BCBSWY — Corporate Website Redesign & Portal Management
Rebuilding trust and engagement through modern design, clarity, and accessibility.
Design Implementation & Accessibility
Explore how visual refinement, responsive design, and accessibility principles came together to create a modern, user-first experience across all devices.
Project Overview
As Senior UX/UI Designer and Web Portal Manager, I led the modernization of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming's corporate website — transforming a monolithic, outdated platform into an accessible, data-driven, and fully responsive digital hub. The effort spanned design strategy, UX research, technical management, and accessibility compliance under WCAG standards.
The work focused on rebuilding user confidence through usability, empathy, and design integrity — shifting perception from a distant insurer to a local ally for healthcare needs. A major goal was to make the portal accessible, intuitive, and mobile-ready for every user and device.
Project Summary
Timeline & Team
2022–2023
Senior UX/UI Designer and Web Portal Manager — led design strategy, UX research, technical management, and collaboration with Marketing team
Tools & Methodology
Figma, FigJam, WordPress (Elementor Pro), HubSpot, Google Analytics 4, Web optimization, Lighthouse, Wave Accessibility, GTMetrix, Custom UI Libraries
Complete redesign and restructuring, full responsive implementation, accessibility-first practices (WCAG 2.2), design system creation, integrations, technical operations, and internal education
Key Deliverables
- • Complete redesign and restructuring of portal architecture and visual identity
- • Full responsive implementation across all devices
- • Accessibility-first design system (WCAG 2.2, ARIA roles, color contrast, keyboard navigation)
- • Design system and UI library in Figma and Elementor Pro
- • Integration with HubSpot, GA-4, and Google Tag Manager
- • Technical operations: backups, CMS optimization, plugin auditing, SEO improvements
- • Accessibility and usability guidelines for internal teams
Performance Metrics
Accessibility score improvement
(Lighthouse + Wave validation)
Page performance improvement
(bounce rate reduced by 27% after launch)
SEO score improvement
(GTMetrix through semantic structure and metadata cleanup)
Problem Statement
The BCBSWY corporate website was a monolithic, outdated platform that lacked accessibility, responsiveness, and modern user experience standards. The site failed to meet WCAG compliance requirements, limiting access for users with disabilities and creating barriers to trust and engagement.
The organization needed a complete transformation that would rebuild user confidence, improve accessibility, and create a modern, data-driven digital experience aligned with contemporary web standards and healthcare industry best practices.
Challenge
The greatest challenge was cultural, not technical. The organization's leadership had been resistant to change for years, maintaining outdated processes and design practices. Evangelizing accessibility, usability, and inclusive design became as critical as the redesign itself.
I invested significant time in internal education to build awareness around compliance, empathy, and modern web standards. The challenge extended beyond design and development to include organizational change management and cultural transformation.
Approach
Focused on redesigning the BCBSWY portal through a holistic UX strategy that balanced accessibility, scalability, and brand integrity.
Key efforts included:
- Conducting a full UX audit and content restructuring.
- Defining accessibility and responsive design standards across templates.
- Establishing an internal design system to unify marketing and development workflows.
- Collaborating cross-departmentally to align design, engineering, and compliance.
Solution
Delivered a rebuilt web platform with strong UX and operational foundations:
- Fully responsive architecture built in WordPress + Elementor Pro.
- Accessibility framework aligned with WCAG 2.2 and best-practice web standards.
- New design language improving clarity, contrast, and readability.
- Integration of HubSpot, GA4, and GTM for analytics and campaign tracking.
- Technical improvements including optimized plugins, automated backups, and SEO structure cleanup.
Results
The modernization achieved measurable and cultural impact:
- Accessibility rating raised to 95 (Lighthouse/WAVE).
- +42% performance improvement and –27% bounce rate post-launch.
- Enhanced brand perception through consistent, accessible design.
- Empowered internal teams with clear standards for ongoing content and UX quality.
- Shifted organizational mindset toward inclusive, data-driven digital experiences.
Key Takeaway
While some initiatives faced internal resistance, the redesign created a long-term transformation in mindset and infrastructure.
The foundations established — accessibility compliance, responsive structure, and UX-focused strategy — remain in use, confirming the sustained impact of this modernization.