VIEWSTATS

by MrBeast

How I Reduced User Dropoff with an Intuitive Onboarding Process

Under NDA: Some details are anonymized or vague.

What is Viewstats?

Viewstats is an analytical web application that provides YouTube creators with insights that guide them to make data-driven decisions to grow their channels.

My Role

UX/UI Designer

The Challenge

We needed a better way to introduce a new complex feature called “Alerts”. The original solution was a 1 page form. But this was overwhelming, unclear, and lacked context about what to expect. I needed to rework this in a way that cleared this up, but was also concise, educational, and intuitive.

The Original Design

How It Started

The original start to the "Alerts" feature was a form similar to the one seen to the right.
It's overwhelming, provides no context as to what this tool does, nor does it explain what to expect once the form is completed.

The Original Form

The Redesign Process

Secondary Research - Social Listening

Users on various social media platforms (X, Reddit, LinkedIn, etc.) made it clear that the feature:

Was confusing - Users didn’t understand the form.
Provided low value - Users didn’t understand the purpose.
Was overwhelming - Landing on a page with 6 input fields, mixed with the confusion led to cognitive overload.

I knew that the user needed to be educated and the process needed to be simplified and more intuitive.

Research

What users had to say…

“I have no idea what this does or what it’s about, so I just don’t use it”

“I completed the form, which takes me to the next page. But I don’t understand how this is meant to be used to help me”

More Secondary Research

I needed to understand the most effective ways to teach users:

What the feature is,

Why they should use it,
And how to best use it to their advantage as content creators.

I understood that the best way to introduce the feature would be via a video tutorial and a short infographic.
The data also led me to break the form down into a step by step process.

Research

What the research says…

“Video tutorials have proven to be highly effective in enhancing knowledge retention, with 95% of viewers retaining information compared to only 10% through text-based learning”

The DVI Group

“Infographics provide people with visual information and short texts; this makes it easier for people to retain information.”

GoVisually

“Visitors are bound to experience psychological friction when they see a long form...Multi-step forms combat this problem by breaking down the fields into steps, so they don’t have to submit all their information at once.

Doing this helps put people’s mind at ease so they won’t feel overwhelmed.”

Instapage

Intro Screen

Guide - Step 1

User Journey Mapping

I led the team through a user journey mapping exercise to figure out how best to order the steps, and to remove/add steps as necessary.

Ideation

Understanding the Additions

The Intro - The user is now introduced to the feature to understand what it is and how it works.
Choose Views Threshold - Providing the user with preset options makes the process simpler and faster.
User Feedback - Understanding what users think of the process is useful data to help the team iterate and continuously improve the flow. To avoid user frustration I kept it minimal and optional.

Key

Original Steps

New Steps

Original Solution

Name Alert

Choose Keywords

Input Custom Views

Choose Video Type

Choose Language

Input Inclusions

Input Exclusions

Updated Solution

The Intro

Choose Keywords

Input Incl./Excl.

Choose Video Type

Choose Views Threshold

Choose Language

Name Alert

User Feedback

User Journey Mapping Output

How Might We…

With a 5+ step process, the user may forget what they inputted.

Also, this process is great for a first time user, but what happens when a user returns to the feature after their first use?

Ideation

How might we ensure the user can access what they’ve inputted so far, without having to backtrack in the process?

How might we optimize this process for the return user who may not need another step by step guide?

How might we cater to return users who may find the step by step guide more user-friendly and less overwhelming?

How Might We Statements

“How Might We” Solutions

Form for the Return User

Hi-Fidelity Screens

Design

Reflection

Enhanced Feature Onboarding and Increased User Retention

By transforming what used to be a single form into a comprehensive onboarding experience, I significantly improved user engagement and retention. The changes included:

Introductory Feature Explanation: Providing an introduction to the feature helped users understand its purpose and how to use it effectively.
3-Step Infographic: Offering a quick visual guide for users who prefer not to watch a video, catering to different learning preferences.
Step-by-Step Onboarding: Breaking down the original form into five manageable steps made the process less overwhelming and more intuitive.
Streamlined Return User Experience: Redesigned the form for returning users to bypass the full onboarding guide, creating a more intuitive, condensed, and user-friendly form.

As a result of these improvements, we saw a substantial decrease in user dropoff rates during the onboarding process. Users reported feeling more confident and informed, leading to higher satisfaction and continued engagement with the product.

Conclusion

Thanks for Reading!

Thank you for reviewing this case study. Feel free to reach out with any questions or for further discussion.

Don’t forget to check out the full product here!