WSIB’s Innovation Lab set out to prove that a mobile-first solution could streamline support for injured workers without the hefty $10M price tag or years of development.

Filing a WSIB claim is the first step toward receiving compensation and medical support for Ontario workers injured on the job. But the process is anything but seamless. Claimants must navigate outdated fax machines, endless phone calls, and snail mail, often waiting months for updates.

In response to this, WSIB’s executive team pursued a mobile-first strategy. A contractor’s initial vision estimated a $10 million budget and a four-year timeline—very unrealistic. That’s when the WSIB Innovation Lab stepped in — to prove that a digital-first approach doesn’t have to be expensive or complex by rapidly prototyping a mobile app that could streamline the claims process.

Claimants are left to navigate a bureaucratic maze on their own, prolonging the claim processing and stripping them of financial stability while increasing emotional stress.

Thousands of Ontarians filing for a claim are met with silence, confusion, and endless hurdles just to receive the compensation and care they’re entitled to. There’s no digital portal, no proactive updates—just faxes, mailed letters, and hours spent on hold hoping to speak to a case manager. And when they do get through, the answers are often unclear, forcing them to call their doctors, employers, and WSIB over and over again just to ensure their case moves forward.

"I tried pushing it [the claim] but it just became unfruitful, time-wasting phone tag." ~ Anonymous Redditer

We learned that users often feel overwhelmed even before submitting their claims. The issue? The form contains over 30 questions, some of which are ambiguous and create fear of rejection if answered incorrectly.

My primary focus was championing the design of the dashboard and form workflow, which included 105 screens. We started by gaining a comprehensive understanding of the user's challenges. I worked closely with developers on form responsiveness and with the communications team on UX writing and delivery clarity. Within the design team, we conducted 10 user interviews with Ontarians of varying ages, occupations, injury severities, and levels of tech literacy. By facilitating three of these sessions, I gathered valuable insights into how the claims process impacted their lives—from the emotional toll to the logistical frustrations.

Initially, the dashboard's visual hierarchy relied on headings, but the screen felt dense and required significant effort to differentiate elements. I needed to create more space to reduce cognitive load.

We re-established the visual hierarchy using by changing the color and size of cards and buttons, aligning them with their frequency of use (larger cards = larger click space = more frequent use). After another round of user feedback, the impact was of the change was significant — users were 30% quicker in finding information and reported feeling less confused.

By streamlining the form submission process, we aim to reduce frustration and anxiety for millions of Ontario workers navigating a difficult time.

While the project was part of an R&D initiative and didn't deploy, our user testing showed clear signs of reduced friction and greater user confidence. The feedback from stakeholders validated the app’s potential to transform the claims process. If implemented, we anticipate measurable improvements in both operational efficiency and claimant satisfaction.

To measure success, we proposed tracking a reduction in time spent on claims submissions, as well as improved clarity and satisfaction, reflected in NPS and qualitative feedback. Monitoring the average processing time through the app would demonstrate operational efficiencies for WSIB.