Enhancing User Onboarding Experience for Thrive Out Loud
As a UX Designer, I was responsible for improving the onboarding experience for new and returning users of a mentorship platform, conducting user research, analyzing the current IA, and collaborating with the product and development teams to implement the changes.
What is Thrive Out Loud?
Thrive Out Loud is a professional mentorship program created by Sean’s Legacy that connects early-career LGBTQIA+ young adults aged 18-25 with experienced, like-minded mentors who share their identities and lived experiences.
Figma, FigJam, Slack, Chat GPT, Zoom, Google workspace
My Responsibilities
Competitive analysis
Content Audits
Information Architecture
UX writing
User flows
User research
Wireframing
Cross-functional collaboration
Our Team
Design Team of 7
Timeline
February 2024 - June 2024
Background
The main goal of the Thrive Out Loud team is to create a safe and inclusive environment for users, with a strong focus on finding the perfect match between mentors and mentees.
A key feature of the platform is its matching system, which uses user information to suggest compatible mentor-mentee pairs.
I joined the project in its fourth phase, where the sign-up flow had already been designed. This flow included onboarding questions to gather the data needed to match mentees with mentors effectively.
What was the problem?
The onboarding process was confusing and lengthy.
After conducting the user interviews and usability testing, the UXR team found out users struggled with the complexity of the onboarding steps and unclear instructions.
Users couldn’t find suitable gender identities, sexual orientation, and ethnic background options in the onboarding questionnaire, leading to high drop-off rates.
What could I do?
Simplify the onboarding process to reduce drop-offs and improve user engagement.
Conduct competitive analysis and desk research to identify user preferences and unmet needs.
Develop Information Architecture and a sitemap for clearer navigation and content organization.
Conducting an Audit
I started by auditing the existing screens previously written and designed for both the mentor and mentee flows and making notes about my findings.
Audit of the existing screens
Opportunities for Improvement:
Make the onboarding questions as short as possible toreduce user dropout, while also ensuring that all of the important information for the matching algorithm is collected.
Allow users to choosemore than three responses for each question.
Explore gender identities, sexual orientation, and ethnic background options to create more appropriate categories to sort mentees and mentors.
Work on error messages and provide more guidance on resolving errors.
Desk Research and SWOT Analysis
During my time working on an audit, I noticed that a significant number of users were dropping off during the sign-up process, particularly after the initial onboarding flow. The product team was considering removing a few questions from the onboarding, assuming that simplifying it would solve the issue. However, I wanted to base any changes on real user data before making a final decision.
My task was to investigate the root cause of the drop-off, gather insights from users, and use data to inform the product team's decision on how to optimize the onboarding process.
I began by analyzing user behavior data to identify the specific steps where users were abandoning the process. I found that the drop-off occurred when users were asked to select their gender identities and sexual orientation. To further understand the issue, I collaborated with UXR team and conducted a competitive analysis and desk research.
Overview of my research findings on gender identity
The research revealed that while users were happy to provide information, they felt the gender identities, sexual orientation, and ethnic background options were too generic and didn't reflect their specific needs. Users needed more inclusive and clear wording.
Key Takeaways:
75% of platforms have options: Prefer not to say, Not sure/Questioning, Not listed above.
A variety of options helps embrace diversity and inclusivity.
Having more options provides more accurate data collection.
At the same time, too many options can confuse users.
Gender identities may change over time. The list will always need updates.
Would be good to have a detailed description of all identities to avoid confusion.
Comparison chart for gender identities
Mid-Fidelity Wireframes
Based on these insights, I proposed a solution to the product team: instead of removing steps, we should personalize the user experience based on the input. I worked with the design team to prototype a more dynamic questionnaire that offered more inclusive options.
*Scroll to see all wireframes of the onboarding process
High-Fidelity
Onboarding Questions Before
Onboarding Questions After
Designing error states with accessibility in mind
An important part of the sign-up process improvement was working on the error states. My goal was to provide clear error messages explaining what went wrong and consider accessibility guidelines.
The decision was to use a supportive tone in error messages and let users know that errors are a normal part of the process and that the TOL team is always there to help them resolve any issues.
Login Page Before
Login Page After
You should never underestimate error messages!
They are an important part of the onboarding experience!
Error States
I worked on the copy of the error messages for the whole platform. Here are some of them for the login process:
Results
Throughout the process, I collaborated closely with the development and product teams to ensure that the new flow aligned with the technical criteria and the company’s goals.
At the end of the sprint, all onboarding questions were updated with the list of more inclusive terms.
After implementing the new personalized onboarding flow, we saw an increase in sign-up completion rates and a significant improvement in user satisfaction during the onboarding process.
Additionally, users who completed the new onboarding were more likely to engage with the app regularly, as they felt it was more aligned with their personal preferences.
If you were wondering how the onboarding process looks on mobile devices, here are screens of all the steps:
*Scroll to see all wireframes of the onboarding process
What our users say
After conducting user interviews and usability testing of the redesigned onboarding process, I saw that feedback from users was overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding selecting multiple options and the opportunity to type in their own option.
Here is what our users say about the updated sign-up process and gender identity options:
What our UXR team says
During user testing, the UXR team tested the usability of the onboarding questions with potential mentors. Here are their findings:
What have I learned?
On-time cross-functional communication and collaboration is crucial.
Following industry standards is a must. As mentioned in Jakob's Law, users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work like all the other sites they already know.
It's important to write error messages in a user-friendly way and tell users what went wrong in the language they will understand.
