Introduction
We’ve heard countless times from our researchers and product analysts that Babbel Live best serves the learners who’ve already subscribed. But what about the learners who haven’t started yet?
Since the launch of Babbel Live in 2022, the team hadn’t prioritised onboarding new learners to the product. But finally in 2024 Q1, I knew it was time to change that.
Ultimately, new learners were too anxious to get started with Babbel Live. Speaking a new language you don't know in a group of strangers is nerve-racking. Babbel Live wasn't giving enough support and guidance.
The Triple Diamond design process
Triple Diamond
At the core of this project was the Triple Diamond design process, which extends the traditional Double Diamond.
Discover: Problem discovery and definition, solution discovery and concept validation
Development: Final design hand off, design QA during implementation
Validation: AB test
Roll out based on the AB test results
Problem discovery
I believe one of the most important phases of the design process is the product discovery. I am always an advocate for understanding the opportunity both from a business perspective and the users. Once you discover the opportunity then you can begin designing a solution that will impact both the business and the user.
The company OKRs that we were committed to impacting in Q1 was to prove that Babbel Live is valued so much by customers that they are willing to pay for it. More specifically, increase the share of all active Live subscribers by 10%.
At the beginning of the year the Live design team completed a week-long design sprint to explore the product’s main pain points and opportunities, in context of our OKR. From the week, it was clear that onboarding new learners to Babbel Live was key to solving learner needs and business goals.
The company OKRs that we were committed to impacting in Q1 was to prove that Babbel Live is valued so much by customers that they are willing to pay for it. More specifically, increase the share of all active Live subscribers by 10%.
At the beginning of the year the Live design team completed a week-long to explore the product’s main pain points and opportunities, in context of our OKR. From the week, it was clear that new learners were too anxious to get started with Babbel Live. Onboarding new learners to Babbel Live was key.
Babbel Live before learner onboarding
Babbel Live before learner onboarding
Through user experience research (UXR), we identified key pain points preventing new learners getting started with Babbel Live. These pain points were then visualized in an opportunity tree, helping us map out potential solutions that would directly address user anxieties and barriers to engagement.
From a survey done by UXR we knew that 74% of learners with a subscription to Babbel Live take a free Live class before subscribing. Most of these learners confirmed they understood the value of Babbel Live during their first class.
Problem definition
So with these things in mind, my goal was: Make learners feel confident enough to book their first class and attend that first class, and then subscribe to Live.
Solution discovery and definition
I knew the importance of empathising with our learners and answering questions like: Where do I start? What Live class should I book? What happens during the class? How do I sign up?
Following the Triple Diamond process, I initially researched both direct and indirect competitors and explored multiple directions to ensure we had a broad understanding of potential solutions. I then moved to the next stage: define and converge, critically assessing what was necessary for the first release and defining the functionality and logic for the onboarding feature.
The user flow for learner onboarding to Babbel Live
The user flow for learners onboarding to Babbel Live
.png)
The wireframes for learners onboarding to Babbel Live
With the new Babbel brand just released, I was able to play around with new colour, typography, image, iconography while staying aligned with the existing Babbel Live interface. It was important that this feature grabbed learners attention and gave them a clear indication of where to start their journey with Babbel Live.
.gif)
Learner onboarding UI card explorations
Learner onboarding UI card finals
Learner onboarding UI card explorations
Learner onboarding UI card finals
.png)
Final onboarding cards specs
Final onboarding cards specs
Concept Validation
To validate our design decisions, UXR and I conducted an unmoderated usability test. This allowed us to gather real-time feedback from learners as they interacted with the onboarding feature. By analyzing user interactions, drop-off points, and qualitative feedback, we identified key areas for refinement before full implementation, which included copy changes.
AB test and roll out
Before rolling the feature out to all new learners, we decided to conduct an A/B test to validate the impact of the new onboarding experience in a controlled setting.
After a four week AB test visible to 300,000 learners, the results were in:
6% more learners were booking their first class
5% more learners were joining their first classes
26% more learners visiting the Babbel Live pricing page and investigating subscriptions
These positive results demonstrated the impact of the new onboarding experience, leading to the decision to roll out the feature to all new learners with the intention of iterating in Q2.
New learners onboarding flow
