UX RESEARCH | UX WRITING
Revamping the NYSC Website: Making Onboarding Clearer for First-Time Users
COMPANY
NYSC
ROLE
Content Designer
EXPERTISE
UX Design, Research & Writing
YEAR
2022
Project Background
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a one-year mandatory programme for Nigerian graduates, aimed at fostering unity and promoting selfless service to the nation. The NYSC website serves as a vital platform for fresh graduates to register, log in, and access essential information. However, many first-time users have difficulty navigating the website, which leads to confusion and a poor user experience, especially during the onboarding and registration process. This project aimed to address those issues by refining the website’s copy and user flow.
My Roles & Responsibilities
As the Content Designer, I was responsible for auditing the website’s content, identifying usability issues, and reworking the copy to improve clarity, tone, and overall user experience. I worked closely with the design team to ensure that the content was seamlessly integrated into the user interface and aligned with the user needs.
The Key Problem
💡 How can we simplify the NYSC website’s onboarding experience for first-time users and improve the clarity of the registration process?
Why I chose to address this problem:
I chose to tackle this problem because I saw a clear opportunity to improve the user experience for new users who rely on the website for essential registration tasks. With an efficient, user-friendly onboarding experience, graduates could avoid unnecessary stress and save time. More importantly, by simplifying the language and streamlining the process, I knew I could make the website feel more welcoming and accessible, which would positively impact the NYSC's mission of fostering unity and selfless devotion.
The Solution
💡 To address this challenge, I conducted user research, including usability tests and conversation mining, to understand the pain points and preferences of new users. Based on these insights, I reworked key sections of the website’s onboarding flow to provide clearer guidance and improve accessibility for first-time users.
User Research
Personas
Research Insights & Finding
To better understand the issues, I conducted usability tests with five participants and gathered insights from their experiences. Here are some key quotes:
Quotes from Participants
I’m trying to navigate the page. I’d have to contact the customer care for some help to log in.
- Chinenye
Since I can’t find a place to log in on the official website, I’d leave the page to make a google search. - Ilyas
The error message I got is a bit harsh. It doesn’t make me feel like I can give it another shot. “Invalid” also sounds like my account does not exist at all.
In addition, I conducted conversation mining using Google Trends to better understand the language users were familiar with, which helped guide the content decisions.
The Challenge
Through user research and content review, I identified several issues users like Ken and Daisy (our Personas) were facing while navigating the NYSC website. These issues made their experience frustrating, and solving them was crucial for improving the user journey.
Some of the key challenges included:
Overload of Irrelevant Information: Users were bombarded with content that wasn’t immediately useful, making it difficult to focus on the key tasks.
Unclear Copy: The language on the website didn’t effectively guide users through the next steps, leaving them unsure of how to proceed with registration.
Inconsistent Terminology: There were inconsistencies in the language used across the site, which created confusion for users.
Grammar and Punctuation Errors: Users noticed mistakes in the text, which negatively impacted the website’s credibility and trustworthiness.
Harsh and Unfriendly Tone: Some error messages and instructions came across as blunt or impersonal, which left users feeling frustrated and unsupported.
Features
Here’s what I did:
Rewritten Copy: I revised the headline from “Existing User Login” to “Welcome Back” to create a friendlier, more human tone, as the page was for existing users.
Clear Call-to-Action for New Users: I added a prominent button for new users to start their registration process, ensuring it stood out visually by underlining it.
Consistent Terminology: I changed “Passcode” to “Password” to ensure consistency and use more familiar language for users.
Friendlier Error Message: I revised the error message from “Invalid Email” to “The email or password you entered is incorrect. Try again” to soften the tone and make it more user-friendly.
Clearer Button Text: I changed the “Resume” button to “Log In” to make the action clearer and align with user expectations.
Success Metrics
To measure the success of the changes, I proposed the following metrics:
Click-Through Rates: How many users clicked the sign-in or registration buttons after the content was improved.
Task Success Rates: How successful users were in completing the registration and login tasks.
Conversion Rates: How many new users completed the sign-up process.
Customer Satisfaction: User feedback on the clarity and friendliness of the content.
Retention Rates: Whether users returned to the website after completing the onboarding process.
Drop-off Rates: How many users dropped off during the onboarding or registration process.
Recommendations & Conclusion
After making the content changes, I suggest further improvements for continued usability:
Make Key Actions More Obvious: According to Steve Krug’s usability principles, crucial actions, like registering or logging in, should stand out clearly on the page.
Simplify the Navigation: The website has too many vague and unnecessary labels in its navigation menu. I recommend following best practices for website navigation and limiting the number of items to improve user focus.
Add a Search Box: Including a search bar would allow users to find specific information quickly and reduce the need for unnecessary browsing.
Revise the Information Architecture: Reorganizing the website’s content and menu structure would enhance the flow and create a smoother experience for users.
Recommendations & Conclusion
After making the content changes, I suggest further improvements for continued usability:
Make Key Actions More Obvious: According to Steve Krug’s usability principles, crucial actions, like registering or logging in, should stand out clearly on the page.
Simplify the Navigation: The website has too many vague and unnecessary labels in its navigation menu. I recommend following best practices for website navigation and limiting the number of items to improve user focus.
Add a Search Box: Including a search bar would allow users to find specific information quickly and reduce the need for unnecessary browsing.
Revise the Information Architecture: Reorganizing the website’s content and menu structure would enhance the flow and create a smoother experience for users.