Imagine waking up and suddenly finding yourself at the controls of the International Space Station. You have no idea what any of the blinking lights mean, or what any of the buttons and switches are for — and you have no idea what you’re expected to do.
This is how new product users feel when they open your app for the first time. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but releasing a new tool, app, or website to users without guidance can leave them feeling stranded — lost in space.
The cockpit of the space shuttle Endeavor could be what your product feels like to new users without onboarding UX.
All too often, designers forget that although they have been conducting research, mapping flows, and testing interfaces, users haven’t. A newcomer to your website or app might not know how everything works or where to find what they need, even if it seems obvious to the designer or product team.
By giving your users some hand-holding and scaffolding, you are helping to save your user from that hopeless feeling of confusion and frustration — and saving your app from the discard bin.
What Is User Onboarding?
User onboarding is a designed series of interactions and/instructions that help the user ease into the product’s experience. It can…
