Tailoring first-time experiences in FreshBooks

I led the design for personlized starting points for different segemntation of users coming into FreshBooks.

Timeline

Jan 2022 - Mar 2022

Collaborators

Product Managers

Engineers

Marketing (Lifecycle Team)

Overall Impact

Achieved 23.2% increase engagement with new users MoM

My Impact

Led the end-to-end design process from ideation to production.

Collaborated closely with cross functional teams to ensure that each segment of customers had their own journey.

Led design syncs and reviews with stakeholders to ensure cards cover all segments and use case.

Problem & Context

New customers often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how to begin their trial experience in FreshBooks. This lack of direction leads to low engagement and increased trial abandonment.

Existing data showed that out of 30,000 users who completed onboarding, only 50% went on to actively engage with the product.

FreshBooks aimed to address this by introducing a launchpad designed to guide users through key tasks and help them understand the value.

If we personalize the first-time experience based on trial users’ needs, we can help them accomplish their goals, experience the value of FreshBooks sooner, and ultimately increase engagement while reducing abandonment.

Hypothesis

Early Explorations

Iterated on the existing design by refining copy and updating task flows

Using a card-based layout gave users the flexibility to choose how they wanted to get started. It also enabled quick iteration—allowing us to easily update or replace tasks based on engagement patterns within specific user segments.

Card Designs

On Dashboard

I designed each card with a visual illustration to set clear expectations for users before they engaged with a task. I also collaborated closely with the Lifecycle team to craft targeted copy that resonated with different user segments and captured their attention.

Impact & Outcome

The personalized onboarding cards were rolled out to 100% of users and drove a 23.2% month-over-month increase in new user engagement.