First-Click Analysis Baseline Testing

As Prudential prepared for a major redesign of the MyPru authenticated customer experience, there was no existing benchmark for measuring usability improvements over time. Many decisions had historically been shaped by stakeholder assumptions rather than validated customer behavior.

Without baseline usability metrics, a standardized testing methodology, or historical performance benchmarks, it would be nearly impossible to demonstrate the impact of future design improvements. The organization needed a way to ground redesign efforts in evidence and to measure UX progress with the same rigor applied to business KPIs.

I proposed and developed the first baseline usability testing framework for MyPru. Rather than rushing to test new concepts, I advocated for capturing a baseline first — an objective benchmark that future work could be measured against. The methodology combined first-click testing of navigation labels, terminology validation for terms like Accounts, Documents, Updates, and Help, and survey research that surfaced clarity, confidence, and perceived meaning. I positioned usability metrics alongside business KPIs so stakeholders could understand UX performance through measurable outcomes, and structured the framework to be repeated over time as the platform evolved.

Structured First-Click Analysis Baseline Testing documentation

• First-click analysis methodology and test design
• Terminology and navigation validation studies
• Baseline usability KPIs: first-click accuracy, task success, confidence, ease-of-use, time on task
• Repeatable longitudinal measurement framework

The work established MyPru's first usability benchmark and a repeatable testing methodology the team could run against future releases. It strengthened evidence-based decision making, gave product and design partners measurable success criteria for upcoming redesign efforts, and created accountability by connecting UX investment to outcomes that could be tracked over time.