Summit Learning

Enhancing the sign-up flow for a tutoring website to improve completion rates and increase customer satisfaction.

At a glance

High schoolers feel the pressure to do well academically for their college applications. However, the generalized curriculum means they might not receive the 1-on-1 help they need for difficult subjects. Summit Learning supports student learning by pairing them with tutors based on their unique academic needs. The personalized onboarding experience aims to increase completion rates and customer satisfaction.

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

2 months

Area

Website Design

The Problem

Summit Learning is an online tutoring agency. They were struggling to take on new clients because the site's overall user experience was causing it to lose business.

Platform Audit

Identifying key issues through a heuristic evaluation.

I conducted a comprehensive audit of their onboarding flow. This assessment enabled me to identify pain points that users might face and then prioritize which problems needed immediate attention.

Pain Point 1

Lack of aesthetic

The design system (copy, fonts, colors) must be enhanced to build credibility.

Pain Point 2

High cognitive load

Information is needed all at once, increasing users' cognitive load.

Pain Point 3

Limited user control

Missing or incorrect UI elements restrict the user's ability to move freely.

Discovery Interviews

Why do students start working with a tutor?

I wanted to understand what the students' motivations would be to get tutoring lessons so that I could design an onboarding experience that catered to their needs.

I conducted 4 generative interviews with people who had experience learning with a tutor. I gained valuable insight as to why they decided to work with a tutor and the important factors they had considered when it came to selecting one.

Key Insight 1

Students need a tutor most during high school.

Unlike middle school, where GPA matters less, or college, where students focus on their strengths, high school brings new pressures with college admissions.

"I started going to a tutor in high school because of the intense academic pressure and the need to keep up."

Key Insight 2

Work with tutors to meet specific goals.

Students are especially motivated by how their performance impacts college applications and chances of getting into their dream school.

"In high school, I took on math and physics because they were subjects I didn't feel confident in and I was worried about it affecting my college admissions."

Key Insight 3

Difficult to learn in a generalized class setting.

Incorporating individual learning styles positively affected students’ GPA, while group learning styles had a negative effect.

"I started feeling lost in my Philosophy class, so my counselor paired me with a tutor. He really understood how I learned best and catered our lessons to that."

Understanding student learning styles could be a key to effective tutoring.

My user interviews and research showed me the benefits of tailoring tutor suggestions to a student's unique needs. This personalized touch could encourage users to complete the onboarding and book a trial lesson. It could improve comprehension but also boost confidence and long-term retention.

The Design Challenge

How might we create an engaging onboarding experience that considers the users' needs and encourages completion?

User Testing

Users preferred the quiz format but needed more information to feel confident to pay for a class.

After 4 user testing sessions, I found that breaking down each step of the onboarding quiz made it easier to answer. However, users felt the self-assessment didn’t fully cover their academic needs and concerns, and many were unsure how to identify their learning style.

Design Consideration #1

Personality matters, but so do their qualifications

Main Issues

  • It doesn't indicate what qualifications the tutor has to teach these subjects

  • Confusing language- shouldn't they all be certified?

Design Solutions

  • Highlight their academic degree or certifications to indicate expertise and skill

  • Focus language on subjects

Mid-Fidelity

High Fidelity

Design Consideration #2

Students want to be sure their learning needs are understood

Main Issues

  • Users didn't feel confident that enough questions were asked to know their learning style

Design Solutions

  • Give an option for users to take a 'Learning Style' quiz without leaving the onboarding process

Mid-Fidelity

High Fidelity

Refining the Site Map

Originally, the pairing quiz and learning style quiz were in separate flows. I redesigned the site map to let users discover their learning style without interrupting the pairing quiz.

Design Consideration #3

Important to easily compare the learning plan's price and services

Main Issues

  • The information is too brief and unclear

  • Doesn't justify the varied pricing for packages

Design Solutions

  • List the terms and services included in each package.

  • Slash-out pricing is used to emphasize money saved.

Mid-Fidelity

High Fidelity

Final Solution

Personalized onboarding for an enhanced sign-up flow that increases user satisfaction.

Landing Page
Walk-Through

Users learn how students are paired with a tutor, the benefits of teaching based on their individual needs and learning style, and past success stories to validate the tutor’s effectiveness.

Onboarding Quiz

When asked for their learning style, users are given the option to take a brief quiz in order to discover or confirm what theirs is.

Tutor Selection, Lesson Booking

Students are able to select a lesson time based on the tutor’s calendar availability or message them directly.

Learning Packages, Payment

Packages include information on the number of classes, subjects covered, and the plan's duration. They are geared toward varying student needs, from immediate support to achieving long-term goals.

Looking Ahead

When would users genuinely drop off?

All my interviewees were asked to review the onboarding experience, setting the expectation that they would have to complete it. However, if this site were to launch, I'd be curious to see how users would interact with the product outside of a closed environment like an interview. I wonder where they might drop off, their reason for doing so, and how the design could be improved based on these findings.

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© Kirsten Geiger 2024

Kirsten Geiger

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