. His engagements with business strategists, venture leads, and managing directors have ensured that our design initiatives align with our business goals.”
Wesley Walker,
Managing Director and Head of North America at NAX Group
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.