Making a product make sense in seconds
Redesigned the onboarding and landing experience for an AI-powered discovery platform, resolving a core usability crisis where users couldn't identify what the product was or why they should engage with it.
Nobody knew what Spotgini was
Spotgini is a conversational AI tool that connects users with artists, venues, and people across their network to book events and authenticate connections. The concept is genuinely compelling, but users landing on the product for the first time had no idea. The landing page buried the introduction below the fold, key feature names were cryptic ("Firestarter," "Greeter"), and the chatbot, the product's centrepiece, was being avoided because users didn't trust it yet.
Five interviews, four critical failures
I ran five virtual usability sessions with task-based completion metrics. Users were given specific tasks, find out what Spotgini does, engage with the chatbot, locate a key feature, and observed without guidance. Four distinct failure patterns emerged.
Failure 1. Product identity
Users couldn't identify what Spotgini was upon landing. No clear value proposition above the fold.
Failure 2. Chatbot avoidance
Users avoided the conversational tool entirely. Without understanding the product, the chatbot felt like a risk, not a feature.
Failure 3. Cryptic naming
"Firestarter" and "Greeter" meant nothing to new users. Feature names assumed familiarity that didn't exist yet.
Failure 4. Hidden introduction
The product explanation was buried below the fold. By the time users found it, they'd already formed a negative first impression.
Balancing what the company wanted with what users needed
The client's priority was to highlight the conversational AI tool, it was their main product differentiator. But research showed users needed to understand the product before they'd trust the chatbot. The design challenge: lead with product clarity without burying the feature the client cared most about.
Clarity first, then the conversation
The redesign restructured the information hierarchy so users understand Spotgini before being asked to interact with it. The chatbot remains prominent, but it follows a clear product introduction rather than replacing it.
A concise, plain-language explanation of what Spotgini does, and who it's for, placed prominently before any interaction is requested.
"Firestarter" and "Greeter" were replaced with descriptions that explain the actual value, what you can do, not what Spotgini calls it internally.
A fresh design system, vibrant with a purple emphasis, used contrast strategically to direct attention and create an information hierarchy that felt both calm and engaging.
What makes a product trustworthy on first look
The most transferable lesson: users can't trust what they don't understand. No amount of visual polish compensates for an unclear product story. Leading with clarity, through plain language, visible introductions, and strategic contrast, is what creates the foundation for users to take the next step. And the most important design skill is knowing when to push back on stakeholder priorities in service of the user.