UX CASE STUDY
UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM
When a new user opens up Trust Bank's app they are bombarded with 15+ tasks right at the start.
The user must verify phone and email, set up alerts, direct deposit and also subscribe to Financial Insights. They are then prompted to order a debit card and checks, enroll in Bill Pay, paperless statements, Zelle, credit score reporting, and personal finance management tools. Additionally, they are prompted to customize their dashboard, manage their balance to qualify for promotional offers, and activate more account features.
WHAT USERS SAID
SOLUTION & IMPACT
95%
2x
50%
We improved this onboarding process by simplifying tasks and giving users more control over the process.
Rather than overwhelming users, we created a flexible process which allows them to complete tasks at their convenience while also following the compliance and security guidelines.
Personalized task flow: Tasks shown based on the user’s preferences.
Flexible progression: Skip any non-mandatory task at any point, get reminded later.
Combined tasks: Optional tasks now combined in a single screen for faster completion.
Contextual reminders: Skipped tasks are reminded through in-app notifications.
DESIGN PROCESS
Empathizing With The Users
Defining The Problem
Ideation & Critique
Wireframes & Prototyping
Iteration and User Testing
The design process was divided into smaller phases each done over the period of ~2 weeks.
We started with understanding user frustrations through stakeholder interviews, then narrowing down the core problems in the existing flow. From there, we brainstormed ideas, built prototypes, and tested them with users. With a few iterations, we refined it into a faster, simpler, and more flexible onboarding process.
DISCOVERY & RESEARCH
After consulting with the stakeholders, we categorized the list of tasks in the order of importance.
We reviewed onboarding flows from apps like Robinhood, Chime, Google Pay, and found some common patterns like combining similar tasks, offering skip options to reduce friction, and using progress indicators to guide users.
IDEATION
We brainstormed 10+ solutions and critiqued them with the team. After critiquing, we finalized the top two ideas that aligned best with our requirements.
1. Give a small task, progressively reveal more (Temperament-Based)
Giving users a quick win helps build early momentum, makes it easier to get started. However, doing just one easy task doesn’t ensure they’ll stay engaged, and they may skip over tasks that are more important or urgent.
2. Show all tasks based on number of steps (Complexity-Based)
A more structured and predictable task progression makes it easier to standardize and add new tasks. However, the number of steps doesn’t always match the real effort required, this may cause unnecessary friction or drop-off.
PROPOSED FLOW
To address the individual flaws of both solutions, we decided to combine them so they could complement each other effectively.
In the new onboarding flow we present a few small but important tasks first, then present the less important ones with an option to do them later.
FINAL PROTOTYPE VIDEO
In the new flow, users are shown the mandatory tasks first and then given flexibility to complete other tasks.
The one's that are not completed are later reminded to users are through in-app notifications.
USER TESTING & FEEDBACK
We saw clear improvements in task completion times and drop-off rates which helped us validate our design decisions.
We focused on iteration, testing and refinement. Through user feedback, we fixed usability issues and improved the user flow. Users were able to complete tasks 2x faster, drop-off rates decreased by 50%, and 95% of users reported being satisfied with the new onboarding process.
