Streamlining Onboarding and Personalizing User Experience for A Community-Based Platform

Company: Dev Launchers

Role

UI/UX Designer

Timeframe

8 weeks
(Jul–Sep 2024)

Tools

Figma
GitHub
Maze

Status

Developed MVP
Groundwork for mobile version

PROJECT SUMMARY

Dev Launchers is a social hub connecting volunteers with nonprofits, and the platform struggled with user retention.

Dev Launchers is an organization that helps partner early-stage product teams with nonprofit organizations. I worked on the user onboarding flow to address members' complaints of inconsistent onboarding experiences. This was a product-driven project with the aims of not only streamlining onboarding new hires but also collecting member data to build a stronger platform that caters to their needs.

PROJECT PROBLEM AND CONSTRAINTS

Unclear business goals left project requirements undefined, while bandwidth and budget constraints delayed the implementation of advanced features

Initial tests suggested new members had varying understandings of the organization's goals, causing confusion and issues with user retention. Top issues included complaints about the onboarding process having too many steps and inconsistent messaging about the organization and what users can accomplish on the platform. The organization was going through a shift in user focus, necessitating clarification of the mission statement. The team suggested building an onboarding feature to minimize friction for new users and better orient them with the platform's value. Another goal was to collect user data to ensure the platform caters to their needs based on their role and interests.

Project requirements remained unclear due to undefined business goals, requiring further exploration to determine the project's direction. There were delays in implementing advanced features due to bandwidth and budget constraints.

UX RESEARCH

Early testing revealed confusion and inconsistent messaging, signaling a need for clearer onboarding

We tested three current organization members to assess general ease of use and usability. Users tested each section of the onboarding flow, noting possible overlap of skills making it hard to define their roles early in their career. The mockups featured signups for third-party links required by the organization, including Zenhub, Github, and Discord.

Users noted they weren’t sure why they needed to sign up for these accounts and asked for a way to circumvent this step or save their progress to complete later. Users were also confused by the two different progress bars, one for collecting user information and the other for signup links, which involved multiple steps to complete. They noted the feedback from the progress bars was “discouraging.” Users were overwhelmed by the number of tasks they needed to complete and asked for more clarity. We used these findings to inform subsequent designs.

UX RESEARCH

To bring alignment, we created a Value Proposition Matrix and gathered stakeholder input, resulting in a clearer direction

Because the organization was going through a business refocus, we wanted to align the product with the stakeholders’ envisioned business goals. We compiled a framework to understand the customer profile, conceptualize the goals they want to reach, and identify the solutions Dev Launchers has to offer.

We conducted user and stakeholder interviews, as well as secondary research into similar platforms, to put together the value proposition matrix. The result was that we used the value proposition matrix to determine the direction of the company and establish features for the new onboarding product. We used the value proposition matrix to establish Dev Launchers’ business goals and solutions to customer pain points.

UX RESEARCH

I then researched similar social platforms to compile potential features and prioritized them using an Impact-Effort Matrix

We conducted competitive research on social platforms that offer similar services to platform users to gain insight into how onboarding plays a role in educating users, familiarizing them with the site, and collecting user data to build a personalized platform experience. We researched social networking sites with an emphasis on education, like Hashnode and Stack Exchange.

Using the Value Proposition Matrix, we identified where the offerings and user needs overlapped, which helped to define 13 proposed features to include in our onboarding flow. We mapped out those 13 proposed features in an Impact-Effort Matrix, ordering them based on the ease or difficulty in designing and implementing them, along with their level of impact in furthering user goals.

FIRST ITERATION

Our first mockup included essential steps like Google sign-in, profile setup, and third-party account linking.

Competitive research into similar social platforms showed that modals were used to onboard users. We had a legal constraint requiring the first step in onboarding to be a page that includes an agreement to the site’s terms. In the first mockup, we incorporated the key features decided upon using the Value Proposition and Impact-Effort Matrices: email signup, profile setup, information about the organization, user questions for personalization (user roles, experience level, and skills), and third-party signup links.

The UX research team then used this mockup to validate whether the solution serves the user. Some aspects we wanted to test included the order in which information was presented, the verbiage, and the overall user-friendliness of the onboarding flow.

USABILITY STUDY

Usability testing with current members revealed key areas for improvement in the user experience.

We tested three current organization members to assess general ease of use and usability. Users tested each section of the onboarding flow, noting areas where edge cases could appear, such as possible overlap of skills making it hard to define their roles. The mockups featured signups for third-party links required by the organization, including Zenhub, Github, and Discord.

Users noted they weren’t sure why they needed to sign up for these accounts and asked for a way to circumvent this step or save their progress to complete later. Users were also confused by the two different progress bars, one for collecting user information and the other for signup links, which involved multiple steps to complete. They noted the feedback from the progress bars was “discouraging.” Users were overwhelmed by the number of tasks they needed to complete and asked for more clarity. We used these findings to inform our subsequent designs.

SECOND ITERATION

In the subsequent design, we simplified onboarding by reducing steps, updating content, and consolidating the progress indicator.

We removed the social media feature from the account signup page as it would complicate the development process. Based on user research, we refined the verbiage of confounding issues, such as why onboarding is necessary and why signup links are necessary. Based on usability studies, we made signups for third-party websites no longer mandatory. We created a progress bar that combined the progress of both the user information collecting steps and the multi-step signup links. I collaborated with the design system team to create a multi-step progress bar component.

THIRD ITERATION

We added a gamified interest selection and a progress safeguard to boost personalization and reduce drop-offs

We incorporated the research team’s refined list of 32 interests to put on the interests modal. The refined interests were updated to match the organization’s fields of interests and offerings. We added a warning modal when users attempt to close the modal. The refined interests allows for increased personalization, with the goal of tailoring content and recommendations to their preferences, making the experience more engaging and relevant. The warning modal for closing attempts prevents users from accidentally closing the onboarding process before completion. By adding additional guidance, it helps users understand the importance of completing the onboarding steps and improve the rates of users who onboard.

FINAL OUTCOMES

The launch of the core onboarding features led to a 150% increase in page views, confirming its effectiveness

We successfully launched essential features of the onboarding flow and user profile. Analytics showed a 150% increase in page views and a 4.8% decrease in bounce rate. Users rated the onboarding flow a 1.6 out of 5 in terms of simplicity, with 1 being the simplest. As the organization shifts its business focus, having an effective onboarding flow to orient new users and encourage platform engagement became crucial. Reflecting on the project, I was pleased with the direction of the product, as we ran research concurrently with design, leading to a validated product that met business and user requirements. Additionally, we successfully mapped out features the organization could use as they decide whether the platform would focus on social networking, volunteering, or finding project sponsors. I look forward to future implementation of the additional features, which would further increase platform personalization.

LESSONS LEARNED

As Dev Launchers refocused its mission, our onboarding design laid the groundwork for scalable personalization and long-term user engagement

We successfully launched essential features of the onboarding flow and user profile. As the organization shifts its business focus, it was important to have an onboarding flow that orients new users and encourages platform engagement. In reflection, I was happy with the direction of the product, as we ran research concurrently with design, leading to a validated product.