IBM Case Study
Onboarding pattern to increase retention
I led the creation of IBM’s new onboarding pattern, which integrated learning directly into the product interface. Users can choose between guided lessons and independent exploration, starting lessons whenever needed. I collaborated with visual design, PMs, and content to deliver a scalable onboarding system.
Overview
Redesigning IBM onboarding to help users start when they’re ready, stay oriented, and finish confidently.
Secured design approval to use onboarding pattern after presenting to 10+ senior designers and stakeholders.
Role
UX Design Intern
Responsibilities
Product Strategy, Design Systems
Collaborators
UX Design Team, Product Manager, Visual Designer, Content Designer
Timeline
May - Aug 2024
Context
IBM onboarding is lengthy by nature but users feel it's a chore
IBM builds enterprise software that are full of advanced tools. For new users, that means more onboarding lessons than a typical SaaS product. When users try a free trial of IBM software, they become overwhelmed by the amount to learn. They want to use the new software well without making learning feel like a massive chore. The challenge was finding a way to make a long learning journey feel approachable and motivating.
The Problem
A significant amount of users quit onboarding after the first couple lessons
I worked on Hybrid Cloud Mesh, a product that helps users connect and manage entire cloud environments. Our core feature, setting up a cloud, spans 5 lessons to learn. Each step introduces new features and workflows spread throughout the interface. We noticed a majority of users quit onboarding after 1-3 lessons.
The majority of abandonment happened after the user completes one lesson and transitions into another. Our team hypothesized this was because:
Users weren’t reminded of their overall progress or purpose within the journey, causing them to lose motivation to continue.
Users weren’t told how long the lesson would take, leaving them uncertain about the commitment.
Lessons appeared back-to-back without a natural stopping point, making the experience feel endless.
Screen after user completes lesson (fig 1)
Comparative Analysis
We studied precedents
Our research into software onboarding revealed key principles:
Visibility
A designated place to view progress and what comes next at a glance.
Flexibility
Users choose their learning path and pace. They can revisit tutorials as needed.
Guidance
Provide help at the right moment without overwhelming users with information.
Scroll to see content
Avoiding endless flows
Currently, when a user finishes a lesson, they are prompted to continue to the next lesson or cancel (fig 1). This resulted in users continuing to the next lesson or quitting without a natural stopping point. This caused two issues:
Users struggled to maintain an overview of their progress.
Users who quit didn’t return to onboarding where they left off.
We created a journey overview to help users track their progress. We also changed the onboarding flow so that after completing each lesson, users are redirected to the journey overview instead of moving directly into the next lesson.
Before
After
Solution
The final onboarding pattern
From our research and testing, we created a pattern consisting of three parts: nudges, progress tracker, and flashing beacons.
Nudges
Design principle: Flexibility
User scenario
A user explores independently but occasionally needs help with unfamiliar features.
Solution
When users explore new parts of the interface, an onboarding suggestion appears.
Progress tracker
Design principle: Visibility
User scenario
A user completes one onboarding step but feels uncertain about what comes next and how much more they need to learn. They want to see their progress and understand how each step connects together.
Solution
A progress tracker on the homepage shows total progress and remaining steps. Users can launch the next step by clicking the highlighted item.
Beacon tips
Design principle: Guidance
User scenario
A user can't find where to go next in the interface.
Solution
A flashing beacon appears beside the next step. Users can click it for details before launching the next lesson.
Results
Retention rate
Completion rate
After presenting the design solution to 10+ senior designers and stakeholders, the pattern secured approval for use in IBM's Hybrid Cloud Mesh. The design's effectiveness positions it for potential adoption across multiple IBM products.
Leadership recommendation
Sierra played a significant role of our Design team during the 2024 summer as an intern, but functioned as a full time designer thanks to her deep skillset, organized mentality, deep professionalism, and growth behaviors. I'd recommend Sierra for any UX design experience, including customer facing ones, and can attest to the quality of her designs, innovative ideas, and collaborative multi-discipline deliverables.
Clay Braxton, Senior Design Manager/Program Director for UX
Next case study
