Aflac | Creative & Research

As a creative and UX designer at our agency, I work on an ongoing engagement with Aflac to improve conversion across their paid media landing pages. The work sits at the intersection of research and design, using behavioral data to inform targeted tests that move the needle on lead generation and average profit(AP) per session.

Optimizing for conversion without direct access to users meant building a case for every design decision through data alone, while staying within the boundaries of an established brand.

• Interpreting conflicting data — drawing reliable conclusions from heatmaps and down-funnel analytics required careful validation, as behavioral signals alone can point in more than one direction
• No direct user access — HIPAA considerations in the insurance space limit how users can be engaged, making heatmaps and funnel data the primary lens for understanding behavior
• Stakeholder alignment — proposing tests that pushed on tone or page purpose required building a clear, evidence-backed case to gain approval from a large organization with measured review processes
• Brand constraints — designing within Aflac's established guidelines meant finding room for meaningful UX improvements without stepping outside a tightly defined creative system

Our process is grounded in behavioral analysis. We use HotJar heatmaps and clickmaps to understand how users are interacting with pages, then cross-reference those findings with GA4 funnel data to identify where drop-off is happening and why. From there, I translate those insights into design hypotheses and build out variations for A/B testing, ensuring every proposed change is tied to a specific, measurable rationale.

On the design side, I work within Aflac's brand guidelines to create test variations that feel native to the existing experience while introducing meaningful improvements. One test I led explored how copy changes could address the tension between call center volume and lead quality. Updating the primary CTA from "Call Us" to "Call for Quote" clarified user intent at the point of action, resulting in a CVR to leads ratio of 38% in the variation compared to 20% in the control, at 100% significance, with a higher estimated AP per session for the variation as well.

Creative tests have also shown strong results. Replacing a stock photo with an on-brand duck hero image on the Cancer Product page drove a CVR increase of +29% at 96% significance, reinforcing that brand-aligned creative decisions can have a measurable impact on performance.

• Behavioral insight to design hypothesis — translating heatmap and funnel data into actionable test concepts bridges the gap between what users do and what the design should do differently
• Evidence-based creative — grounding visual and copy decisions in GA4 and HotJar data ensures tests are purposeful rather than aesthetic
• CTA clarity and intent — refining the language of key conversion points shapes how users understand where their action will take them, directly impacting lead quality
• Cross-client application — insights from Aflac tests have informed approaches on other accounts with similar conversion challenges, compounding the value of the work

This is an ongoing engagement, with each test cycle building a stronger evidence base for what moves Aflac's users toward conversion. The results to date, including significant lifts in CVR and AP per session across multiple test types, demonstrate the value of pairing rigorous behavioral research with intentional creative design.

• Aligning creative to digital performance — learning to connect brand-level creative decisions, like celebrity spotlights and hero imagery, to measurable digital outcomes has sharpened how I approach design with a conversion lens
• Testing under privacy constraints — working within HIPAA limitations pushed me to become a stronger reader of indirect signals, using heatmaps and funnel data to build user understanding without direct access
• Building the case for a test — compiling data across multiple KPIs to prove the projected impact of a proposed test has strengthened my ability to communicate design decisions in terms stakeholders respond to
• Portable insights — applying learnings from Aflac to other client accounts with similar pain points has made the research work more valuable beyond the immediate engagement