4. What is this
onboarding thing?
Why is it so
important?
A model for adoption-
abandonment.
Onboarding principles,
patterns, and some
anti-patterns.
OBJECTIVES
http://bit.ly/28LWXFs 4
5. Trained as an aviation human factors researcher.
I’ve built small and large UX teams.
Teach at Kent State’s UXD program.
Provide user experience research and design consulting.
5
ME
8. The process of getting people to
adopt your application or service.
8
9. When you’re
onboarding the
user, you’re
trying to get
them to like
and want your
product.
9
http://bit.ly/28MV6Ephttp://bit.ly/28T2blZ
Random cuteness
11. It’s quite literally
a matter of
survival.
The average
app loses 95%
of its user base
within a few
months.
11Andrew Chen & Ankit Jain, http://bit.ly/1Hq53AR
Percentageofusersstillactive
Days since app install
12. “Users try out a lot of apps but decide which ones they
want to stop using within the first 3-7 days.”
“The key to success is to get the users hooked during
that critical first 3 - 7 day period.”
- Ankit Jain
12
14. Users are
constantly -
and somewhat
consciously -
assessing a
product on two
dimensions.
14
High
Time investment
None
Perceivedvalue
Abandonment
zone
Adoption
zone
MY HYPOTHESIS
15. What is value?
“The worth of a good or service as determined by
people’s preferences and the tradeoffs they choose to
make given their scarce resources.”
- Investopedia.com
15http://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/economic-value.asp#ixzz4CK5qPTFt
16. “People don't buy
products; they buy
better versions of
themselves.”
“When you're
trying to win
customers, are you
listing the attributes
of the flower or
describing how
awesome it is to
throw fireballs?”
- Sam Hulick
16http://www.useronboard.com/features-vs-benefits/
17. If people feel like
they’re nearing
better versions of
themselves, they’ll
adopt your product.
If that better
version of
themselves
appears too far
away - or
unattainable -
they’ll abandon it.
17http://bit.ly/28QuLFS
19. Not many advantages. It’s out of context. People don’t really remember.
19
MODAL STEPPED TUTORIAL
20. Probably better than
the modal stepped
pattern.
It draws the user’s
attention to key areas
and provides concise,
clear explanations.
But how do you see it
again if you wanted?
20
FIRST-RUN CALLOUTS
24. But…what if I want
to get back to it?
Yeah…they got that
covered.
And they have a link
to new features, as
well as a new
feature count badge.
24
VIDEO TUTORIAL
25. Good in theory…
often not so good in
practice.
Just look up “Clippy
and “Microsoft Bob.”
25
CONTEXTUAL ASSISTANCE
26. Gamification and social
comparison trigger
people’s desire to
complete a process, rack
up achievements, and earn
“karma” in some form.
Both can be effective, but
also expensive to
implement.
Social comparison can
also backfire and cause
users to abandon.
26
GAMIFICATION & SOCIAL COMPARISON
29. Let the user return to the onboarding content later.
29
MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE PATTERNS
30. Let the user return to the onboarding content later.
Incent new users to learn by showing what’s new…or at least telling
them “hey, here’s some new features!”
30
MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE PATTERNS
31. Let the user return to the onboarding content later.
Incent new users to learn by showing what’s new…or at least telling
them “hey, here’s some new features!”
Contextual assistance is great in theory, but hard in practice.
31
MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE PATTERNS
32. Let the user return to the onboarding content later.
Incent new users to learn by showing what’s new…or at least telling
them “hey, here’s some new features!”
Contextual assistance is great in theory, but hard in practice.
Gamification and social comparison can increase motivation, but are
costly. And social comparison can backfire.
32
MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE PATTERNS
33. Let the user return to the onboarding content later.
Incent new users to learn by showing what’s new…or at least telling
them “hey, here’s some new features!”
Contextual assistance is great in theory, but hard in practice.
Gamification and social comparison can increase motivation, but are
costly. And social comparison can backfire.
Social facilitation requires critical mass or it suffers from the “empty
store shelf” problem.
33
MAIN TAKEAWAYS FROM THESE PATTERNS
35. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
35
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
Partially adapted from Lisa Battle, First Impressions Matter: Onboarding for First Time Users. UXPA 2016.
36. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
36
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
40. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
40
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
43. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
43
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
47. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
47
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
52. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
52
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
56. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
56
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
61. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
61
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
63. I couldn’t find any gamification and social
facilitation anti-patterns…
But I’m sure they’re out there.
Maybe Amazon’s reviewer system?
Wikipedia?
63
64. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
64
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
67. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
67
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
71. 1. Present a clear value proposition.
2. Engage emotional and aspirational motivations.
3. Doing is better than showing or telling.
4. Minimize friction and barriers.
5. Stock the shelves. Avoid the empty store.
6. Don’t ask for a commitment before the user is ready.
7. Leverage social comparison and gamification. But don’t be cheesy.
8. Support learning and mastery at the point of need.
9. Share content via different channels to encourage engagement.
10. Measure and test!
71
10 ONBOARDING PRINCIPLES
Partially adapted from Lisa Battle, First Impressions Matter: Onboarding for First Time Users. UXPA 2016.