Impactful Outcomes
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Activation Widget: Driving Funded Accounts and User Activation
Role
Product Design Lead
Transforming a fragmented, multi-step activation problem into a focused in-product experience that drove meaningful improvements in business outcomes.
Overview
Newly onboarded parents were signing up but not completing activation, which created a critical drop-off that limited revenue and product adoption.
Activation required multiple steps:
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Funding their account -
Sending money -
Having their child accept the invite
Despite successful onboarding, many users stalled before completing these actions.
The Problem
Activation was not a single action. It was a multi-step, dependent flow.
We saw three key issues:
Lack of clarity
Users did not know what to do next after onboarding
High friction
Funding required trust and intent early on
External dependency
Activation relied on the child accepting an invite
We also had an existing solution in place: a 30-day onboarding challenge designed to guide users through activation. However, it failed to drive meaningful results:
-
It lived outside the core product experience -
It required sustained attention over time rather than immediate action -
It did not effectively prioritize high-impact steps like funding
As a result, a large portion of users never reached an activated state.
Insight
"Users were not dropping off because they lacked intent. They were dropping off because we were not guiding them clearly at the right moment."
Drive engagement where the value happens instead of external reminders.
Reduce cognitive load and psychological friction with micro-tasks.
Focus on funding the account as the primary key to activation.
The Bet
If we guide parents to fund their account early and break activation into simple, actionable steps within the product, we will increase funded accounts, drive higher activation rates, and establish early behaviors that lead to stronger long-term engagement and retention.
The Solution
Progressive guidance, not overwhelm
Activation is broken into clear, step-based actions. Only the next best action is emphasized to the user.
Prioritize funding first
Funding is positioned as the primary unlock for activation with a clear and compelling call to action.
Contextual and persistent
The widget lives in the product experience and remains visible at the right moments without being intrusive.
Action-driven design
The experience focuses on doing rather than explaining. Messaging and hierarchy reduce cognitive load.
What We Cut
To keep the experience focused, we intentionally avoided:
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Full checklist screens
which were too heavy and had low completion
-
Email and SMS activation
which lacked immediacy and visibility
-
Progress tracking UI
which added complexity without improving action.
Impact
Increase in activation rates for newly onboarded users within 30 days.
Engagement rate, with 1 in 3 users interacting with the widget.
Increased number of funded accounts, enabling downstream activation steps
Why It Worked
Shift in Strategy
Activation moved from outside the product into the product
High-Leverage Focus
The experience focused on the highest-leverage action, funding
Radical Simplicity
A complex flow was simplified into clear, guided steps
Takeaway
I transformed a fragmented, multi-step activation problem into a focused in-product experience that drove meaningful improvements in both user activation and long-term engagement.
Savings Enhancements: Driving Habit Formation and Balance Growth
Role
Product Design Lead
Transforming savings from an underused feature into a habitual behavior that drives long-term engagement and significant deposit growth.
Overview
While users were activating their accounts, many were not consistently using savings features or building meaningful balances.
Savings existed in the product, but it was not being used as a habitual behavior, limiting long-term engagement and value.
The Problem
Savings was available, but not effective.
We identified four core issues:
Low visibility
Features were not prominent in the core experience.
Confusion
Users didn't understand the difference between goals and general savings.
Lack of education
No guidance on how or why to save within the product flow.
Low engagement
UI lacked visual appeal and motivation to interact regularly.
Insight
"Users were not opposed to saving. They lacked clarity, guidance, and motivation to engage consistently."
Simplify the mental model between saving types.
Educate users at the right moment, not just upfront.
Make saving feel easy, engaging, and repeatable.
The Bet
If we simplify how users understand savings, provide lightweight education in context, and create a more visually engaging and easy-to-use experience, users will save more consistently and build stronger habits early.
The Solution
1. Clarify the savings model
Clearly distinguishing between goals and general savings and when to use each.
2. Educate in context
Introduced lightweight, just-in-time guidance instead of relying on upfront explanations.
3. Make saving effortless
Reduced friction and created simple entry points to start saving quickly.
4. Make the experience visually engaging
Enhanced UI with clearer hierarchy, rewarding visuals, and dynamic feedback.
What We Cut
To stay focused on behavior change, we avoided:
Impact
YoY increase in kid contributions.
New deposits within 5 months of launch.
50% increase in adoption
Contributed to 5 million dollars in total savings over a 3-year period.
Takeaway
I transformed savings from a confusing, underused feature into a clear, engaging, and actionable experience that helped users build habits and drive meaningful growth in deposits.