Homecoming
Rethink and redesign existing onboarding process for the Homecoming app, helping clients to reach their 'a-ha!' moment during their first interaction with the platform.
Current onboarding pain points
I was asked to revamp the onboarding flow for new clients because the current process tends to leave people feeling lost and unsure. As a UX designer, my goal was to design a new onboarding flow that would help new users easily and quickly get started with the app. I wanted to create a smooth, intuitive experience that would minimize confusion and frustration for users.
Client:
Access codes are cumbersome and confusing for signing up
Clients don’t really know what Homecoming is or how to use it
No context or guidance once the client arrives on the home page
Homecoming:
We hardly represent the provider in the process
Homecoming's value isn't clear
Missing Homecoming's vibrant brand elements
New onboarding goals
Help clients understand how Homecoming supports their work in therapy
Bring therapist/coach in the experience
Help client engage in the experience, during onboarding and beyond
Encourage the client to enable notifications
Work with dev team to replace need to manually put access code to create an account
DESIGN SPRINT
User persona
Before I started designing, I wanted to make sure I knew who I was designing for. So, I created a couple of user personas based on research about Homecoming's typical clients. This really helped me empathize with our users and understand what kind of design solutions, messaging tone, and visual elements would work best for them.
User stories
My next step was to develop several user stories to consider the different pain points and goals my users might have. This allowed me to get a deeper understanding of their needs and experiences, which ultimately helped me create a more user-centric onboarding flow.
User flow
After developing my user stories, I created a user flow that outlines the steps a client would take during the onboarding process. This enabled me to visualize the user's journey and identify potential roadblocks or areas for improvement in the onboarding experience. By mapping out the user flow, I gained insights into how the client interacts with the platform and where there may be opportunities to optimize their experience.
About Homecoming
Homecoming is a companion app for therapists and transformational coaches, enabling them to track their clients' progress, share materials, and assign activities to support their therapy goals.
Early design
After creating the user flow, I dove into developing rough wireframes to map out the necessary screens and start brainstorming how each step should look and feel. This helped me to visualize the overall design and experiment with different ideas quickly. By iterating through different wireframe designs, I was able to refine the layout, interactions, and content to align with the user's needs and goals. The wireframing stage was instrumental in guiding me toward the final design of the product.
Design progress
I went through multiple rounds of iterating and refining the design until I arrived at the final version. Throughout the design process, I collaborated with my mentors at Homecoming, who provided me with invaluable feedback and insights that helped me to improve the design. By incorporating their feedback, I was able to fine-tune the design and ensure that it aligned with the project requirements and goals.
Welcome Email
I also took charge of redesigning the welcome email that clients receive as an invitation from their therapist to upload the Homecoming app. The new email features a 'Get Started' button that contains a deep link, which automatically populates the access code for clients. This improved the onboarding experience for the clients, making it more streamlined and convenient. By incorporating this design feature, I was able to increase the number of clients who successfully onboarded the app, resulting in a more positive experience for both the clients and the therapists.
Fallback page
I also created a fallback page for situations where clients clicked on the Google Play/App Store button on their desktop. The fallback page provided clear guidance on how to complete registration and correctly download the app, ensuring that clients never felt alone when dealing with an issue. By designing this fallback page, I was able to improve the overall user experience and help clients smoothly navigate the onboarding process. This was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the importance of designing for all potential user scenarios and finding effective solutions to meet their needs.
Final prototype
After going through multiple cycles of iteration, I completed the final prototype. The iterative process allowed me to refine the design and ensure that it met all the necessary requirements and goals.
View final prototype
Next steps
Homecoming is currently in the midst of a restructuring phase, and I anticipate that this will result in the addition of new and essential features. I believe these changes will have an impact on the onboarding flow, and I'm excited to see how the platform will evolve to reflect these updates.
Key learnings
Prioritize human-centered design. Onboarding is not just about showcasing cool features, but rather creating a meaningful connection with the user, setting the tone, and conveying a human touch through the flow. This involves building trust, demonstrating that we understand the users' needs, and giving them the freedom to choose when they want to engage.
Design intentionally. Colors, typefaces, and visual elements all communicate on a deeper, non-verbal level. Making intentional design choices can enhance the user experience while designing for design's sake can be confusing.
Tidying up. Attention to detail is essential, even in the earliest stages of the design process. Taking the time to refine raw wireframes by checking spelling, spacing, and alignment can make a significant difference in how the design is perceived.
Discover more of my work.
Homecoming
Rethink and redesign existing onboarding process for the Homecoming app, helping clients to reach their 'a-ha!' moment during their first interaction with the platform.
Homecoming
Rethink and redesign existing onboarding process for the Homecoming app, helping clients to reach their 'a-ha!' moment during their first interaction with the platform.
Mental health app
About Homecoming
Homecoming is a companion app for therapists and transformational coaches, enabling them to track their clients' progress, share materials, and assign activities to support their therapy goals.
Current onboarding pain points
I was asked to revamp the onboarding flow for new clients because the current process tends to leave people feeling lost and unsure. As a UX designer, my goal was to design a new onboarding flow that would help new users easily and quickly get started with the app. I wanted to create a smooth, intuitive experience that would minimize confusion and frustration for users.
Current onboarding pain points
I was asked to revamp the onboarding flow for new clients because the current process tends to leave people feeling lost and unsure. As a UX designer, my goal was to design a new onboarding flow that would help new users easily and quickly get started with the app. I wanted to create a smooth, intuitive experience that would minimize confusion and frustration for users.
Client:
Access codes are cumbersome and confusing for signing up
Clients don’t really know what Homecoming is or how to use it
No context or guidance once the client arrives on the home page
Homecoming:
We hardly represent the provider in the process
Homecoming's value isn't clear
Missing Homecoming's vibrant brand elements
New onboarding goals
Help clients understand how Homecoming supports their work in therapy
Bring therapist/coach in the experience
Help client engage in the experience, during onboarding and beyond
Encourage the client to enable notifications
Work with dev team to replace need to manually put access code to create an account
DESIGN SPRINT
As a client, I want to book sessions directly from my account without needing to contact my practitioner or search for external booking links
As a client, I want to view all my upcoming sessions in one place so that I can keep track of my appointments and ensure I don’t miss any therapy calls
As a client, I want to easily view all my past sessions to track my progress and know how many I've completed
DESIGN SPRINT
User persona
Before I started designing, I wanted to make sure I knew who I was designing for. So, I created a couple of user personas based on research about Homecoming's typical clients. This really helped me empathize with our users and understand what kind of design solutions, messaging tone, and visual elements would work best for them.
User stories
My next step was to develop several user stories to consider the different pain points and goals my users might have. This allowed me to get a deeper understanding of their needs and experiences, which ultimately helped me create a more user-centric onboarding flow.
User flow
After developing my user stories, I created a user flow that outlines the steps a client would take during the onboarding process. This enabled me to visualize the user's journey and identify potential roadblocks or areas for improvement in the onboarding experience. By mapping out the user flow, I gained insights into how the client interacts with the platform and where there may be opportunities to optimize their experience.
Early design
After creating the user flow, I dove into developing rough wireframes to map out the necessary screens and start brainstorming how each step should look and feel. This helped me to visualize the overall design and experiment with different ideas quickly. By iterating through different wireframe designs, I was able to refine the layout, interactions, and content to align with the user's needs and goals. The wireframing stage was instrumental in guiding me toward the final design of the product.
Design progress
I went through multiple rounds of iterating and refining the design until I arrived at the final version. Throughout the design process, I collaborated with my mentors at Homecoming, who provided me with invaluable feedback and insights that helped me to improve the design. By incorporating their feedback, I was able to fine-tune the design and ensure that it aligned with the project requirements and goals.
Welcome Email
I also took charge of redesigning the welcome email that clients receive as an invitation from their therapist to upload the Homecoming app. The new email features a 'Get Started' button that contains a deep link, which automatically populates the access code for clients. This improved the onboarding experience for the clients, making it more streamlined and convenient. By incorporating this design feature, I was able to increase the number of clients who successfully onboarded the app, resulting in a more positive experience for both the clients and the therapists.
Fallback page
I also created a fallback page for situations where clients clicked on the Google Play/App Store button on their desktop. The fallback page provided clear guidance on how to complete registration and correctly download the app, ensuring that clients never felt alone when dealing with an issue. By designing this fallback page, I was able to improve the overall user experience and help clients smoothly navigate the onboarding process. This was an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the importance of designing for all potential user scenarios and finding effective solutions to meet their needs.
Final prototype
After going through multiple cycles of iteration, I completed the final prototype. The iterative process allowed me to refine the design and ensure that it met all the necessary requirements and goals.
View final prototype
Next steps
Homecoming is currently in the midst of a restructuring phase, and I anticipate that this will result in the addition of new and essential features. I believe these changes will have an impact on the onboarding flow, and I'm excited to see how the platform will evolve to reflect these updates.
Key learnings
Prioritize human-centered design. Onboarding is not just about showcasing cool features, but rather creating a meaningful connection with the user, setting the tone, and conveying a human touch through the flow. This involves building trust, demonstrating that we understand the users' needs, and giving them the freedom to choose when they want to engage.
Design intentionally. Colors, typefaces, and visual elements all communicate on a deeper, non-verbal level. Making intentional design choices can enhance the user experience while designing for design's sake can be confusing.
Tidying up. Attention to detail is essential, even in the earliest stages of the design process. Taking the time to refine raw wireframes by checking spelling, spacing, and alignment can make a significant difference in how the design is perceived.