Redesigning first impressions through clear onboarding and a unified design system
ROLE
TIME
10 weeks
TEAM
1 Founder-Manager
1 Data Analyst
CHALLENGE
The startup Gatsby had recently rebranded as a social app, but members didn’t see it that way. User data showed a steep drop-off during onboarding, and interviews revealed that most people still came for movie recommendations. The app also lacked a clear visual and language identity, leading to confusion about what Gatsby actually did.
OUTCOME
I redesigned Gatsby’s onboarding flow by consolidating the most essential screens and clarifying the UX writing, and overhauled the visual design system to create a stronger identity. These changes resulted in a 43% increase in user acquisition (9,300 new installs in 2 months) and a 38% rise in monthly active users (1,580 to 4,081). In my own time, I proposed a new mood-based AI-powered recommendation quiz to further lean into Gatsby’s core value of providing users personalized discovery.
Investigating the Drop-Off
I was given the autonomy to approach my work as I saw fit, so I started with one question: Why was onboarding losing people so early?
I partnered with our data analyst to build a Mixpanel dashboard tracking each tap and exit. The first red flag was nearly 30% of users dropped off on Screen 2, where they were asked to select their streaming services.
Customer feedback pointed to a broader issue:
“Can’t watch for free”
“I thought this was streaming”
“Not sure what this is for”
To understand why, I conducted 11 rapid think-aloud interviews with friends-of-friends. The pattern was clear: people didn’t understand what Gatsby was or why onboarding was asking for this information.
The experience compounded that confusion. Users felt “unclear where to go next” without a sense of progress, while the dense grid of options was described as “anxiety-inducing.”
Gatsby’s copy miscommunicated it as a streaming service, but its actions lacked context, and its limited visual identity did little to communicate value. I shifted my focus toward reducing overwhelm, clarifying Gatsby’s purpose, and making its value apparent from the start.
Rethinking Onboarding
To reduce cognitive load, I condensed the onboarding flow from 10 screens into the 3 most essential screens, shifting everything else into in-app tooltips that appear when users need them. I also tightened the core copy to focus on familiar language and motivation.
BEFORE
AFTER
SUBSCRIPTION SCREEN
WATCHLIST SCREEN
Rebuilding a Visual Identity
Even after sharpening onboarding, users still said, “It feels like a streaming app.” Gatsby lacked a distinct visual identity. The startup had so far been built with a color scheme of 5 colors, with no rationale for its visual choices. I worked with the founders to establish a system from the ground up.
To reposition Gatsby as a movie wingman, I redesigned its typography, color, components, and interaction states around curiosity and discovery.
