In insurance, we talk a lot about “frictionless” digital experiences. But friction in insurance is still very real.
Whether filing a claim, comparing policies, or navigating a broker portal, digital experiences often feel more complicated than they should. Even after years of digital transformation, friction continues to surface across insurance ecosystems.
In our report, Tackling Friction in Insurance Through Design, we examine why friction persists, and what it will take to reduce it in a meaningful, sustainable way.
Drawing on more than two decades of experience designing for carriers, distributors, and service providers, we identify three systemic patterns that repeatedly create friction in insurance platforms:
Role friction
When multiple user types — customers, agents, underwriters, employers — share the same system without clear roles, permissions, or ownership.
Offering friction
When related products and services are delivered through disconnected portals and workflows, making bundled coverage feel fragmented instead of unified.
Mission friction
When platforms are pulled in competing directions by internal priorities, leaving users unclear on what the system is actually designed to help them accomplish
Quiz
What kind of friction in insurance is affecting your organization?
The result? Workarounds. Email threads replacing workflows. Spreadsheets standing in for systems.
“In insurance, friction doesn’t just slow people down — it compounds,” said Josh Levine, CEO and founder of Cake & Arrow. “When platforms don’t reflect how people actually work, collaborate, or make decisions, complexity builds. What we’ve seen in our design work is that progress comes from stepping back — clarifying roles, aligning around real workflows, and designing with intention instead of just digitizing what already exists.”
Importantly, not all friction in insurance is bad. In a highly regulated industry, some safeguards increase transparency and build trust. The goal isn’t blind simplification — it’s distinguishing between friction that protects users and friction that hinders them.
For insurance leaders, the takeaway is clear: Reducing friction in insurance isn’t about adding more features. It’s about designing systems that reflect how people actually buy, sell, and service insurance.
The report offers practical frameworks and design principles to help insurers:
- Clarify roles and permissions within shared systems
- Reorganize offerings from a user point of view
- Anchor platforms around user intent and end-to-end workflows
- Align teams internally before layering on new functionality
Download the Report
Tackling Friction in Insurance Through Design is available now.
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