Designing an effective onboarding to reduce drop rate.
/summary
Quicklook into
the project
What we doing
Paradym is an emotional well-being app designed to help users manage mental health. Initially, the app's onboarding process was cumbersome, resulting in a significant user drop-off rate. As a UX designer, my goal was to revamp the onboarding experience to be shorter, more informative, and engaging—ultimately helping users stay motivated and connected with the app.
Key responsibilities
As a solo designer here, I have to wear many hats in-order to deliver smooth digital experience
Working with research team
Derive data based on research and analyze it
Set clear goal settings for the product
Deliver UI, Illustration and animations
Collaborate with CEO and Developer to ensure design margins are set and delivered
Setting up handoff
Impact
Reduced drop rate from ~42% to ~```13%
App education from onboarding video received by users
Reduced onboarding time from ~4min to ~2.5 mins
/the product
Introducing the
intervention
Paradym was founded in 2018 to help people improve their emotional wellbeing and understand their emotional patterns – or why they feel the way they do. Ironing out complex emotions like anxiety and overwhelm requires help you can trust. This is why Paradym’s programme is backed by the science of emotions.
/the process
For life
disrupted
The onboarding process was lengthy and overwhelmed users, leading to frustration and abandonment. Our research found that users were dropping off within the first two minutes of onboarding, citing too much information at once and unclear directions. With emotional well-being apps being sensitive in nature, it was crucial to create a welcoming experience that established trust from the very beginning.
Quick note: + has detailed study. Due to nature of this project cant include all study
Discovery
Explore the problem space, gather insights, and understand the context.
User Interviews
Empathy Mapping
Competitive Analysis
Research study
Needs Evaluation
Heuristic Evaluation
Social Listening
Insights
Users face emotional distress and need an onboarding process that feels supportive yet non-intrusive.
Most of the users were women and in mid 20’s - have good digital literacy.
Financial stress is real- address it,requires that onboarding highlights free features or trial options.
Users need onboarding that balances emotional sensitivity with concise, actionable guidance.
Trust-building is critical; users like Alex are wary of sharing personal data without clear privacy assurances.
Define
Synthesize research findings, identify key problems, and create a clear direction.
Persona Development
Journey Mapping
Pain Points Identification
Affinity Mapping
Mental Models Study
Insights
Users are overwhelmed by too much information but need contextual guidance to explore key features.
Highlight emotional health tools like crisis support early in the onboarding process to establish trust.
Users need flexible, skippable steps to adapt onboarding to their preferences (e.g., some users may skip videos, while others prefer detailed walkthroughs).
Emotional triggers like financial stress or fear of relapse must be addressed gently and empathetically.
Develop
Ideate, prototype, and validate the solution.
Adapt test insights.
Features Conceptualization
Brainstorming Session
Mood board
Usability Review
Solution Design/Sketching
Progressive Disclosure Testing
Insights
A well-designed onboarding video that balances emotional connection with practical guidance can help users feel aligned with the app’s purpose.
Progress tracking and a clear visual hierarchy ensure users feel in control without being overwhelmed.
Users value onboarding that feels personal and welcoming but not intrusive.
Subtle onboarding animations or progress indicators can reduce anxiety by signaling what’s next.
Identified pain points
Lack of Personalization
Users want the app to cater to their unique needs through tailored options or a personalized questionnaire, making them feel understood and valued.
Unclear Goal Setting
Users feel a need for the ability to set clear preferences or goals upfront, empowering them to navigate their journey effectively.
Onboarding Anxiety
A guided introduction to the app is desired to reduce uncertainty and help users feel confident about using the platform.
Time-Consuming Onboarding
Users are concerned about overly lengthy onboarding processes and seek a balance between efficiency and thoroughness.
/the design
Crafting the
path
The design philosophy is deeply rooted in minimalism and non-traditional approaches, aiming to offer users an innovative and refreshing experience.
Central to the app's design is the concept of the "Pathway" – serving as the singular source of truth for all contents and assessment tests. Inspired by the Tree of Life and the flow of life depicted in Japanese mythologies, the Pathway symbolizes growth, resilience, and the journey towards mental well-being.
In line with the brand guidelines, the app features a dark-themed interface, carefully curated to effectively showcase the contents while maintaining visual appeal. This design approach aims to create an immersive and calming environment for users, facilitating their engagement with the app's features and fostering a sense of tranquility and focus
From the user research, suggests that a large proportion of Paradym users share a similar backstory to why they're seeking mental health support - they are women struggling with adapting to adult life in their twenties and finding themselves in a cycle of difficulty. those who have experience major loss or a crisis.
Product Suggestions
Extent trail window.
Current trail window is only for 7 days, and the user emotion Assessment happens in 14 days. which makes user cannot see their progress in their trail window. To leverage loss aversion- suggest to extend trail window of generous 20-30 days.
Only trigger paywall in the end of trail window.
Currently user opt for trail and pay because it mandatory to jump in. There is no intrinsic motivation to the user. This can cause drop at the onboarding. Research hints large number of users are struggling with their financials
Pause and Play subscription.
As large number of users have financial troubles and this cause users to unsubscribe. To avoid this we can introduce Pause subscription which helps to use apps basic features and once they recovered from financials they can resume, which makes users to stick as we build trust and humility.
Finding an optimum path
The onboarding experience focused on trust and ease, featuring a calming splash screen, a concise video introduction, and a transparent data policy explanation. Login was prioritized over payment to align with user expectations and reduce friction.
The user experience emphasized personalization with conversational assessments, dynamic content tailored to user data, and progress indicators to build motivation. Navigation was intuitive, and content was presented in short, digestible formats to accommodate user attention spans. Gamification and community features enhanced engagement.
This approach balanced user-centric design with technical rigor to deliver a seamless, impactful app experience.
Trust begins with transparency; onboarding must feel like a conversation, not a transaction.
/learning
The Beginning of the Journey
From the path and onboarding stages, we now know how to start. But is it that simple? We need clear and concise designs for each screen. Each screen should provide value, especially since we're focused on reducing the drop-off rate during onboarding. The first challenge is the app introduction.
Battle between Sliders and Video Introduction
Why Sliders are good?
Allow users to interact and control content for personalized feedback.
Offer dynamic visuals to simplify complex information, especially emotional scales.
Can provide immediate user-driven engagement without waiting for video load time.
Why Videos are good?
Effective for conveying tone, driving empathy, and context, especially in a mental health.
Can engage users through visual storytelling, which help with emotional connection and ease anxiety.
Helpful for explaining the app's features in a more approachable, easy-to-understand format.
These led to select a video introduction based on its ability to foster emotional engagement, enhance clarity, and improve user retention. Videos effectively convey complex information with visuals and narration, creating a personal, relatable connection while being more memorable and accessible through captions. This approach aligns with the app's goal of building trust and offering a comforting, engaging experience for users.
/result
The splash screen provides a clean, calming entry point, establishing brand recognition instantly. The onboarding video demonstrates reliability, functionality, and user benefits in a concise and engaging format. Accessibility features like subtitles cater to a diverse user base, ensuring inclusivity.
I have included an introduction video that provides users with a clear overview of how the app works and the best practices for using it. This helps establish an emotional connection with the user while offering a guided and supportive onboarding experience. To respect users' time, the video is played at 1.2x speed. It includes large, easy-to-read subtitles and essential video controls, such as play, pause, and skip, to ensure a seamless, engaging and accessible experience for all users.
Building Trust from the Start
Once we educate users about the app's merits and how it works, we need to guide them to the next screen. After the initial stage of engagement and education is complete, it’s crucial to build trust with users, as this stage of onboarding has a higher chance of user drop-off.
I analyzed the user journey and found something interesting: During user research, several complaints were raised regarding data policies, especially concerning financial and contact data. This caused discomfort and made users question the missing information, potentially leading to drop-off.
I seized this opportunity to educate users on the bigger picture: Why? Why is this data collected, and how will they benefit from it?
Additionally, transparency about data usage is key. If users feel the app is being open and honest with them, they are more likely to engage. By fostering a sense of reciprocity—showing them the mutual benefits of sharing their data—we can strengthen trust and encourage continued use.
“Every time I’m asked for my contact info, I get frustrated. I don’t see why it’s needed.”
Research indicates that transparency in data collection and usage significantly influences user trust and engagement during app onboarding. A study published in ResearchGate found that increased transparency regarding personal data processing practices in mobile permission requests impacts users' decisions, highlighting the importance of clear communication about data usage.
A data policy screen builds trust by clearly explaining the purpose of data collection upfront. To reduce cognitive load, the login process precedes payment, aligning with familiar user expectations. Social login options minimize friction, and this login step is placed immediately after the data policy and before the assessment. This triggers two key outcomes: first, the user feels the experience is personalized as they log in, making the app feel more like their own. Second, from a technical perspective, since the user is already logged in, their data can be securely saved to their account, further enhancing personalization.
/result
After video onboarding, users are directed to a data policy screen that explains data usage and its necessity. The policy is pre-checked to ensure flow continuity, balancing transparency with a required action to maintain trust and usability. Starting with login addresses the curiosity gap early, eliminating the need for additional flow education. This step makes the user experience feel more intuitive, as users expect login first.
Progressive Disclosure
The core stages of onboarding, which align users with the app, start once the user logs in. This is where progressive disclosure comes into play. We need to onboard the users and have them complete an assessment to create a personalized experience. However, collecting all the data at once can be cognitively overwhelming. Therefore, I came up with a progressively disclosing information and guiding users step by step.
This brings us to the next challenge:- how we show it? how much we show it?
Guiding the Path After onboarding, users encounter a progress indicator outlining a two-week roadmap. This visual cue keeps users informed and motivated. "Seeing what I could achieve in two weeks made it feel worth it." Clarity reduces hesitation and builds trust. Users appreciate knowing exactly what they’re signing up for, eliminating any potential barriers.
Straightforward payment , no hidden surprises
/result
Progress indicators outline a two-week roadmap, showing tangible benefits and motivating users. Payment flows are simplified, with transparent trial details and clear cost breakdowns.
By prioritizing login before payment, we reduced the curiosity gap and adhered to the mental model most users are accustomed to.
The Trial That Hooks
Heuristic evaluation revealed a lack of clarity regarding the post-trial experience within the trial screens. Users require a clearer understanding of the subscription model and the benefits they will retain or lose upon trial completion.
Once a user agrees to the trial period, I took this opportunity to ask for notification settings. This is a good anchor point as users are more likely to turn on notifications since they want reminders for when the trial ends. The statement "Get the most out of Paradym in a single click" emphasizes ease of use and aligns with the principle of effortless experience. A brief list of benefits, such as personalized notifications, reinforces the value proposition of the trial, tapping into the user's desire for personalization. Finally, a clear "Continue" button guides the user smoothly through the flow, leveraging the principle of least resistance.
The paywall is the next critical step in the user flow. After selecting a subscription plan, users should seamlessly transition into the trial period. To mitigate the perceived cost of the subscription, I displayed the daily cost beside annual fee. This strategy aims to reduce cognitive friction and increase user confidence in their decision.
/result
The initial screen addresses the cognitive friction users may experience regarding trial expiration and payment reminders. It strategically includes an anchor to invite users to subscribe to a personalized newsletter. This approach empowers users by granting them the freedom to remove notifications at any time, fostering confidence and control. The paywall presents subscription benefits, summarizes payment details, and features a clear and focused CTA to activate the trial period.
Making it Personal
"Assessment screens initiate the personalization journey. They ask a series of questions, analyze user responses, and then tailor content specifically to individual needs. The assessment questions were curated by a team of leading psychologists from premier institutes, ensuring their validity and accuracy.
However, the presentation of these questions requires careful consideration. How can we effectively present ~6 questions to users? How can we accommodate users who may have more to say than simply selecting options? Should we present all questions at once, or should they be presented one at a time?
Scroll or Click?
Presenting all options on a single scroll is more effective as it reduces cognitive load, minimizes choice overload, and allows for easy comparison. By showing all options together, users can quickly scan and contrast without feeling overwhelmed. This approach aligns with Miller’s Law, enabling users to process information within their memory limits, and enhances cognitive ease, requiring less effort to recall and compare. It also empowers users by providing greater control, leading to a more intuitive and satisfying experience.
The user study became the backbone of our assessment and the app's value proposition, ensuring that all assessment questions are designed to identify and align with the specific patterns and needs of the user.
/result
The quick assessment seamlessly transitions users to the home screen, where they can begin their journey. The design has evolved significantly following heuristic evaluations and user behavior studies. Previously, the flow included testimonials and subscription steps immediately after the assessment, which caused frustration as users expected immediate feedback or evaluation based on their responses. Addressing this, the updated flow prioritizes delivering meaningful insights post-assessment to better meet user needs and expectations.
/the result
Design meets
key success metrics
Validation is a key step in understanding the functioning of the onboarding process. Here are the results:
A strong NPS score of 3.8, indicating a high level of user satisfaction.
82% of users found the information presented in the new onboarding to be much clearer.
Achieved a 40% reduction in the time taken to onboard.
/Learnings
More than a design.
I learned Rive to create some of the interactions, ensuring developers wouldn’t have to spend excessive time and effort implementing them. Working with Rive was a great experience, especially because it seamlessly exports to Flutter, which was the framework used for the app's development. Additionally, animations like the originating wave pattern in the audio player were designed using After Effects.
Rive is an amazing tool to animate and designing interactions, even though the learning curve is a steep.
/quick note
/other Interfaces
Some reflections
Beyond just the onboarding, I designed the entire app while adhering to the design research and existing design guidelines. Although the guidelines were already established, I had some disagreements, particularly with the exclusive use of a dark theme and light gray elements. This combination poses accessibility challenges for users with blurred vision. However, I had to comply with the guidelines for now. Considering the target audience is between 20-40 years of age, I assume only a small percentage might face issues, but the concern remains. Unfortunately, I couldn't strongly advocate for accessibility in this case, and as a designer, I must admit I’m not entirely satisfied with the design in terms of inclusivity.
Feel free to evaluate it in your own terms.
This project was an exciting opportunity to redesign a crucial touchpoint of an app that directly impacts users’ emotional well-being. We learned the importance of personalizing the user journey and ensuring that the app felt welcoming and intuitive from the first interaction. The redesign not only improved user retention but also contributed to a more trusting relationship between the app and its users.
If I were to extend the project further, I would focus on improving the ongoing user experience post-onboarding. Introducing more personalized content and further integrating user feedback could continue to strengthen the app’s emotional connection with its audience.
Thank You!
Thats it on onboarding.
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