Estity.
Estity.
Redesigning user onboarding using cognitive science to minimize drop-off and boost usability.
Redesigning user onboarding using cognitive science to minimize drop-off and boost usability.
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
Estity simplifies Spanish property tax administration for Swedish homeowners. Due to complex onboarding friction and lost conversions, we combined cognitive theory with user testing to redesign the platform in Figma, significantly reducing mental effort and streamlining the sign-up flow.
Estity simplifies Spanish property tax administration for Swedish homeowners. Due to complex onboarding friction and lost conversions, we combined cognitive theory with user testing to redesign the platform in Figma, significantly reducing mental effort and streamlining the sign-up flow.
Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
8 weeks
Project
Bachelor thesis
Väldigt värdefullt arbete med att förstå våra och slutanvändarens behov och svårigheter, det gav oss insikter för att jobba vidare.
Jan Johansson Neidebro
Estity, Delägare
RESEARCH & INTERVIEWS
To evaluate user friction in the platform, we conducted remote usability tests (n=5) across six core onboarding tasks. Quantitative performance metrics and qualitative thematic analysis revealed three primary barriers:
To evaluate user friction in the platform, we conducted remote usability tests (n=5) across six core onboarding tasks. Quantitative performance metrics and qualitative thematic analysis revealed three primary barriers:
Ineffective Navigation: Collapsed menus without text labels and a broken browser back-button caused disorientation and force-exploratory clicking.
Ineffective Navigation: Collapsed menus without text labels and a broken browser back-button caused disorientation and force-exploratory clicking.
Ineffective Navigation: Collapsed menus without text labels and a broken browser back-button caused disorientation and force-exploratory clicking.
Information Deficits & Cognitive Overload: Complex Spanish tax laws were presented without enough contextual guidance forcing users to rely heavily on working memory and prior knowledge.
Information Deficits & Cognitive Overload: Complex Spanish tax laws were presented without contextual guidance forcing users to rely heavily on working memory and prior knowledge.
One-Size-Fits-All Onboarding: The initial flow failed to adapt to individual property situation (e.g., sole ownership vs. multi-owner, rental using vs. personal use), forcing users to filter out irrelevant information manually.
One-Size-Fits-All Onboarding: The initial flow failed to adapt to individual property situation (e.g., sole ownership vs. multi-owner, rental using vs. personal use), forcing users to filter out irrelevant information manually.
One-Size-Fits-All Onboarding: The initial flow failed to adapt to individual property situation (e.g., sole ownership vs. multi-owner, rental using vs. personal use), forcing users to filter out irrelevant information manually.
PROBLEMS
Inefffective navigation & High Search Effort: A collapsed sidebar without text labels and broken browser back-buttons degraded spatial orientation, forcing exploaratory trial-and-error click.
Inefffective navigation & High Search Effort: A collapsed sidebar without text labels and broken browser back-buttons degraded spatial orientation, forcing exploaratory trial-and-error click.
Missing Guidance & Complex Tax Burden: Users felt overwhelmed when determining tax filing requirements, expressing fear of picking the wrong declaration type without explicit step-by-step guidance.
Missing Guidance & Complex Tax Burden: Users felt overwhelmed when determining tax filing requirements, expressing fear of picking the wrong declaration type without explicit step-by-step guidance.
Lack of Personalization: The interface presented a generic experience regardless of the user's situation (e.g., sole ownership vs. rental activity), forcing users to manually sift through irrelevant features.
Lack of Personalization: The interface presented a generic experience regardless of the user's situation (e.g., sole ownership vs. rental activity), forcing users to manually sift through irrelevant features.
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
DESIGN SOLUTIONS
Questionnaire Onboarding Setup
Questionnaire Onboarding Setup
Step-by-step wizard with two large choices per screen which reduces decision time and click time.
Two large choices per screen which reduces decision and click time.
Progressive Disclosure
Progressive Disclosure
High-level summaries are displayed first, allowing users to reveal detailed breakdowns on demand to prevent working memory overload.
High-level summaries are displayed first, allowing users to reveal detailed breakdowns on demand.
Pop-Out Effect
Pop-Out Effect
Eliminated the need for serial searches by limiting the number of primary CTA:s to one per screen, which triggers the "pop-out effect".
Eliminated the need for serial searches by limiting the number of primary CTA:s to one per screen, which triggers the "pop-out effect".
Pop-Out Effect
Eliminated the need for serial searches by limiting the number of primary CTA:s to one per screen, which triggers the "pop-out effect".
Endowed Progress & Goal-Gradient Effect
Endowed Progress & Goal-Gradient Effect
Visually pre-marking already completed tasks, increasing motivation to complete remaining steps.
Visually pre-marking already completed tasks, increasing motivation to complete remaining steps.
Affordance & Feedforward
Affordance & Feedforward
Clear contextual explanations and CTA:s explicitly previewing the outcome of the action.
Clear contextual explanations and CTA:s explicitly previewing the outcome of the action.
USABILITY TESTS
We conducted comparative usability testing (n=5) on the optimized Figma prototype under identical task conditions.
We conducted comparative usability testing (n=5) on the optimized Figma prototype under identical task conditions.
Time Reduction: Task completion time plummeted from an average of 14.5 minutes down to less than 7 minutes.
Time Reduction: Task completion time plummeted from an average of 14.5 minutes down to less than 7 minutes.
Reduced Misclicks & Effort: Mean misclicks dropped by over 60% (from 19 to 7,2) and self-reported mental strain (Paas) dropped across every task.
Reduced Misclicks & Effort: Mean misclicks dropped by over 60% (from 19 to 7,2) and self-reported mental strain (Paas) dropped across every task.
SUS-score: The total System Usability Scale (SUS) score went from 67.00 (Below average) to 86.50 (Grade A, Excellent).
SUS-score: The total System Usability Scale (SUS) score went from 67.00 (Below average) to 86.50 (Grade A, Excellent).
OUTCOME
Usability Boost: Elevated the platform's System Usability Scale (SUS) rating from an below-average 67.0 to an industry-leading 86.5,
Usability Boost: Elevated the platform's System Usability Scale (SUS) rating from an below-average 67.0 to an industry-leading 86.5,
Decreased Decision Anxiety: Improved user confidence in selecting correct property tax types and elevated understanding of core platform features,
Decreased Decision Anxiety: Improved user confidence in selecting correct property tax types and elevated understanding of core platform features,
Smooth Navigation: Leveraged feedforward, clear affordances, and auto-complete adress filling to eliminate the "gulf of execution" during property setup.
Smooth Navigation: Leveraged feedforward, clear affordances, and auto-complete adress filling to eliminate the "gulf of execution" during property setup.
Figma Handover & Research Base: Delivered a fully validated interactive Figma prototype alongside a comprehensive cognitive science thesis to guide Estitys team.
Figma Handover & Research Base: Delivered a fully validated interactive Figma prototype alongside a comprehensive cognitive science thesis to guide Estitys team.
Väldigt värdefullt arbete med att förstå våra och slutanvändarens behov och svårigheter, det gav oss insikter för att jobba vidare.
Jan Johansson Neidebro
Estity, Delägare