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First Impressions that Last: How to Design Onboarding Experiences

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Aug 12, 2024

First impressions last a lifetime. This is an old saying that still holds true today, especially in the digital world. It can take as little as a tenth of a second to make a first impression.1 This is how quickly users will decide whether they will continue to engage with an app or website.2 

For most digital experiences, onboarding is the entry door where initial judgments about the whole product are formed. Onboarding occurs when a new user first opens an app or website, guiding them through its main features and functions to ensure a quick understanding of how to use it effectively. In this piece, we will explore the psychological factors behind onboarding to help you craft a first impression that lasts.

But First: How Do First Impressions Work?

First impressions are quick and subconscious judgments we make about a person, place, or thing based on the information that is first available to us. They are powered by two key biases: the halo effect, which suggests that our initial perception of one aspect of something influences our perception of other aspects,  and the primacy effect, the tendency for the first piece of information to influence our perception more than later information. 

These initial judgments created by our subconscious can set the tone of how we interpret future interactions. With this in mind, a positive onboarding experience can create a favorable perception of the entire product and lead to long-lasting loyalty. On the other hand, a negative onboarding experience can frustrate a user and quickly lead to abandonment. 

When it comes to onboarding, the way we create these first impressions results from two types of judgments: visual and experience. Let’s look into what each of these is—and, more importantly, how to perfect them.

Visual Judgments

The visual appeal of a product is the first thing users typically pick up on. A 2006 paper by Lindgaard demonstrated that it took participants only 50 milliseconds to form a first judgment about how a website’s homepage looked. This emphasizes how important it is that designers get the “look” of a landing page right through aspects like design layout and color choices.4

Generally speaking, there are two visual aspects people usually judge when looking at your digital product: appeal and trust.

1. Appeal

Attractive designs that incorporate pleasing shapes and colors are often perceived as more usable, known as the aesthetic-usability effect.4 Minimal and simple layouts require less cognitive effort, consequently creating better first impressions. This indicates that users are more likely to overlook minor usability issues if the design is visually appealing.

For example, BeReal's onboarding allows users to focus on one task at a time through a simple and minimal look.

BeReal screen asking for user's name

2. Trust

Users need to feel that a platform is trustworthy and secure right off the bat. A professional appearance helps to achieve just this! Clear privacy policies, recognizable security icons, and transparent communication about data use can all help a user feel safe engaging with a product past the onboarding stage.1

For example, Instagram starts by explaining the value of enabling the app to access your contacts. Further on, they also let you know how they will store your information.

App screen showing ability to sync contacts to find friends

Experience Judgments 

First impressions are not just about what a user sees but also about how a user feels during their initial interaction with a product. This often determines whether they can perceive the immediate value or not. 

Emotions play a critical role in how first impressions are formed and judged.5 Positive emotional responses can create a lasting connection with users, encouraging ongoing loyalty—while negative ones can do exactly the opposite. While designing an onboarding experience, keep the following emotions in mind.

Frustration 

How quickly a platform responds to user inputs can determine their level of frustration during initial interactions. Slow loading times or unresponsive elements can frustrate users and lead to abandonment. 

Ownership

When a user feels like a product caters to their needs, their sense of ownership can make them feel like they are set up for success. To achieve this, you can harness the power of the framing effect by emphasizing how a product can help users achieve their goals right from the start.

For example, Plum highlights customer success stories to frame their product in a favorable light during onboarding.

Plum app screen highlighting customer success stories

Delight

Selectively including information helps to avoid overwhelming users so that they can concentrate on what is important at the moment, creating a positive emotional response. Take advantage of the peak-end rule, which suggests that we judge an experience based on how we felt either during the “peak” or at the end.

For example, the Zing app has a small celebration moment with animation when onboarding is completed. Not only does this reinforce the fact that the user now holds a new digital card but it also leaves them feeling good!

Zing app showing digital card is live with confetti

Finding Value in First Impressions

During onboarding, users have high expectations and short attention spans—and unfortunately, many products try to convey too much information at once. This is the biggest challenge when building onboarding experiences: trying to encourage users to find the value of the app in a short amount of time. Here are some examples of apps leveraging cognitive biases to help get their message across quickly and seamlessly.

Instagram Threads

Instagram Threads leverages default states, which are pre-set options that require no effort, streamlining choices and reducing cognitive load. On Threads, defaults allow you to follow all the accounts you already follow on Instagram during onboarding, simplifying the process to one click.

App screen showing suggestion to follow same accounts you follow on Instagram

Venmo

Venmo leverages the spacing effect, which suggests that learning is more effective when repeated in spaced-out sessions. Onboarding doesn’t have to show all the steps at once; it can include only the most critical ones at first. For instance, Venmo shortens their onboarding to account setup and leaves secondary actions in cards on the homepage to guide users toward the next steps after onboarding.

Venmo app welcome screen

First Impressions That Last

First impressions are powerful determinants of future engagement. Effective onboarding plays a crucial role in shaping these first impressions. This involves more than just making a product look and feel good; it also demonstrates how the product can help users achieve their goals. By integrating cognitive biases like the default state and spacing effect, an app or website can streamline the onboarding process, making it both efficient and engaging. This is the key to turning first-timers into committed users who last.

References

  1. Pilat D., & Sekoul D. (2021). The First Impression Bias. The Decision Lab. Retrieved June 26, 2024, from https://thedecisionlab.com/reference-guide/psychology/the-first-impression-bias
  2. Kapusy, Kata & Emma, Lógó. (2020). User Experience Evaluation Methodology in the Onboarding Process: Snapchat Case Study. Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications. 30. 4-10. 10.1177/1064804620962270. 
  3. Lindgaard, G., Fernandes, G., Dudek, C., & Brown, J. (2006). Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Behaviour & Information Technology, 25(2), 115-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290500330448
  4. Moran Kate, The Aesthetic-Usability Effect, Nielsen Norman Group, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/aesthetic-usability-effect/
  5. Meyer, A. (2024, April). The psychology behind successful user onboarding: Leveraging cognitive biases. UX Matters. Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2024/04/the-psychology-behind-successful-user-onboarding-leveraging-cognitive-biases.php

About the Author

A woman with long black hair wears a light gray top, gold hoop earrings, and layered gold necklaces, standing against a plain, light-colored background, gazing directly at the camera.

Maricela Arizaga

Maricela Arizaga is a Senior UX Designer at The Decision Lab, bringing her expertise to the crossroads of strategy and creativity in the realm of digital product creation. A steadfast advocate for accessibility and inclusive design, she is dedicated to sculpting a digital landscape that combines innovation with inclusivity, driven by her conviction that outstanding design should be accessible to all.
Prior to her role at The Decision Lab, Maricela led UX product development in a global context across Travel, Retail, Automotive, and Healthcare industries. Her exceptional work has earned her usability awards, underscoring her commitment to creating user experiences that stand out.

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