Slack educates users with empty states and a friendly bot
Slack is up there with one of my favourite onboarding experiences.Β As it's minimal in style and in the written content, they promote. The first three screens of Slackβs onboarding flow easily explain how users can take advantage of specific features to improve communications in the workplace.Β
Duolingo, a free language learning app, certainly knows a thing or two about moving users forward. Once I download and open the Duolingo app, I am immediately asked to choose a language, set daily learning goals, and estimate my current skill level. I am then thrust right into the process of learning Japanese (the language I chose).
Duolingo leads with the product experience
Unlike most apps, Duolingo has a user onboarding experience that begins with the product and ends with a signup formβitβs an excellent example of gradual engagement.
Gradual engagement involves postponing registration for as long as possibleβusually until the moment when users must register in order to progress further.
Duolingo does this expertlyβinstead of forcing users to register immediately, Duolingo allows them to complete a full language lesson before prompting them to create an account. And even then, registration is optional.
Certain features like language clubs and achievement badges remain off-limits to unregistered users, but these users can still access the app's core value proposition of daily language learning without creating an account (though they will receive periodic prompts as they complete lessons).
Take Spotifyβs onboarding process. Right after I create an account, I am prompted to pick musical artists I like β a βtaste onboardingβ process that enables Spotify to create tailored playlists for me right away. Though I only pick about five artists, this information allows Spotify to gain a better understanding of my musical preferences, even before I begin engaging with the app.
Since Spotify wants users to listen to music they love as quickly as possible, they start by asking you about your favourite artists. I love the effect of similar artists appearing once you make a selection. This is what I need to focus on incorporating for Bookmark, I need to have personalised recommendations on book genres that users have selected. Rather than having general genres rolled into one - e.g. Popular book. It should be Authors similar to what youβve read before.