Improving host onboarding at Stache

Making the host sign-up process more intuitive and informative

Duration 3-week sprint, 3 person team

Tools Figma, Zoom, Procreate, Whimsical, Google Slides, Sheets, Docs, Forms, Photoshop, Illustrator, Mural

Project Type Peer-to-Peer, Interaction Design, Client Project

Project Overview Stache, a peer-to-peer storage platform, struggled with supply side onboarding which ultimately inhibited their platforms growth. In a team of three, we revamped the host onboarding flow, focussing on brand credibility and error prevention.

My Role I led UI Design and UX writing, while sharing responsibilities around Research. I spearheaded project management, ensuring we stuck to our project plan, writing meeting agendas, and encouraging continuous intergroup communication in light of this remote setting.

THE CHALLENGE

Stache is a community-based, peer-to-peer online marketplace that connects people needing storage with people who have extra space. Low host conversion on the platform is inhibiting the business’ growth.

Stache’s analytics showed their social media ads were effectively bringing new users to the landing page. Beyond this, Stache did not have analytics on bounce within the onboarding process. What we did know: Users were dropping off significantly before entering the onboarding flow and somewhere within.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

How might we seamlessly guide new users through signup and increase overall conversion?

KEY RESEARCH METHODS

UX Research Methods 01: Task Analysis

I observed Stache’s onboarding flow in action and identified user frustrations and pain points.

We interviewed six people that said they’d consider using a platform like Stache to supplement their income. By doing this, I better understood user pain points and opportunity areas within the flow. I’ve shown some problem screens below from Stache’s original onboarding. I’ve included shots of Stache’s current onboarding (used for our tests) below.

UX Research Methods 02: User Flow

I recorded and evaluated the number of decisions a user is required to make in order to complete the sign up process.

Although Stache’s onboarding flow only contains 7 screens, users are asked to make dozens of decisions, requiring varying amounts of imagination and effort. Mapping out these decisions helped us identify areas of confusion. Purple diamonds represent decisions for the user and red ovals represent product failures.

UX Research Methods 03: Competitive & Comparative Analysis

We investigated how Stache’s competitors and comparators solve common user frustrations.

Stache is missing features that are common among companies with similar business models and/or similar onboarding needs. Competitors and comparators also utilized the brand’s voice for user reassurance and error prevention.

RESEARCH TAKEAWAYS

According to Sparefoot, self-storage facilities generate roughly $39 billion a year in the United States alone.

Preliminary research helped us to better grasp the problem, but we wanted to further understand our user and what motivates them to interact with our product. Using our research findings, we created a persona to guide our thinking moving into the innovation stage.

Combining our insights about our user and Stache’s problem areas, we began prioritizing features for the redesign.

Next, we conducted a design studio with our colleagues because everyone knows UX designers are better together.

s/o to Alfie Sanchez + Nelson Medina 🤜🏽🤛🏼

THE SOLUTION

By adding help boxes to address points of friction around user input and creating UI/visual elements that orient users within the process, we will see higher conversion rates, reduced user attrition throughout the onboarding flow, and increase brand credibility.

LO FI & TESTING

Our prototype underwent 5 rounds of testing and iterations with 12 users.

Our low fidelity iterations were intended to test the order of the questions and user interactions with CTAs and buttons. Our mid fidelity tested our copy and interaction design. Our high fidelity prototype was tested for all of these items as well as the effectiveness of the UI elements.

KEY FEATURES

Key Feature 01 — UX Writing

Clarified language to guide user input and reduce confusion

Key Feature 02 — Composition

Efficiently using negative space to give users more context without clutter

Key Feature 03 — Additional Screens

Providing user reassurance and feedback at critical moments

PROTOTYPE WALKTHROUGH

NEXT STEPS

01 - Host dashboard

Users expressed feeling lost after onboarding when they reached the dashboard. We began a short redesign of this page, but would like to continue with more testing.

02 - Mobile responsive

Our client reported that over half of their web activity is through mobile. I’d like to revisit this onboarding flow as a mobile interface.

03 - Accessibility

Stache’s current web experience features small, low contrast text and imagery. I’d like to further document these problems and create a more inclusive experience for visually impaired users.

04 - Branding

Stache’s design team expressed that they’re not currently committed to a design system. I would like to explore Stache’s visual identity and implement a brand voice.

WHAT I LEARNED

✒️ The power of UX writing

I was surprised to see how many usability issues were solved by clarifying wording and providing additional context to our users.

🖇️ Remote collaboration is challenging, but worth it

My team members, as well as my client, were in different time zones. Making remote collaboration seamless requires extra attention to lines of communication and technological know-how.

🤔 Best laid plans...

UX is all about how you adapt to changing usability problems and user needs. While coming up with a plan of attack is important, I had to be ready to amend that plan based on client needs and project constraints.