Improving Signup, Conversion & User Confidence for Modern Logic for Artists
UX Research & Prototyping for a Website Builder, by Brendan Stern
Project Overview
Duration: 2 Months
Client: Modern Logic is a Minnesota-based web and mobile app company offering artists an affordable way to have a professionally designed website created for them.
Goal: Modern Logic asked me to evaluate the usability of its high-fidelity website-builder prototype and identify barriers that could prevent users from completing signup and becoming customers.
Business Objectives
Modern Logic occupies a space between free website builders such as Google Sites and Squarespace and fully custom websites from a professional designer. The goal is to help artists create a professionally designed website at a lower cost than hiring a designer from scratch.
UX Objectives
I focused the evaluation on whether users could:
- Navigate the signup process without confusion or roadblocks.
- Understand what they were being asked to do at each step.
- Find and correct incomplete information.
- Understand Modern Logic's value compared with competing solutions.
- Pause and return to the process later.
- Transfer photos from their phone using the provided QR code.
Key Problems Identified
Three user tests revealed several significant opportunities:
- Competitive value was unclear: Users left the site to research competitors and questioned why they should pay more than they would for alternatives.
- Navigation created friction: Users had difficulty returning to specific sections to add or revise information.
- Progress and completion status were unclear: Users needed stronger indications of where they were in the process and which sections still required attention.
- Mobile access was limited: The signup portal was not designed for mobile use, creating barriers for users working from phones or switching between devices.
- Information was presented at the wrong time: Users skipped informational content that could have helped them understand Modern Logic before committing to the service.
This page describing Modern Logic is accessible before signing up, but not during signing up, and could show users Modern Logic's competitive advantage so users don't leave the site.
A sample of the first page of the portal.
My Role
- UX Research & Design Lead: Led heuristic evaluation, usability testing, user research, and synthesis.
- Usability Testing: Conducted user observations and identified friction throughout the signup journey.
- Prototyping: Created wireframes and a mobile prototype to explore potential solutions.
- Collaboration: Worked with Modern Logic's product owners and web engineers to translate findings into actionable recommendations.
UX Design Process
In this study I conducted a heuristic evaluation and user observations to locate any obvious interface issues or user pain points in the sign-up process.
Heuristic Evaluation
- There were several opportunities for user experience improvement upon initial testing. My findings were extensive and you can read the full report here.
- In summary, menu options, field usability, and warnings for incomplete or poorly filled forms were the biggest issues to address in making this more usable.
User Observations
I observed three users of the portal, giving them three objectives:
- create a site
- leave in the middle of creation and then navigate to a few specific pages after returning
- upload photos from their phone
Mobile Prototype Made in Figma
- A mobile prototype of the site was created to show possibilities.
User Observations
The users were art teachers or students who were not skilled in website creation but were familiar with using forms and web interfaces.
They were informed that they received a card or other advertisement promoting this site, which promises a professional website with easy setup. They were instructed to create a site by answering the questions on the portal. Later in the test, they were asked to leave the site and return, navigate to different pages to make changes, and try uploading photos to the site using their phone.
User Observation Synthesis
The major themes from user observations were:
- Competitor pricing and comparisons are missing, prompting users to search elsewhere on the web.
- Lack of cost transparency regarding better templates or customizations from Modern Logic.
- All users wanted a navigation system with labels to quickly get to their desired page.
- Users are uncertain about what their site will look like before buying it. They are also unsure about the amount of effort required to modify it, compared to using a free site like Google Sites.
- All users disliked the floating fixed menu on the more expensive modern site template.
Customer Journey Map
The customer journey revealed friction at both the beginning and end of the signup process.
Early in the journey, users were uncertain about Modern Logic's value, questioning its pricing and quality compared with competitors. Later, users became hesitant to complete the purchase without seeing what their website would look like and were unsure how much back-and-forth would be required to refine their design.
These findings pointed to two key opportunities: build confidence in Modern Logic's value early in the journey and give users greater confidence in the final outcome before they commit.
- Move Website Style earlier: One user suggested introducing the Website Style page earlier in the process to get users excited about creating their website, while moving contact information and other administrative details later.
- Provide a pre-start checklist: Users wanted to know what materials they would need before beginning, including website copy, images, contact information, and social media links.
- Make templates and company information accessible during signup: All users immediately selected "Get Started" from the landing page and bypassed the About and Templates pages. Making this information available within the signup experience could help users evaluate Modern Logic before committing.
- Make font choices more approachable: All users were uncertain about font selections on the Website Style page and several selected Times simply to complete the task. Examples of title/body combinations or recommended pairings could help users make confident choices.
- Expand template and customization options: Users wanted more templates and appreciated the ability to customize colors in competing services such as Squarespace. Expanding these options could make the experience feel more flexible and engaging.
- Improve mobile image uploads: Users encountered an application error when attempting to upload photos using the QR code.
- Make errors visible: Users received no clear error message when leaving a page with incomplete or invalid information. Providing immediate, actionable feedback could prevent confusion and help users complete the process.
- Give users more control over contact: One user was uncomfortable submitting a form that would initiate contact from Modern Logic and preferred to control when the conversation began.
- Separate navigation from completion status: Numbered navigation did not clearly communicate which sections were complete. Green check marks or another distinct visual indicator could communicate completion more effectively.
- Improve the visual hierarchy of navigation: If numbered navigation is retained, changing the color and shape of the icons could make the distinction between section numbers and completion status clearer.
Additional User Insights
Beyond the primary journey challenges, user testing revealed several additional opportunities to improve the signup experience, provide clearer guidance, and increase user confidence.
Build Excitement Earlier
Improve Design Guidance
Reduce Friction & Uncertainty
Clarify Progress & Navigation
Mobile Portal Prototype in Figma
Explore the interactive mobile prototype in Figma
This prototype explores how the Modern Logic portal could be adapted for mobile, with a simplified navigation system that gives users quick access to:- Menu — Navigate between portal sections.
- Information — Learn more about Modern Logic without leaving the signup experience.
- Help — Contact Customer Care when assistance is needed.
Reordering the signup experience
A key change was moving website design earlier in the signup process, allowing users to start creating their site before entering their personal information.
This shifts the experience from asking users to provide information first to letting them see the value they're creating first. The goal is to build excitement and investment early in the process, encouraging users to continue through signup.
Demo of Figma board.
Image duplicate in case your browser can't see the Figma file.
Key Findings
User research revealed several opportunities to improve the Modern Logic for Artists experience, particularly around navigation, transparency, visual guidance, mobile accessibility, and competitive positioning.
- Increase pricing transparency: Users left the portal to research competitor pricing and features, suggesting a need to communicate Modern Logic's value and pricing more clearly.
- Improve navigation and feedback: Unclear navigation, missing status indicators, and incomplete error messaging created confusion and contributed to abandonment.
- Strengthen visual guidance: Users wanted previews, font examples, and clearer template guidance before committing to design decisions.
- Remove mobile barriers: QR-code upload issues and the lack of a mobile-friendly portal created barriers for users working across devices.
- Clarify competitive value: Users were uncertain why Modern Logic was worth the higher upfront cost compared with alternatives such as Squarespace and Google Sites.
- Set expectations earlier: Users wanted to know what materials they needed before starting and often skipped informational content that wasn't integrated into the signup flow.
Recommended Next Steps
Based on the research findings, I prioritized the following opportunities according to their potential impact on user confidence, task completion, and Modern Logic's ability to communicate its value.
Clarify Modern Logic's value and competitive advantage
Analyze competitors and clearly communicate Modern Logic's pricing, benefits, and differentiators. Consider expanding template options and highlighting advantages directly within the site and signup experience so users don't need to leave the portal to conduct their own research. Refer to the list in the heuristic study for detailed suggestions..Create an explanatory video
Create a short video that demonstrates the benefits and competitive advantages of Modern Logic while providing a brief walkthrough of the online portal. This could help users understand the service before committing.Improve signup navigation and guidance
Update navigation throughout the signup process to make users' progress and available options clearer. This includes addressing the recommendations identified in the heuristic evaluation.Make company information accessible during signup
Allow users to access the About Us and other informational content without leaving the signup process. This gives users an opportunity to build trust and better understand who they are signing up with.
High Priority
Improve form accessibility and visual clarity
Refine form fields and color contrast, particularly to improve accessibility for users with visual impairments. See the heuristic evaluation findings.Strengthen error messaging
Provide clear, actionable error warnings that explain what went wrong and what users need to do to complete registration.Create a persistent login experience
Consider implementing a traditional user login system that allows users to remain signed in rather than relying on email identification and password entry.Develop a mobile experience
Create a mobile-friendly version of the portal to support users who prefer working from their phones or switching between devices. A mobile prototype provides a starting point for this direction.
Future Enhancements
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