Evelyn Partners
Making Onboarding 30% Faster
Role
Lead Product Designer
Duration
3 Months
Type
Results & impact
Faster onboarding and significant revenue growth
30% faster onboarding
40% increase in onboarding completion rates
25% reduction in drop-offs during document submission
20% improvement in document submission completion
15% increase in onboarding specialist satisfaction
These results led to faster client onboarding, higher conversion rates, and more efficient internal processes, driving revenue by getting more clients through the system in less time.
The problem
Evelyn Partners’ wealth onboarding process was complex and slow, leading to high drop-off rates. Clients were overwhelmed with too many steps, while onboarding specialists struggled with manual tasks and inconsistent workflows. The goal was to simplify the process, eliminate manual tasks, and enable clients to move through the onboarding flow faster—ultimately driving more revenue by onboarding more clients in less time.
Research & insights
Uncovering insights, aligning with business, technical restraints, and legal requirements
Through a 2-day workshop, user interviews and analytics, I uncovered the following key insights:
Complexity: Clients faced fragmented steps and a cumbersome process that contributed to high drop-offs.
Inefficient Workflow: Onboarding specialists spent too much time manually tracking progress and handling document submissions outside the platform.
Lack of Transparency: Clients didn’t know where they stood in the process, which led to confusion and delays.
In addition to user insights, I worked closely with stakeholders to align the design with business goals of faster onboarding and increased revenue. I also collaborated with the tech team to ensure the design worked within technical constraints and complied with legal requirements for document handling and data privacy.
Design Process
How I tackled this problem
2-day workshop, interviews, collaboration
Mapped the current onboarding flow, identifying pain points from users and specialists through feedback and analytics. Stayed adaptable, quickly adjusting based on insights and collaborating with stakeholders to align with business goals.
Ideation + constant feedback
Created multiple design concepts to simplify the journey, improve transparency, and automate manual tasks. I remained open to feedback and iterated rapidly to refine ideas and meet technical, business, user and legal needs.
Prototyping = C-level exec buy-in
Developed high-fidelity prototypes, integrating automated document signing and real-time progress tracking. Embraced flexibility, making quick adjustments based on team input and testing.
Testing and iteration
Conducted usability tests with clients and onboarding specialists, collaborating closely and incorporating feedback to improve the flow and ensure a seamless experience.
The solution
Clarity, automation, and transparency
The final design streamlined the onboarding process by focusing on clarity, automation, and transparency. Key features of the solution included:
Guided Onboarding for Specialists: An intuitive dashboard to track client progress, eliminating manual follow-ups and reducing delays.
Full Transparency for Clients: Clients could track their progress, see document requirements, and receive real-time updates.
Automated Document Handling: Integrated document signing and submission directly within the platform, removing manual steps.
Simplified Process: Reduced the number of steps, creating a faster, more intuitive experience for clients.
This approach ensured a more efficient process that was easier to navigate for both clients and specialists, driving the goal of faster onboarding and increased revenue.
Conclusion & key takeaways
Being flexible, iterating often and fast, cross-functional collaboration is key
This project reinforced the importance of simplicity, transparency, and automation in creating a seamless user experience. By focusing on both user needs and business goals, we delivered an onboarding process that was faster, more efficient, and more satisfying.
Key Takeaways:
Adaptability and collaboration were crucial in overcoming challenges, such as balancing security with simplicity and aligning multiple stakeholders.
Automation and transparency helped streamline the process, driving faster onboarding and reducing friction.
User resistance was addressed through clear communication and targeted training, ensuring a smooth transition to the new system.
Ultimately, this project improved onboarding completion rates by 40%, made the process 30% faster, and contributed to increased revenue by onboarding clients more quickly.
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