Soluna, powered by Kooth, is a mental health mobile and web app designed for young people, offering interactive tools, peer connections, and 1:1 live support. The senior product designer and I created a new onboarding process aimed at increasing full account creation.
Product: Mobile & Web App
Duration: October - November 2024
Tools: Figma, Figjam, Google Suite, Miro, Slack
Project Details:
Define Product Goals/MVPs
Design Reviews/Presentations
I was hired as a contracted product designer for Soluna, a mental health app that offers free support and wellbeing resources to young people, backed by therapists and mental health professionals. The app offers two account types:
- Full Access Account (Free): Available to users in specific regions (currently CA and PA), offering 1:1 professional support, forums, mental health content, and a journaling tool.
- Guest Account (Free): Available to anyone, providing limited access to only mental health content, which includes videos, audio clips, stories, quizzes, and some interactive tools.
Initially, the app’s onboarding allowed users to sign up for a full access account (if they lived in a qualifying region) or continue as a guest. However, onboarding was removed due to drop-offs during account creation, and all users were directed into the app as guests. Only when they tried to access full access features were they prompted to create an account. This change led to user confusion and a significant decrease in account creation.
To improve full account creation, we redesigned the onboarding process to be more intuitive and engaging. This included streamlining steps, incorporating clear instructions, and adding a short and concise "context carousel" to guide users through account setup. By focusing on clarity and ease of use, we ensured that users were more likely to complete the onboarding, enhancing their overall experience with the app.
We received research from the User Research (UXR) team, which highlighted:
Without an onboarding process, users had no clear understanding of the app’s purpose. In addition to this, the home screen of the app, called “My Sky” (where users are able to learn about content related to mental health) had been noted by users in testing to not be intuitive, causing them to be unsure of how to use the home screen.
Users often mistook full access accounts as paid options, creating friction.
We had a few weeks to redesign the onboarding process to coincide with the app’s new marketing campaign and boost account creations.
Kooth’s full-access Soluna accounts were available through contracts with various states and organizations, with plans for continued expansion. The onboarding flow needed to be easily adaptable to accommodate varying contract requirements and support scalable growth.
For our first iteration, we focused on leveraging what was already available. By reworking screens from the original onboarding process and repurposing context screens from the existing website and app, we aimed to create a streamlined flow that minimized design and development overhead. This approach allowed us to move quickly while staying efficient. To enhance clarity, we added tutorials that helped users better understand how to navigate and use key features like My Sky. This iteration balanced practicality with usability, serving as a foundation for gathering feedback.
After presenting the first iteration of designs to stakeholders—including the product, research, and development teams—we gathered valuable feedback that highlighted both opportunities and constraints:
- De-scoping the tutorial: While stakeholders appreciated the idea of a tutorial, they raised concerns about investing development resources into this feature, as a home screen redesign was already being considered. As a result, the tutorial was removed from the scope.
- Reducing clicks for better flow: Stakeholders noted that although the first three screens provided useful context, the overall flow still felt cumbersome with too many clicks, particularly because the information was repeated throughout the flow. This echoed existing research showing that users often skim through informational screens quickly, reinforcing the need for a more streamlined process.
In our second iteration, we removed the tutorial and shifted our focus toward helping users quickly grasp the app’s core context. We prioritized clear, high-level information to ensure a smooth onboarding experience. To reinforce this, we incorporated key messaging from the Soluna website, which had already been vetted and approved by the marketing team. These points highlighted the app's value and features, providing users with essential context to enhance their understanding from the outset.
I presented our designs to stakeholders (which included product, research, and the development team), where there still was a lot of opposing pieces of feedback.
- The screens presenting Soluna app information were still perceived as resembling a paywall.
- The flow felt repetitive, especially with the headers, leading to a less engaging user experience.
- There was continued confusion around the distinction between full account and guest access, leaving users uncertain about their options.
Given the diverse range of feedback from stakeholders, it became clear that there wasn’t a straightforward path for the next iteration. This led us to the realization that this solution wasn’t the right fit.
Due to the convoluted stakeholder feedback, we decided to completely rethink the onboarding process, ignore the existing screens, and focus on the following design goals:
Based on user feedback, dropping users directly into the app without context led to quick disengagement due to a confusing landing screen. Since redesigning the landing screen was out of scope for the quarter, we focused on using the onboarding flow to clearly explain the app’s purpose and navigation.
Given Soluna’s multiple contracts with varying requirements, we prioritized creating a flexible flow that could be adapted for new clients. Our primary focus was on California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), our largest client, while collaborating with the other design team to ensure compatibility across contracts.
While encouraging users to create full accounts, we provided an easy guest option, ensuring users felt welcome regardless of account type. We avoided dark patterns, instead clearly highlighting what users would miss as guests while maintaining an inclusive tone.
User testing showed that the current design unintentionally resembled paid services, causing hesitation and decrease in full account creation. To counter this, we wanted to design a user-friendly flow that reinforced Soluna’s commitment to free access without triggering concerns of hidden fees.
We analyzed onboarding flows from similar apps like Headspace and Sleep Cycle. While these apps were not a perfect match, the insights informed how we could structure and streamline our flow to align with Soluna’s unique business model.
Here are the key takeaways that shaped our design revisions:
- Engaging Introductions - Both apps used "context carousels"—interactive slides with playful illustrations and concise, brand-aligned descriptions. These served as a friendly way to introduce users to the app’s value.
- Seamless Authentication: - Authentication screens were positioned at the start of the flow, allowing returning users to log in quickly and reducing friction for repeat engagement.
- Personalized Onboarding - Questions tailored to the user’s needs and preferences were incorporated early, setting the stage for a personalized experience.
These insights informed our decision to blend engaging visuals, quick access for returning users, and a personalized touch into Soluna’s onboarding experience—helping users feel both welcome and understood from their first interaction.
Using our new design goals and data from the competitive analysis, we created an entire new user flow as a foundation for our new iterations of the onboarding design.
Our third iteration began with a splash screen designed to introduce the app and provide a concise, high-level overview of Soluna's purpose. Next, we included an authentication screen to streamline the experience for returning users, allowing them to bypass onboarding entirely. New users would then move into the sign-up process, where they could choose between full access or guest access. Following this, they would enter a “context carousel” to highlight the key benefits of the app. For full access accounts, we placed the contract-specific elements of the flow at the end, offering the flexibility to tailor these steps for each contract's unique requirements.
Using the updated flow and additional stakeholder feedback, we crafted high-fidelity frames by refining elements from earlier designs to create a streamlined onboarding experience for both full-account and guest users. A key revision was repositioning the “context carousel” to the beginning of the flow. Since Soluna was a relatively new app, we couldn’t assume users would recognize its value upfront. Unlike a well-established app like Headspace, we needed to introduce Soluna’s benefits early to build trust and encourage sign-ups before asking users to commit. This approach also ensured the design could scale seamlessly to accommodate future contracts.
I was put in charge of making this mobile design responsive on our web app. Soluna’s current design system for web is still being created, so I collaborated with the lead product designer to make sure I adhered to what was already in the design system and what new guidelines I should suggest based on my new web designs for onboarding.
This new onboarding flow achieved its primary goal of guiding users seamlessly into the Soluna experience while addressing key constraints and user needs. By prioritizing clarity, scalability, and accessibility, the new design empowered users to understand the app’s value, create full-access accounts, and navigate their options with confidence. Despite the limitations of not being able to redesign the landing screen, the onboarding process effectively bridged the gap, with the intention of increasing user engagement and reducing drop-off rates. Collaborating closely with stakeholders and the design team ensured that the solution was adaptable for future contracts, paving the way for Soluna to scale with its growing client base. This project not only enhanced the user experience but also demonstrated how thoughtful design could align with business goals and operational constraints. It has been approved by stakeholders and is currently being developed.
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