BETTER
ONBOARDING

Effective strategies for guiding new users through products & services

When users try your product for the first time, what encourages them to come back? Onboarding can make the difference between abandoned accounts and devoted use—if we design it as a holistic, ongoing process.

Krystal Higgins demonstrates how the best onboarding experiences guide people as they interact, helping them follow their own path to success. Gain practical strategies and techniques for designing effective guidance, whether you’re working through a redesign, launching new features, rolling out service updates, or welcoming back returning users. Set aside the tutorials, manuals, and intrusive instructions of the past, and learn how to use guided interaction to help users find their way—and get value out of every step.

In this book, you'll learn...

Table of contents:

  • "Let's get started"
  • Ch 1 • What is onboarding?
  • Ch 2 • Preparing for new users
  • Ch 3 • Mapping onboarding journeys
  • Ch 4 • Guidance in action
  • Ch 5 • Presenting guidance
  • Ch 6 • Scaling guidance
  • "You're all set"
"This book is full of actionable advice that looks thoughtfully beyond a first-time, single-pathway use case. Krystal explores how we can positively shape a user’s experience by meeting them in context. The result is a must-have guide to guiding that sets users up for success."

PATIMA TANTIPRASUT
Managing director at PetRescue

"Few people can speak about onboarding design with the authority of Krystal Higgins. Better Onboarding is an essential knowledge source for anyone serious about building successful products and businesses."

JOE MACLEOD
Founder and head of endineering at andEnd

"This book could truly be titled Better Products. Krystal Higgins beautifully debunks the myth of one-and-done onboarding approaches, and provides a practical guide to making products that welcome users over and over again."

KATE RUTTER
Principal at Intelleto and cohost of What is Wrong with UX podcast