Atrilyx Onboarding

A self-guided onboarding flow designed to support clients, analysts, and internal teams from day one.
INTRODUCTION
Atrilyx needed a scalable onboarding solution, so I designed an automated, role-based flow that improved user experience, reduced admin tasks, and set up first-time users for success.
This case study focuses specifically on the design of the Atrilyx onboarding experience. While the dashboard itself plays a key role in the user journey, this breakdown is centered solely on the onboarding process to maintain clarity and emphasize its unique design challenges and solutions.

My role

Responsible for user research, conceptualization, UI Design, Prototyping, and user testing.

Team

CIO

COO
Full-stack dev
Designer (me)

Database Engineer
Systems Admin
Product Managers
Stakeholders

Tools

Figma
Adobe XD
Whimsical
UserTesting
Adobe Cloud
Jira

Platform

Responsive Web-App

Timeline

2024

❗

The Problem

Atrilyx lacked an onboarding process, leaving first-time users clients, analysts, and internal teams unsure of how to get started. This led to confusion and an over-reliance on admins for manual setup, slowing down platform adoption.

From a business perspective, an intuitive, automated onboarding flow was essential for scaling the platform and reducing manual input, enabling users to onboard independently and accelerate product engagement.

🧠

The Challenge

The task was to design a completely new onboarding experience from scratch, enabling users with varying needs to easily get started. The goal was to automate the process while minimizing the need for admin involvement.

We had to create a clear, role-specific journey that could scale with Atrilyx’s growing user base. The challenge was balancing simplicity with flexibility while ensuring the process remained intuitive and seamless for all users.

🎯

Onboarding Goals

  • Automate the setup process to reduce manual tasks and empower users to onboard independently
  • Design a scalable flow that accommodates different user roles with distinct needs
  • Create a clear, self-guided experience that makes it easy for first-time users to engage
  • Enable the platform to scale by creating an onboarding process that supports future growth and adapts to a growing user base
EMPATHIZE

User Research and Interviews

🧪
User Research & Method
To design an onboarding experience that truly supports our users, we prioritized understanding their needs, frustrations, and expectations from the start. Through a combination of in-depth interviews and targeted surveys, we engaged directly with individuals who go through or support the onboarding process at Atrilyx.
Qualitative Interviews with:
  • New Users
  • Admins
  • Clients
  • In-house Team
  • Sales Team
💡
Key Insights
New users want structure an intuitive, linear journey that explains what to do and why it matters.
Admins and clients emphasized the importance of personalized experiences tailored to different user types and goals.
Early interactions should focus on key features and value delivery, not overwhelm users with options.
Users want transparency around setup requirements, timelines, and how to get help if they’re stuck.
Visual cues, progress tracking, and completion feedback help users feel confident and in control.
❗
Pain Points
Overwhelming Setup
New users may find the setup process confusing if too many steps are introduced at once without clear guidance.
Lack of Clarity
Users might struggle to understand the function or importance of certain features, leading to hesitation or errors.
Limited Customization Options
Admins may require more flexibility to adjust the onboarding flow based on specific team needs, but the current system may feel too rigid.
Integration Issues
Technical hurdles during setup such as integration problems could present significant barriers to successful platform adoption.
EMPATHIZE

Bringing Personas to Life Through Real Journeys

To create a smoother start for every new user, I built personas and journey maps that reflect real onboarding scenarios ocusing on what users need, where they get stuck, and how to guide them without friction.
💡 Key Insights
  • Users want onboarding to be clear, concise, and self-directed, with just enough guidance to feel confident without needing to rely heavily on support.
  • A one-size-fits-all flow doesn’t work different roles (like admins, clients, or analysts) have different needs, so personalization and role-based guidance are crucial.
  • Users preferred a step-by-step onboarding flow over a long, continuous scroll, as it provided better clarity, focus, and a sense of progress throughout the setup process.
DEFINE

Problem Statement

Users going through the Atrilyx onboarding process whether they're new to the platform, managing setup, or supporting clients face friction due to unclear guidance, lack of role-specific pathways, and limited visibility into progress. This leads to delays, confusion, and inconsistent onboarding experiences.
🧪
Hypothesis Statement
If we design a clear, step-by-step onboarding experience with role-specific guidance and progress tracking, then users will have a smoother, faster setup, leading to reduced confusion and less reliance on support.
🎯
Goal Statement
Our onboarding flow will guide users through a tailored, step-by-step process that helps them complete the setup efficiently and confidently. We will measure success by tracking completion rates, user satisfaction, and a decrease in support requests related to onboarding.
IDEATE

Making Sense of Complexity Through Patterns

To transition from research to actionable insights, I created an affinity diagram using the data collected from user interviews, empathy maps, persona needs, and user journey pain points. As I organized sticky notes into categories, patterns began to emerge. Users consistently voiced confusion about where to start, the lack of contextual guidance depending on their role, and the uncertainty of what was left to complete. These clusters became a springboard for ideation highlighting not just isolated pain points, but systemic areas where the onboarding experience could be reimagined for clarity and ease.
IDEATE

A Competitive Onboarding Analysis

Why I Did It
To better understand industry standards and uncover opportunities for improvement, I analyzed the onboarding experiences of platforms with similar data-driven or advertising-related functionalities. The goal was to evaluate how these products guide users, communicate value early, and support different user roles during setup. This comparative study provided valuable insights into usability patterns, strengths, and friction points that informed our design strategy for Atrilyx.
💡 Key Insights
  • Balance depth with clarity: Leading platforms simplify technical onboarding by breaking down tasks into guided, contextual steps without sacrificing functionality.
  • Support user diversity: Effective onboarding doesn't assume users have industry knowledge—adaptive experiences tailored to user roles increase confidence and reduce friction.
IDEATE

Crazy 8s: Exploring Layout

To explore different ways the onboarding experience could be structured, I used the Crazy 8s sketching method. This rapid ideation exercise allowed me to quickly generate multiple layout ideas—from how users move through steps, to where role-specific content might live, to how progress is visually communicated. It helped me experiment with flow, hierarchy, and interaction patterns before committing to a single direction.
DESIGN

Designing a Seamless Experience

To begin the design phase, I translated insights from user research and ideation into a clear user flow. This visual map outlines how users from admins to clients move through the onboarding process, highlighting each key step from entry to completion.
USABILITY

Testing Usability to Uncover Insights and Improve Flow

To ensure the onboarding experience met user expectations, I conducted usability testing with participants across different roles. The goal was to observe how users interacted with the mid-fidelity wireframes, identify pain points, and gather actionable feedback to refine the design before moving into high-fidelity mockups & prototyping.

🎯
Goals
To evaluate the effectiveness of the onboarding flow in guiding users through setup with minimal friction.
Validate if users can complete onboarding steps without confusion
Understand if users can successfully connect data sources
Test if layout and content are intuitive and role-appropriate
🧪
Method
  • Format: In-person unmoderated
  • Tool used: Adobe XD prototype
  • Participants: 3 internal stakeholders, 3 analysts
  • Session length: 20–30 mins each
Tasks:
  • Navigate through the onboarding screens
  • Fill out all input and selectors
  • Connect data sources
  • Review role-specific content prompts
💬  
Key Findings
Pros
Users appreciated the role-specific onboarding flow and found the welcome screen informative. The step-based progression helped reduce cognitive load and improved clarity.
Cons
Some users hesitated at the data connection step, suggesting the need for more visual cues or guided instructions. Others were unsure whether they had completed onboarding due to the lack of clear confirmation.
Iterations
Based on the insights, I refined the confirmation states, improved instructional copy for connecting data, and explored ways to simplify visual hierarchy within each step.
DESIGN

Creating Consistency and Clarity Across the Onboarding Experience

To improve usability and create a smoother experience from onboarding into the main dashboard, the UI needed to feel cohesive. I focused on using base design system methods like consistent components, spacing, and color to ensure everything felt connected and intuitive throughout the journey.
Note: Due to NDA restrictions, only selected portions of the design system are shown.
DESIGN

From Vision to Interface

Polishing the experience into a functional, visually cohesive design that bridges onboarding and dashboard.
PROTOTYPE & TESTING

From Flow to Function

This interactive prototype brings the onboarding journey to life. Guided by user feedback and informed by real testing insights, every screen was refined to ensure clarity, usability, and seamless integration with the dashboard experience.
🎯
Outcome
  • The reimagined onboarding flow led to a smoother user setup experience, reducing friction during account creation and boosting completion rates by 38%.
  • By simplifying steps, improving navigation, and providing clear guidance for data connections, new users were able to activate their accounts faster and with more confidence.
  • This intuitive start helped teams engage with the platform earlier, increasing time-to-value and strengthening the platform’s first impression.
🧠
Takeaways
  • Designing an effective onboarding experience meant addressing both user anxieties and technical complexity guiding users without overwhelming them.
  • Working alongside stakeholders and users highlighted the importance of balancing progressive disclosure with quick access.
  • I deepened my understanding of how layout, flow, and copy work together to reduce drop-off and set users up for long-term success.
🚀 
Next Steps
  • Ongoing Optimization: Continue refining the onboarding flow by testing small improvements to content, layout, and interaction patterns.
  • Develop More Features: Introduce new onboarding tools like real-time data validation, import templates, and connection wizards to further ease setup
  • Iterate with Growth: As the user base grows, adapt the experience to support diverse needs and scale onboarding with flexibility and personalization.
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