Learning in the wild
Users don't need an instruction manual. They need their first win. I redesigned Toucan's onboarding around that insight, and Day 1 activation jumped 67%.
Toucan / 1 product designer (me), 1 PM, 4 eng, 1 copywriter, 1 brand designer / 1 month
67%
increase in Day 1 activation
83%
increase in week 2 retention
Learning in the wild
Users don't need an instruction manual. They need their first win. I redesigned Toucan's onboarding around that insight, and Day 1 activation jumped 67%.
1 product designer (me), 1 PM, 4 eng, 1 copywriter, 1 brand designer / 1 month
67%
increase in Day 1 activation
83%
increase in week 2 retention
Learning in the wild
Users don't need an instruction manual. They need their first win. I redesigned Toucan's onboarding around that insight, and Day 1 activation jumped 67%.
Toucan / 1 product designer (me), 1 PM, 4 eng, 1 copywriter, 1 brand designer / 1 month
67%
increase in Day 1 activation
83%
increase in week 2 retention
(A little context before we start.)
Toucan is a browser extension for learning languages as you use the Internet.
Used by over a million people across 8 languages on desktop and mobile, it swaps words inline so vocabulary builds naturally. I led design on the Growth team.
Editor's Picks
Editor's Picks
(A little context before we start.)
Toucan is a browser extension for learning languages as you use the Internet.
Used by over a million people across 8 languages on desktop and mobile, it swaps words inline so vocabulary builds naturally. I led design on the Growth team.
Editor's Picks
Editor's Picks
Problem
Users were dropping off before they ever got started.
In usability testing, participants rushed through onboarding, tapping on static elements and expecting them to respond. By the end, they still didn't understand how Toucan worked, leading to drop-offs and uninstalls.
Problem
Users were dropping off before they ever got started.
In usability testing, participants rushed through onboarding, tapping on static elements and expecting them to respond. By the end, they still didn't understand how Toucan worked, leading to drop-offs and uninstalls.
The existing onboarding, a static and wordy click-through, stalled users
The existing onboarding, a static and wordy click-through, stalled users
The existing onboarding, a static and wordy click-through, stalled users
What if the Internet itself was the tutorial?
What if the Internet itself was the tutorial?
Solution
So we made the browser the classroom.
The goal was to build momentum toward a first win. By the end, users don't just know how Toucan works. They've already used it.
Solution
So we made the browser the classroom.
The goal was to build momentum toward a first win. By the end, users don't just know how Toucan works. They've already used it.
Start on an actual webpage
Onboarding starts on a real Google results page, not a static mock. Personalized splash screens welcome users, who pick their language and motivation before seeing a single translation.
Start on an actual webpage
Onboarding starts on a real Google results page, not a static mock. Personalized splash screens welcome users, who pick their language and motivation before seeing a single translation.
Learn your first word
An interactive walkthrough guides users to their first aha moment, hovering over a word and then reinforcing what they've learned. They can now see themselves using Toucan to reach the goals they just set.
Learn your first word
An interactive walkthrough guides users to their first aha moment, hovering over a word and then reinforcing what they've learned. They can now see themselves using Toucan to reach the goals they just set.
Leave with a win — and a habit already forming
Users leave onboarding already on a webpage full of translations waiting to be discovered.
Leave with a win — and a habit already forming
Users leave onboarding already on a webpage full of translations waiting to be discovered.
Impact
With the next win one hover away, Day 1 activation jumped 67%.
This activation jump translated to an 83% increase in week 2 retention. The first win led to more as onboarding didn't end. It just became using Toucan.
Impact
With the next win one hover away, Day 1 activation jumped 67%.
This activation jump translated to an 83% increase in week 2 retention. The first win led to more as onboarding didn't end. It just became using Toucan.
Keep reading
Keep reading
Keep reading