In this rapidly evolving landscape of digital products, ensuring a seamless user experience is paramount. This case study delves into a transformative journey led by our product management team at ImpactDash to address persistent challenges in user authentication — specifically, login, registration, and password reset processes.

Faced with escalating user complaints and a noticeable strain on key performance indicators (KPIs), our team embarked on a comprehensive initiative to redefine the user experience and fortify the product’s stability.

It was a normal day at our Remote HQ, for the Product team as we were minding our usual business and trying to brainstorm and dump new Ideas, Features and what not into the cauldron that is our product — ImpactOne.

Not long after we started our day that we got a notification *Ting* on our laptops…

It was an email.

I opened it to find that it was marked to not just me but the whole Product team and the Implementation Team as well. That explains the synchronised *Ting* notification sounds over the Zoom call we were having at the time.

It was from one of our users requesting assistance with logging into the portal. No big deal for our Implementation team, they got to work and within a couple of minutes they brought the user on a Zoom call to help him login seamlessly with his own credentials under their supervision.

All was quiet until…

Hoards of emails and dozens of phone calls started coming in over the next few days, all with varying degrees of the same issue —

Users not able to Login, Register or even Reset their Passwords!!!

The thing we thought was a one-off issue, turned out to be a serious concern for everyone, but this time it was escalated beyond departments.

With things looking dire we the Product team along with the Tech team started trying to figure out the root cause of these issues for each user, narrowing down the different complaints coming in, segmenting them into groups in order to help plan things better for the resolution phase.

But boy, did we manage to narrow it down FINALLY! Here we go…

I. Problems: 🚫

A. User Frustrations:

• High user dissatisfaction stemming from a myriad of login issues.
• Outdated design negatively impacts user experience.
• Frequent password reset problems resulting in access challenges.
• Frequent entry of wrong user credentials

B. Impact on Key KPIs:

• User Engagement (DAU/MAU): A decline in active users due to login difficulties. Many Users didn't mention or submit tickets for resolution and hence just stopped logging into the portal as shown below.

• User Acquisition (CPA): Increased acquisition costs to address user issues and retain new users.
• Conversion Rate: Hindered conversion rates, as Users faced these issues before the Agreement was signed while they were given playground access.
• User Retention (Churn Rate): Elevated churn rate as frustrated users abandoned the platform.
• Customer Satisfaction (NPS/CSAT): Decreased satisfaction scores and negative recommendations.
• Support Ticket Volume: Increased workload for customer support teams.
• Time to Resolution: Prolonged resolution times leading to heightened user frustration.
• User Lifetime Value (LTV): Reduced LTV due to decreased engagement and retention. This was a big hit as we had released new features which due to these issues, many users didn't find / were unable to explore within the portal, thus diminishing the LTV of the Product.
• Security Metrics: Potential security vulnerabilities and increased risk of incidents, highlighted during Compliance Audits by some of our clients as well in their reports.

Now that we narrowed down the problems and the potential impact on the Product KPIs & also the image of the business as a whole, we sat down and documented some objectives of the exercise

II. Objectives: 🎯

• Enhance user experience and satisfaction
• Drastically reduce login and password reset issues
• Minimize dependencies on the implementation team
• Improve product stability by addressing technical challenges
• Utilize user research and observations to identify and prioritize pain points as shown above
• Collaborate closely across teams to ensure a seamless user interface
• Adopt Agile methodology to expedite development cycles
• Form cross-functional teams to enhance collaboration and accountability
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement through regular feedback loops — this helps encourage teams to conduct through end-to-end testing to avoid shipping incomplete or sub-par enhancements / features

With all these in mind we set out to do a Heuristic Evaluation on our existing Legacy Login, Reset and Register screens and these were our results. Not looking too bright, no wonder Users were having a tough time, sheesh!

Here are a few sneaks of the Legacy screens below:

The Heuristic Analysis helped add a new dimension to our quest to build a better experience for the User on our Entry Screens. It helped discover more issues that needed to be addressed apart from the ones our Users had expressed

III. Solution Implementation: ✨

The ImpactOne team approached the identified problems systematically. We initiated a phased plan to revamp the login, reset password, and signup screens. The strategies employed included:

• User-Centric Design: A complete overhaul of the user interface was conducted based on extensive user research. This involved simplifying the login process, creating an intuitive signup flow, and optimizing the password reset mechanism
• Implemented clearer error messages indicating whether the issue is with the username or password. Provided a “Forgot Password” link for easy recovery
• Offered password strength meters and tips during the registration or password change process. Clearly communicate the specific requirements
• Streamlined the password reset process, reducing the number of steps. Offer multiple recovery options, such as email or mobile verification, for quicker access
• Provided a Hide / Unhide Password feature icon on the Password input field to help users cross verify the authenticity of their passwords before logging in to reduce errors caused due to wrong password entries
• Provided Toast messages for users to understand what action has taken place
• Implemented a fix for Username Enumeration. A Security Compliance factor highlighted by certain clients. The fix employs a generic message “password reset link will be sent to the email address if it is associated with an account when user try to reset password”

Here are a few sneaks of the updated screens below:

IV. Measurable Outcomes: 📈

After the implementation of these solutions, the impact on key performance indicators (KPIs) was substantial:

• User Engagement: Active users (DAU/MAU) increased by 30%, showcasing a significant improvement in the login experience
• Conversion Rate: Conversion rates improved by 15%, indicating that users were more likely to complete the signup process without facing previous issues
• User Retention: Churn rate reduced by 25%, demonstrating a successful retention strategy through improved user experience
• Customer Satisfaction: NPS and CSAT scores increased by 20%, with users expressing higher satisfaction levels in post-implementation feedback
• Support Ticket Volume: A 40% decrease in support ticket volume indicated that users encountered fewer issues, resulting in reduced workload for the customer support teams
• Security Metrics: Compliance audits reported a significant improvement in security metrics, addressing potential vulnerabilities identified in the pre-implementation phase
• User Acquisition: Costs per acquisition (CPA) decreased by 20% as fewer resources were needed to address user issues during onboarding

User Testimonials:

Direct quotes from users post-implementation:

“The new login process is so much smoother! I don’t have to jump through hoops anymore.”

“I used to dread resetting my password. Now, it’s a breeze. Great job!”

“The signup flow is intuitive and quick. I wish it had been like this from the start.”

Post-implementation Heuristic Evaluation yielded surprising yet very positive results.

V. Conclusion: 🔚

In conclusion, the initiative not only resolved immediate issues but also resulted in a transformative improvement in the overall user experience. Key lessons learned include the importance of:

• User-centric design: Listen to the user’s cries!
• Agile methodologies: Iterate, Iterate & Iterate some more!!
• Cross-functional collaboration: Trust me, you can’t do everything alone

Hopefully this case study underscores the significance of continuously iterating based on user feedback and maintaining a proactive stance towards technical improvements.

This experience surely has become a cornerstone for fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the ImpactOne team.

Oh yes, we can’ just end the story abruptly. Like all old-fashioned stories ours too finds its resolution, not in an ending, but in a continuation of tales yet untold.

Till next time! 👋