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, Onboarding
The problem
Students find it difficult to learn subjects they're struggling with in a generalized class setting.
A study conducted by the National Institute of Health in 2023 found that incorporating individual learning styles had a positive effect on students’ GPA while group learning styles had a negative effect.
User interviews
Why do people start working with a tutor?
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
High schoolers worry about getting into college
The pressure of college applications and a broad curriculum make academic struggles more common in high school. Students worry that this will prevent them from getting into their dream college.
Key opportunity
Tutoring plan tailored to user's learning needs and goals
The onboarding process should address all the necessary information to gain a holistic understanding of the student's needs. This will help them feel confident that the suggested tutors will help them.
So, how might we…
Ensure students feel supported academically by considering their unique needs when matching them with a tutor?
user Testing
Does having a tailored, bite-size onboarding experience increase completion rates?
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.
Landing Page
Onboarding Quiz
Tutor Profiles
Plan Selection
Payment Details
Confirmation
Didn’t think that the quiz had enough questions on who he was. Wasn’t probed enough to fully discover where he’s lacking.
herzen
tutors: 1
Over 6 months
"I wasn't sure if I would have known in high school what my learning style was on my own."
Alyssa
tutors: 10
Over 6 years
“It’s important to include the degree they got or what school they went to, if they’re post-college, in college.”
Alyssa
tutors: 10
Over 6 years
Expected to see the tutors and their backgrounds and that they would be ordered by the percentage of fit or compatibility.
rachel
tutors: 3
Over 4 years
Would like the option to go back and make changes to her plan selection.
Angelika
tutors: 2
Over 2 years
When making purchases, it makes her feel safer knowing there’s a ‘way out’ like a return
Rachel
tutors: 3
Over 4 years
Refining site mapping
Helping users discover their learning style.
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.
Home Page
Walks users through what they can expect from the platform’s lessons.
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.
Pairing Quiz, Account Creation
Understand the student's academic needs and learning style to effectively pair them with tutors
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
Book a trial lesson with one of the matched tutors based on the student’s preference.
Students are able to select a lesson time based on the tutor’s calendar availability or message them directly.
Learning Plan, Payment Confirmation
Student learning packages with increasing amounts of classes, catered to varying academic goals.
What did I learn?
When would users actually 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.