Boosting onboarding conversion in Gruvi by +272%
Role
Product Designer
Timeline
2 months
Client
Gruvi
Industry
Prop-Tech
Responsabilities
UX audit for mobile app
Research and discovery process
Information architecture
Competitor analysis
Problem analysis and diagnosis
UX strategy for the Brazilian market
Overview
Redesign onboarding flow to reduce churn and increase conversion. The project identified friction points through data, heuristics, and emotional journey analysis, simplifying the experience, and delivering value faster to new users.
Challenges
High churn rate during onboarding
Complex and fragmented flow
Mandatory facial recognition causing high drop-offs
Slow and confusing error feedback
Lack of clarity about the core value
Balance security requirements with simplicity
Context and challenge
When I joined Gruvi, one of the first priorities was to revisit the onboarding experience.
At that time, more than 80% of users abandoned the app before completing registration, which meant that most of them never accessed the core value of the product, paying bills, downloading documents, and managing their condominiums.
The objective was clear: reduce churn and make the first contact with the app simpler, faster, and more engaging.
Primary goals
Raise conversion to at least +50%
Allow users to access key features within the first interactions
Remove friction and unnecessary barriers
Research and data analysis
To understand why users were abandoning the flow, I combined quantitative data from Mixpanel with qualitative feedback from customer support and reviews.
The data showed long and fragmented journeys with up to 23 screens, facial recognition as a mandatory step (with only 8% success rate), and error messages that only appeared after several minutes of unsuccessful attempts.
On the other hand, user feedback revealed frustration with unclear instructions, technical errors, and the perception that the process was overly bureaucratic for a housing app.
Diagnosis of the scenario
In parallel to that, I mapped the user journey and emotional curve during onboarding to visualize moments of frustration and cognitive overload. The analysis revealed redundant screens, late error messages, and a growing sense of confusion, especially around SMS validation and facial recognition steps.
Additionally, I conducted a competitive analysis to understand how direct competitors approached their onboarding flows, identifying common pain points, recurring usability issues, and positive patterns that could inspire best practices for Gruvi.
This combination of data, heuristics, competitive insights, and emotional mapping highlighted how usability issues were directly affecting user trust and motivation, guiding the priorities for the redesign.
Main problems
Unnecessary fields and repeated steps
Too much text, difficult to read on mobile
Architecture that confused first-time users
Slow error feedback (users only knew something was wrong after many screens)
Benchmark and insights
To enrich the analysis, I studied how other apps approached onboarding and deal with those problems.
Instagram and Waze stood out for offering extremely quick and simple logins.
Duolingo and Revolut demonstrated the importance of delivering value early, even before the account is fully created. Coinbase and Headspace highlighted the role of clear feedback and concise language in reducing abandonment.
The main insight was that onboarding should not be treated as bureaucracy, but as the first delivery of value. If users can’t experience immediate benefits, they won’t be motivated to continue.
Pillars of the sollution
Simplicity
Reduce the number of screens and request only essential information
Rapidity
Deliver value as early as possible, avoiding long waits and redundant steps
Clarity
Ensure direct copy, simple instructions, and early error messages to all users
Delight
Use positive microinteractions and confirmation feedback to motivate users
Design solution
Simplicity:
Reducing 3 screens into 1
In addition to reducing the number of screens, this page was designed to centralize all user information required during onboarding.
Once the SMS verification is completed, Gruvi checks if there is a property manager in the system with the data provided by the user.
If no matching record is found, the user immediately sees the message “No property found” at step 3 of the flow, saving time and avoiding unnecessary steps.
Rapidity:
Delivering value faster
Another important change was the introduction of pending action banners, allowing tasks like e-mail confirmation or identity validation to be postponed.
This way, users could explore the app and access their condominium information immediately, while still being reminded of the steps they needed to complete.
Delight:
With purpose
Property information is displayed clearly and in a visually friendly way, acting as a positive confirmation during onboarding.
This avoids redundant steps and builds confidence by immediately showing users that they are accessing the correct community within Gruvi.
This type of delight is not merely aesthetic but functional, t reduces uncertainty, reinforces trust, and creates a welcoming moment that prepares users to continue their journey with confidence.
Clarity:
In the journey
The “no match found” screen displays a message informing the user that no property is linked to the provided information and that they should request data correction from their property management company.
We also offered the option to try again with different information in case of a typing error, as well as the possibility to request an update of their registration directly with the condominium management.
Impact of the solution
%
new convertion rate
+
%
new convertion rate
-
%
drop in tickets related to this
-
%
screens in the main flow
-
%
time to complete main flow
-
%
time to complete error flow
Next steps
Iterating beyond onboarding
Following the redesign, the next phase focused on monitoring user behavior and validating the long-term impact on retention and engagement. Future iterations will explore extending the same UX principles beyond onboarding, improving the experience from first access to the delivery of value inside the app.
Continuous testing, qualitative interviews, and performance tracking through Mixpanel and Pendo will guide ongoing refinements, ensuring the experience remains simple, intuitive, and emotionally engaging as the platform evolves.
In retrospect
This project was a turning point in demonstrating how data-driven design can create measurable impact. By combining quantitative insights from Mixpanel with user feedback and heuristic analysis, we were able to uncover the real causes behind the high churn rate and transform the onboarding experience into something clear and engaging.
The redesign not only increased conversion by over 270% but also reduced support tickets and user frustration dramatically. Applying market best practices, from progressive onboarding to early value delivery, proved essential to achieving these results.
Most importantly, this project reminded me that great UX comes from balancing data, empathy, and business goals to design experiences that truly work for people.
Boosting onboarding conversion in Gruvi by +272%
Timeline
2 months
Client
Gruvi
Industry
Prop-Tech
Role
Staff Designer
Responsibilities
UX audit for mobile app
Research and discovery process
Information architecture
Competitor analysis
Problem analysis and diagnosis
UX strategy for the Brazilian market
Overview
Redesign onboarding flow to reduce churn and increase conversion. The project identified friction points through data, heuristics, and emotional journey analysis, simplifying the experience, and delivering value faster to new users.
Challenges
High churn rate during onboarding
Complex and fragmented flow
Mandatory facial recognition causing high drop-offs
Slow and confusing error feedback
Lack of clarity about the core value
Balance security requirements with simplicity
Context and challenge
When I joined Gruvi, one of the first priorities was to revisit the onboarding experience.
At that time, more than 80% of users abandoned the app before completing registration, which meant that most of them never accessed the core value of the product, paying bills, downloading documents, and managing their condominiums.
The objective was clear: reduce churn and make the first contact with the app simpler, faster, and more engaging.
Primary goals
Raise conversion to at least +50%
Allow users to access key features within the first interactions
Remove friction and unnecessary barriers
Main problems
Unnecessary fields and repeated steps
Too much text, difficult to read on mobile
Architecture that confused first-time users
Slow error feedback (users only knew something was wrong after many screens)
Impact of the solution
+
%
new convertion rate
-
%
drop in tickets related to this
-
%
time to complete main flow
-
%
screens in the main flow
Design solution
Rapidity: Delivering value faster
Another important change was the introduction of pending action banners, allowing tasks like e-mail confirmation or identity validation to be postponed.
This way, users could explore the app and access their condominium information immediately, while still being reminded of the steps they needed to complete.
Simplicity: Reducing 3 screens into 1
In addition to reducing the number of screens, this page was designed to centralize all user information required during onboarding.
Once the SMS verification is completed, Gruvi checks if there is a property manager in the system with the data provided by the user.
If no matching record is found, the user immediately sees the message “No property found” at step 3 of the flow, saving time and avoiding unnecessary steps.
Research and data analysis
To understand why users were abandoning the flow, I combined quantitative data from Mixpanel with qualitative feedback from customer support and reviews.
The data showed long and fragmented journeys with up to 23 screens, facial recognition as a mandatory step (with only 8% success rate), and error messages that only appeared after several minutes of unsuccessful attempts.
On the other hand, user feedback revealed frustration with unclear instructions, technical errors, and the perception that the process was overly bureaucratic for a housing app.
Benchmark and insights
To enrich the analysis, I studied how other apps approached onboarding and deal with those problems.
Instagram and Waze stood out for offering extremely quick and simple logins.
Duolingo and Revolut demonstrated the importance of delivering value early, even before the account is fully created. Coinbase and Headspace highlighted the role of clear feedback and concise language in reducing abandonment.
The main insight was that onboarding should not be treated as bureaucracy, but as the first delivery of value. If users can’t experience immediate benefits, they won’t be motivated to continue.
Delight: With purpose
Property information is displayed clearly and in a visually friendly way, acting as a positive confirmation during onboarding.
This avoids redundant steps and builds confidence by immediately showing users that they are accessing the correct community within Gruvi.
This type of delight is not merely aesthetic but functional, t reduces uncertainty, reinforces trust, and creates a welcoming moment that prepares users to continue their journey with confidence.
Clarity: In the journey
The “no match found” screen displays a message informing the user that no property is linked to the provided information and that they should request data correction from their property management company.
We also offered the option to try again with different information in case of a typing error, as well as the possibility to request an update of their registration directly with the condominium management.
Iterating beyond onboarding
Following the redesign, the next phase focused on monitoring user behavior and validating the long-term impact on retention and engagement. Future iterations will explore extending the same UX principles beyond onboarding, improving the experience from first access to the delivery of value inside the app.
Continuous testing, qualitative interviews, and performance tracking through Mixpanel and Pendo will guide ongoing refinements, ensuring the experience remains simple, intuitive, and emotionally engaging as the platform evolves.
In retrospect
This project was a turning point in demonstrating how data-driven design can create measurable impact. By combining quantitative insights from Mixpanel with user feedback and heuristic analysis, we were able to uncover the real causes behind the high churn rate and transform the onboarding experience into something clear and engaging.
The redesign not only increased conversion by over 270% but also reduced support tickets and user frustration dramatically. Applying market best practices, from progressive onboarding to early value delivery, proved essential to achieving these results.
Most importantly, this project reminded me that great UX comes from balancing data, empathy, and business goals to design experiences that truly work for people.
Diagnosis of the scenario
In parallel to that, I mapped the user journey and emotional curve during onboarding to visualize moments of frustration and cognitive overload. The analysis revealed redundant screens, late error messages, and a growing sense of confusion, especially around SMS validation and facial recognition steps.
Additionally, I conducted a competitive analysis to understand how direct competitors approached their onboarding flows, identifying common pain points, recurring usability issues, and positive patterns that could inspire best practices for Gruvi.
This combination of data, heuristics, competitive insights, and emotional mapping highlighted how usability issues were directly affecting user trust and motivation, guiding the priorities for the redesign.
Pillars of the sollution
Simplicity
Reduce the number of screens and request only essential information
Rapidity
Deliver value as early as possible, avoiding long waits and redundant steps
Clarity
Ensure direct copy, simple instructions, and early error messages to all users
Delight
Use positive microinteractions and confirmation feedback to motivate users
Next steps
Boosting onboarding conversion in Gruvi by +272%
Role
Staff Designer
Timeline
2 months
Client
Gruvi
Industry
Prop-Tech
Responsibilities
UX audit for mobile app
Research and discovery process
Information architecture
Competitor analysis
Problem analysis and diagnosis
UX strategy for the Brazilian market
Overview
Redesign onboarding flow to reduce churn and increase conversion. The project identified friction points through data, heuristics, and emotional journey analysis, simplifying the experience, and delivering value faster to new users.
Challenges
High churn rate during onboarding
Complex and fragmented flow
Mandatory facial recognition causing high drop-offs
Slow and confusing error feedback
Lack of clarity about the core value
Balance security requirements with simplicity
Context and challenge
When I joined Gruvi, one of the first priorities was to revisit the onboarding experience.
At that time, more than 80% of users abandoned the app before completing registration, which meant that most of them never accessed the core value of the product, paying bills, downloading documents, and managing their condominiums.
The objective was clear: reduce churn and make the first contact with the app simpler, faster, and more engaging.
Primary goals
Raise conversion to at least +50%
Allow users to access key features within the first interactions
Remove friction and unnecessary barriers
Research and data analysis
To understand why users were abandoning the flow, I combined quantitative data from Mixpanel with qualitative feedback from customer support and reviews.
The data showed long and fragmented journeys with up to 23 screens, facial recognition as a mandatory step (with only 8% success rate), and error messages that only appeared after several minutes of unsuccessful attempts.
On the other hand, user feedback revealed frustration with unclear instructions, technical errors, and the perception that the process was overly bureaucratic for a housing app.
Diagnosis of the scenario
In parallel to that, I mapped the user journey and emotional curve during onboarding to visualize moments of frustration and cognitive overload. The analysis revealed redundant screens, late error messages, and a growing sense of confusion, especially around SMS validation and facial recognition steps.
Additionally, I conducted a competitive analysis to understand how direct competitors approached their onboarding flows, identifying common pain points, recurring usability issues, and positive patterns that could inspire best practices for Gruvi.
This combination of data, heuristics, competitive insights, and emotional mapping highlighted how usability issues were directly affecting user trust and motivation, guiding the priorities for the redesign.
Main problems
Unnecessary fields and repeated steps
Too much text, difficult to read on mobile
Architecture that confused first-time users
Slow error feedback (users only knew something was wrong after many screens)
Benchmark and insights
To enrich the analysis, I studied how other apps approached onboarding and deal with those problems.
Instagram and Waze stood out for offering extremely quick and simple logins.
Duolingo and Revolut demonstrated the importance of delivering value early, even before the account is fully created. Coinbase and Headspace highlighted the role of clear feedback and concise language in reducing abandonment.
The main insight was that onboarding should not be treated as bureaucracy, but as the first delivery of value. If users can’t experience immediate benefits, they won’t be motivated to continue.
Pillars of the sollution
Simplicity
Reduce the number of screens and request only essential information
Rapidity
Deliver value as early as possible, avoiding long waits and redundant steps
Clarity
Ensure direct copy, simple instructions, and early error messages to all users
Delight
Use positive microinteractions and confirmation feedback to motivate users
Design solution
Simplicity:
Reducing 3 screens into 1
In addition to reducing the number of screens, this page was designed to centralize all user information required during onboarding.
Once the SMS verification is completed, Gruvi checks if there is a property manager in the system with the data provided by the user.
If no matching record is found, the user immediately sees the message “No property found” at step 3 of the flow, saving time and avoiding unnecessary steps.
Rapidity:
Delivering value faster
Another important change was the introduction of pending action banners, allowing tasks like e-mail confirmation or identity validation to be postponed.
This way, users could explore the app and access their condominium information immediately, while still being reminded of the steps they needed to complete.
Delight:
With purpose
Property information is displayed clearly and in a visually friendly way, acting as a positive confirmation during onboarding.
This avoids redundant steps and builds confidence by immediately showing users that they are accessing the correct community within Gruvi.
This type of delight is not merely aesthetic but functional, t reduces uncertainty, reinforces trust, and creates a welcoming moment that prepares users to continue their journey with confidence.
Clarity:
In the journey
The “no match found” screen displays a message informing the user that no property is linked to the provided information and that they should request data correction from their property management company.
We also offered the option to try again with different information in case of a typing error, as well as the possibility to request an update of their registration directly with the condominium management.
Impact
-
%
new convertion rate
-
%
drop in tickets related to this
-
%
screens in the main flow
-
%
drop in tickets related to this
Next steps
Iterating beyond onboarding
Following the redesign, the next phase focused on monitoring user behavior and validating the long-term impact on retention and engagement. Future iterations will explore extending the same UX principles beyond onboarding, improving the experience from first access to the delivery of value inside the app.
Continuous testing, qualitative interviews, and performance tracking through Mixpanel and Pendo will guide ongoing refinements, ensuring the experience remains simple, intuitive, and emotionally engaging as the platform evolves.
In retrospect
This project was a turning point in demonstrating how data-driven design can create measurable impact. By combining quantitative insights from Mixpanel with user feedback and heuristic analysis, we were able to uncover the real causes behind the high churn rate and transform the onboarding experience into something clear and engaging.
The redesign not only increased conversion by over 270% but also reduced support tickets and user frustration dramatically. Applying market best practices, from progressive onboarding to early value delivery, proved essential to achieving these results.
Most importantly, this project reminded me that great UX comes from balancing data, empathy, and business goals to design experiences that truly work for people.