Dec 2024 - Feb 2025

Designing an accessible onboarding experience for users with intellectual disabilities driving a 70% increase in member conversion

Re-designed the MeplusMore intellectual disability learning platform's onboarding to help users including NDIS government supported users to sign up and start their learning journey towards independence.

B2C

B2B

Non-profit

Cognitive accessibility

My design approach: Conducted heuristic analysis and benchmarked high-performing platforms to surface effective usability and accessibility patterns. Used these insights to improve onboarding accessibility, then iteratively tested with users to identify cognitive needs to optimise final design.

Role

UX/UI designer

Timeline

2.5 months

Client

MeplusMore

Learning platform to help people
with intellectual disabilities learn to be indpendent

Business objective

  1. Engage Individuals with intellectual disabilities and advocates to convert into members (B2C)

  1. Secondary focus to engage disability service providers to incorporate MeplusMore into their offerings (B2B)

Responsibilties

User research, heuristics analysis, user flow, rapid protoyping, usability testing

Deliverables

UX heuristic audit + MVP prototype with a scalable design system and developer handoff.

How I created value and impact

70%

User onboarding conversion

50%

increase in ease of use rating

Full case read: 7 mins

The problem

70% of Meplusmore's current members have intellectual disabilities
and are unable to signup to the learning platform independently

Indicating the onboarding experience is not effectively designed to support user needs,
a clear barrier to Meplusmore’s sign-up conversion

Landing page

Signs up

Learning course

Meplusmore learning platform

Onboarding also doesn't align with the learning platform's product mission
of helping users with intellectual disabilities lead their own learning journey to independence

The users

A closer look at users needs with intellectual disabilities

Reveals onboarding architecture and navigation needs to support the range of cognitive accessibility needs in order for users to sign up.

ADHD

Needs clear
visual supports

Screen readers

Keyboard
Accessibility

Dyslexia

Large and
readable fonts

Autism

Step by step
instructions

Range of core user cognitive needs

Meplusmore has also expanded their offerings to B2B providers

and mapping all users and needs reveals how complex the architecture needs to be to support.

Individuals (B2C)

Accessibility for all
cognitive abilities

Advocates

Wants to help indiviuals
towards indpendence

Providers (B2B)

Needs group
membership packages

NDIS users
(government supported)

want to use funding

Support workers

Helps individuals work towards independence

Organisations

Looking for
workshops

Support
coordinators

memberships

98% of current members

Map of users and their needs

The design objective

How can the onboarding be designed to meet business objectives while staying aligned with the product mission of empowering self-led learning?

  1. Convert users (B2C) into members

  1. Attract providers (B2B) to adopt offerings

Design goal: Accessibility for all mental models

See design trade-offs

To align with MeplusMore’s product mission of everyone having access tools for independence, the experience needs to be accessible to all users and support a range of mental models.

Approach

I kicked off with a heuristic audit to identify usability gaps
and found 3 key problem insights

Given MeplusMore’s low UX maturity, I began with a heuristic audit of the onboarding journey including the user entry points of the landing page. Applying Nielsen’s 10 heuristics helped identify usability gaps and accessibility barriers early.

Fragmented information architecture and hidden entry points
causing individuals and providers to miss Meplusmore offerings

Fragmented information architecture and hidden entry points
causing individuals and providers to miss Meplusmore offerings

Fragmented information architecture and hidden entry points
causing individuals and providers to miss Meplusmore offerings

Landing and onboarding lacks accessibility for intellectual cognitive needs,
making it difficult for core users to sign up.

Landing and onboarding lacks accessibility for intellectual cognitive needs,
making it difficult for core users to sign up.

Landing and onboarding lacks accessibility for intellectual cognitive needs,
making it difficult for core users to sign up.

One-screen onboarding creates high cognitive load and excludes 90% of users
under government-funded disability NDIS users, leading to drop-off.

One-screen onboarding creates high cognitive load and excludes 90% of users
under government-funded disability NDIS users, leading to drop-off.

One-screen onboarding creates high cognitive load and excludes 90% of users
under government-funded disability NDIS users, leading to drop-off.

Landscape research

To solve, I analysed high-performing patterns from sites
that excelled in addressing similar usability problems

Tailored entry points to help users find their offerings and signup

Hidden and unclear entry points cause users to miss Meplusmore's offerings.

Hireup excelled in tailored CTAs entry points to help similar users navigate easily to offerings.

Tailored entry points to help users find their offerings and signup

Hidden and unclear entry points cause users to miss Meplusmore's offerings.

Hireup excelled in tailored CTAs entry points to help similar users navigate easily to offerings.

Tailored entry points to help users find their offerings and signup

Hidden and unclear entry points cause users to miss Meplusmore's offerings.

Hireup excelled in tailored CTAs entry points to help similar users navigate easily to offerings.

Screen reader support, reading toggles & simple visuals helps
users with diverse range of cognitive needs sign up

Screen reader support, reading toggles & simple visuals helps
users with diverse range of cognitive needs sign up

Screen reader support, reading toggles & simple visuals helps
users with diverse range of cognitive needs sign up

Step-by-step gamified onboarding reduces cognitive load
and uses visual feedback to guide sign-up.

Step-by-step gamified onboarding reduces cognitive load
and uses visual feedback to guide sign-up.

Step-by-step gamified onboarding reduces cognitive load
and uses visual feedback to guide sign-up.

Rapid ideation & prototyping

Insights from landscape research guided concept sketching,
shaping landing navigation and onboarding flow

Using the Crazy 8s method, I rapidly ideated on key problem areas using insights gained form high performing usability patterns found in landscape research. The strongest sketches informed the site’s core navigation and onboarding flow.

Landing page

Tailored CTA entry points
to help users navigate to offering

Accessibility toolbar

Accessible tools to support range of cognitive needs

Onboarding step by steps

Step-by-step flow with progress cues guides sign-up

NDIS user onboarding

Tailored sign up entry point for government supported users

Userflow

Original individual onboarding flow only allows 2% of users can sign up

Original signup user flow

Login

Sign up

Free trial

Silver membership

Gold membership

Providers

Choose
learning course

Name

Birthdate

Address

Email

Password

Support contact

Payment

No option for 98% users on government supported NDIS packages

New flow grants dashboard access before membership confirmation, making sign-up accessible to all membership types and enabling freemium upsell

New signup user flow

Sign up

Name

Age

Email

Support
contact

Welcome
to platform

Free trial

Online membership

Print & online

Ndis package

Learning
course

NDIS users get freemium access while NDIS government supported package is processed

Wireframes & User testing

Sketches and userflow shaped wireframes, but user testing revealed the choice architecture disrupted how users made decisions, reducing engagement

Landing page wireframe useability test

User task: Navigate to through the website and sign up

User task: Navigate to through the website and sign up

3 dislikes

2 likes

2 comments

5 shares

Individual - ADHD & Autism on NDIS goverment support

“It doesn't look like they support NDIS, so I wouldn't explore any further… because it's not for me"

“It doesn't look like they support NDIS, so I wouldn't explore any further… because it's not for me"

“It doesn't look like they support NDIS, so I wouldn't explore any further… because it's not for me"

Advocate - Parent of Individual

"It looks simple, but that might make it harder for people with disabilities, they need more support or they will end up asking for help"

"It looks simple, but that might make it harder for people with disabilities, they need more support or they will end up asking for help"

NDIS users don’t see a clear option or have no help/support, the choice architecture suggests the product isn’t for them, leading to disengagement

Unexpected turning point in the design process

To find a solution, I revisited landscape research to identify existing landing page patterns that accommodate diverse user needs and entry points.

Superannuation websites use quick link bars to help users with diverse needs quickly recognise relevant options and support, making it easier to engage.

Quick link bar for diverse user needs and find help

Australian Super landing page

Trade-off: Entry points for diverse user needs > Simplicity for cognitive load

This design decision was made to ensure users could quickly recognise pathways relevant to them, encouraging deeper engagement and reducing friction in the sign-up process.

To support users with
reading difficulties

Entry point for NDIS
government supported users

Re-designed Meplusmore landing page with quick link bar

This design decision surfaced visibility of previously hidden offerings,
aligning the architecture with core user needs to engage sign-up.

Before site map

Hidden entry point: Sign up, providers
and government supported NDIS users (98% of current members)

After site map

Visible entry points for user needs and support/help, giving both core providers and NDIS users direct access to sign-up and relevant offerings.

Visual design decisions to support an easier cognitive load

Trade-off: Balance AAA rating for intellectual disability entry points to maximize clarity
and lower contrast button fill for providers to manage cognitive load.

Balances accessibility with overall user experience by targeting support where it matters most.

High contrast for better visibility
for individual entry points

Lower contrast for providers entry
points to balance landing cognitive load

New Meplusmore landing page

Providers landing wireframe useability test

User task: Navigate to find provider offerings and evaluate if you would buy in for your clients

User task: Navigate to find provider offerings and evaluate if you would buy in for your clients

2 dislikes

3 likes

2 comments

5 shares

Provider

“I would rather see learning offerings than features because I want to find a solution quickly”

“I would rather see learning offerings than features because I want to find a solution quickly”

“I would rather see learning offerings than features because I want to find a solution quickly”

Provider - worked previously as a provider for government organisation

“We don’t have much time because we have so many clients. I just want validation, what is it? who else is using it? and will this work for my client?”

“We don’t have much time because we have so many clients. I just want validation, what is it? who else is using it? and will this work for my client?”

“We don’t have much time because we have so many clients. I just want validation, what is it? who else is using it? and will this work for my client?”

The offering is shown in an order that doesn’t match the way providers typically evaluate their options, which may disrupt their decision-making flow and reduce clarity.

The new designed flow aligns with how providers make decisions, using validation elements like customer reviews, case studies to support the offering and build trust.

New provider user flow

Validation points

Enquire & Demo

Partners

Offering

Pricing

Case study

Workshops

Reviews

Design solution overview

Before

After

Problem

Difficult to navigate landing due to complex icons and no clear entry point especially for government-supported NDIS disability users.

Solution

Tailored CTA and navigation entry points for specific user needs including NDIS support with simplified icons to reduce cognitive load.

Problem

Accessibility tools were hard to locate and use, especially for users with screen readers. Users also didn’t understand how Easy Read worked.

Solution

Designed accessibility toolbar to help users find and use tools, with voice-over navigation, full-screen search & easy-reading mode toggle.

Problem

Onboarding flow excludes 90% of users under are government funded (NDIS), forcing them to call for support without a clear path to sign-up.

Solution

New flow grants dashboard access before membership confirmation, making sign-up accessible to all and enabling freemium upsell.

Problem

No clear way for providers to onboard multiple clients and no evidence of results makes it hard for them trust and adopt MePlusMore offerings.

Solution

A clear provider entry point with case studies, reviews, and client logos to build trust and mirror their decision-making flow.

Outcomes

Small-group testing showed the elimination of onboarding drop-offs, indicating the flow better accommodates users’ cognitive load and supports successful task completion.

70% increase in user onboarding completion

Found users that were tested were able to find their entry point and get to signup.

Conducted small-group user testing with five participants where each was shown the prototype and asked to identify the most relevant offering and complete the sign-up flow (individuals path only). All users were tested across each journey to reveal they could complete.

Users rated the ease of use 3.8 out of 5

Ratings improved from an average of 1.5 to 3.8, indicating stronger accessibility but still indicated the need for more cogitive tools to meet the needs for all mental models.

To evaluate accessibility, in line with the platform’s mission of self-led learning, users completed sign-up flows on the original and redesigned sites and rated from a scale 1 (low) and 5 (high).