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US Bank, Onboarding First Login
01 / Challenge
Designing First Login Onboarding: Guiding Users from Day One
Overview
First login onboarding introduces key setup tasks immediately after users sign in for the first time. It is designed to guide users through essential actions early, while allowing flexibility to complete remaining tasks later through extended onboarding. The goal is to help users get the most value from their digital banking experience from day one, providing clear, timely guidance that feels intuitive, supportive, and personalized, like a trusted financial partner.
Problem
New users were not consistently aware of or completing important onboarding tasks after account creation.
Why it matters
Without early guidance, users missed critical setup steps, leading to incomplete onboarding and reduced product adoption. In banking, the first 90 days are critical, users who don't complete key setup tasks are significantly more likely to churn.
System context
This experience represents the first stage of a broader onboarding system, where users are introduced to tasks that can be completed immediately or continued later through extended onboarding.
Key insight
Users need clear direction at first login, but not all tasks should be completed in a single session.
Tension
Introducing too many tasks upfront risks overwhelming users, while limiting tasks reduces awareness and completion.
Constraints
The experience needed to be quick, lightweight, and non-blocking while still surfacing important actions.
My role
Led the design of the first login onboarding experience, collaborating with product and engineering to define task prioritization and flow.
Approach
Designed an interstitial experience that:
- ▪Introduces high-priority onboarding tasks
- ▪Allows users to complete key actions immediately
- ▪Enables users to skip and continue later without losing visibility
Key decisions
- ▪Prioritized essential tasks while deferring others
- ▪Designed the experience to be skippable without breaking continuity
- ▪Established a foundation for continued onboarding beyond first login
Outcome
Created a guided onboarding entry experience that increases awareness of key tasks while enabling users to continue onboarding at their own pace.
Part of a connected system
This experience continues through Extended Onboarding, where users can return and complete remaining tasks.
02 / Impact
Driving Engagement by Removing Onboarding Friction
The business case was clear: improving the first-login experience directly tied to activation rates, product adoption, and revenue. The targets set by the team gave the design work real stakes. In banking, the first 90 days are critical for long-term retention. We identified that users who don't set up alerts, paperless or other essential task in the first 90 days are 40% more likely to churn.
My Role & Team
What I led
- ●Led research synthesis across card sort sessions and moderated DScout interviews
- ●Owned ideation for all 4 design concepts tested in research
- ●Facilitated design thinking workshops and stakeholder alignment sessions
- ●Drove the recommended direction from concept to high-fidelity prototype and engineering handoff
Team
4 Experience Designers · 2 XA · 1 Researcher · 2 Content Strategists · 2 PMs · 1 A11Y Consultant · dedicated Engineering pod
Scale
Millions of U.S. Bank credit card and checking account customers
03 / Solution
Create a new user informed onboarding experience that's welcoming, intuitive, personalized and works as a "friendly financial partner."
Instead of sending new customers into this new world alone, the experience provides a guided concierge service. The key concept is surfacing important items that allow customers to customize their product, at the right moment, in a way that feels helpful rather than overwhelming.
Personalization
Full Activity Menu Upfront
Customers see all available setup activities on the welcome screen before committing to anything, giving them the full picture and letting them choose where to start.
Task Design
Recommended Activities
A curated task list surfacing the most important setup steps first, alerts, digital wallet, paperless, and more, in a sequential, low-pressure flow.
Engagement
Persistent Activity Model
Setup activities persist after first login so customers can complete them at their own pace, no time pressure, no weekly schedule, just a clear path back in.
Tone
Friendly, Not Pushy
Research confirmed users welcome subtle nudges. The design leaned into that, warm copy, optional skips, no pressure.
Ideation
4 Design Concepts
Sequential, waterfall, gamified, and quiz-style approaches explored before converging on the recommended direction.
Research
User-Informed
Four rounds of research from Oct 2020 through Jun 2021 shaped every design decision, interviews, surveys, and concept testing.
Want to see the research, personas, and design explorations?