about
Collaborated with a team of fellow UX design students to assist What Caused This, a new startup within a RCA SaaS field, in developing a more user-friendly and effective onboarding process.
Client
What Caused This
Role
duration
2 months
Key objectives
A high-fidelity solution and finalised prototype to be ready for presentation to the leadership team at What Caused This
additional objectives
Although What Caused This did not explicitly request a new homepage, our team identified it as a key opportunity that would support and enhance the wider project objectives
Research into the company and areas of improvement
Given the complexity of the software, it was crucial that we familiarised ourselves with its features, functionality, and user interface. Considerable time was spent exploring and using the platform first-hand, allowing the team to gain practical insight into the user experience. This approach enabled us to better understand how the software works, identify areas that may present challenges to new users, and highlight which elements would require clearer guidance during onboarding.
After gaining familiarity with the product, our team recorded all key findings and used them to shape a clear, strategic approach to onboarding. We organised our ideas into four main focus areas:
Areas to focus
Identifying potential customers
Demonstrating the product
Tailoring onboarding process to user needs
Converting users from 'Lite' to 'Pro' plan
Manually generating contracts and invoices outside the product
Key findings grouped
Research into onboarding flows and pscyhology
As part of our research phase, our team conducted a comprehensive analysis of existing onboarding processes across a variety of digital platforms. This review aimed to develop a clearer understanding of how other companies support new users in navigating their products, reducing friction, and achieving value quickly.
examined onboarding strategies
Interactive tutorials
Contextual guidance
Personalised user flows
Questionaires
Our team explored multiple onboarding concepts to test various approaches to user engagement, clarity, and effectiveness. After evaluating each, the strongest elements were combined into a refined, streamlined sequence tailored to the What Caused This platform. This final version clearly communicates the product’s value, lowers barriers to entry, and supports successful user adoption.
Variations of onboarding flows created
The final outcome was a comprehensive redesign of the onboarding experience, including a new homepage with a stronger call to action, enhanced sign-up/login flows, and a clear showcase of features and pricing. A guided product tour was introduced to ease users into the platform, while a welcome email reinforced value and offered initial support. A dedicated ‘Pro’ feature set was also developed to drive upgrades and boost conversion. Collectively, these enhancements deliver a more streamlined, engaging, and user-centred onboarding journey.
client feedback
Extremely happy with the redesign of homepage and user onboarding process - will implement features presented in the future
