Account creation (signing up with email or other social media) → verifying an account → profile creation (asks for name, bio, photo) → prompts for personalized suggestions on people and content to follow based on contacts. Steps can be skipped for an account to be created.
Notion
User is prompted with some questions for Notion to tailor suggestions for productivity → guides users through an interface tutorial to introduce key features → makes additional suggestions like Notion on desktop and syncing with your personal calendar. Notion’s onboarding focuses on a learn by doing and is designed in a way for users to explore its features in a hands-on way.
Venmo
Sign up with phone number/email via the app → verify phone number/email → provide personal information (DOB/SSN) → link a bank account. Steps can’t be skipped to achieve full functionality.
Business Friction As a Result of Onboarding
Based on the onboarding processes of these platforms, there are several points of friction that’s context-dependent we can examine here. Venmo requires a user to link bank information, which cannot be memorized by heart, creating an extra layer of information complexity a user might not hav e on hand when onboarding. Notion caters its suite of tools to users who desire specific use cases for productivity. Given its learn by doing onboarding format, friction/lack of friction deepends on user dedication. Instagram’s onboarding process, and social platforms in general, can be viewed as a comparatively frictionless process, as many steps can be skipped and attended to after an account is successfully created.
