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
User research
Competitive analysis
IA
User flows
UX writing
Wireframing
Project presentation
Cross-functional collaboration
Our Team
Design Team of 7
Timeline
February 2024 - June 2024
Background
The main goal of the Thrive Out Loud team was 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 was its matching system, which used 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?
Users couldn’t find suitable gender identities, sexual orientation, and ethnic background options in the onboarding questionnaire, leading to high drop-off rates.
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.
What could I do?
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.
Opportunities for improvement that I found:
Make the onboarding questions as short as possible to reduce user dropout, while also ensure that all of the important information for the matching algorithm is collected;
Allow users choose more than three responses for each question;
Conduct a researchon what gender identities, sexual orientation, and ethnic background options our users would like to see;
Work on error messages and make them consistent.
Audit of the existing screens
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.
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.
Key Takeaways:
A lot 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
Designing Error Messages with Accessibility in Mind
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.
Before
The tooltip covers the 'Log In with Google' CTA;
Wrong icons are used;
Error messages are duplicated.
After
'Remember me' check box is added;
The 'Log In with Google' CTA is visible;
One error message was created for both fields for security reasons not providing information if the email or password is incorrect.
You should never underestimate error messages!
They are an important part of the onboarding experience!
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.
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 Have I Learned?
After being on this project, I learned the importance of:
On-time cross-functional communication and collaboration, and how important it is for the content and research teams to go first;
Following industry standarts. As mentioned in Jakob's Law, users spend most of their time on other sites. This means that users prefer your site to work the same way as all the other sites they already know;
Writing error messages in user-friendly way and telling users what went wrong in language they will understand.
