Streamlining Account Creation & Subscription Flow for Conversion and Clarity
Role: Lead Product Designer
Duration: 3 Weeks
Team: Myself, Design Director
CONTEXT
The Forbes digital subscription process was overdue for a revamp. The sign-up flow had become an obstacle course for users, with confusing steps and jarring transitions. This project set out to transform that experience – streamlining the journey from account creation to paid membership. By simplifying each step and aligning the process with user expectations, we aimed to boost conversions and strengthen trust in the Forbes brand.
🧭 Understanding
PROBLEM
The old subscription journey was fragmented forcing users through multiple disjointed screens for account creation and checkout. Confusion, context-switching, and lack of trust led to a 67% drop-off before purchase. A rigid third-party system made it impossible to improve the flow or test changes.
USER AUDIENCE
We focused on users ready to subscribe both new and returning readers. They needed a fast, trustworthy experience with minimal friction and clear value. Any confusion or interruption often meant lost conversions.
SOLUTION
We replaced the fragmented process with a seamless, single-page flow, merging account creation and payment into one intuitive experience. The new in-house system gave us full control, enabling trust-building UI, upfront pricing, and ongoing optimizations.
RESULTS
+82% increase in paid conversions
+111% lift in flow completion
+45% more new accounts
The new flow reduced drop-offs, increased clarity, and aligned with Forbes' digital strategy for scalable growth.
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
Product Design Lead: Drove the end-to-end design process, from initial discovery through final UI/UX for the subscription experience.
Stakeholder Workshops: Facilitated sessions with Forbes’ Growth, Product, and Engineering teams to gather requirements and align on business goals (e.g. conversion targets, upsell opportunities).
User Research & Analysis: Conducted user interviews and analyzed analytics to pinpoint pain points in the existing flow (e.g. where users dropped off, what confused them). Also performed competitive benchmarking against leading publishers and e-commerce checkouts to identify best practices.
Ideation & Wireframing: Mapped out user flows and created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize a simplified subscription journey. Iterated on these concepts based on team feedback and feasibility.
UI Design & Prototyping: Designed high-fidelity screens aligned with Forbes’ brand guidelines, emphasizing clarity and trust. Built interactive prototypes to demonstrate the new flow and gather quick user feedback.
Testing & Refinement: Ran A/B tests and usability sessions on the new designs, refining copy, layout, and interactions in response to real user behavior. Ensured the final solution was polished and could be implemented within a tight 3-week timeline.
📁 Where We Started
Examples of the fragmented flow from sign in to checkout.
🔎 Discovery
In the discovery phase, I focused on understanding the problem space from both the business and user perspectives. This involved close collaboration with stakeholders and deep-dive research into user behavior and expectations.
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOPS
To kick things off, I led workshops with Growth, Product, and Engineering teams. Together, we aligned on goals: improve conversion, streamline upsells, and transition away from rigid third-party systems. We mapped out friction points and defined success metrics, such as faster checkouts and plan flexibility.
The sessions also surfaced technical limitations like the inability to test or iterate on the existing flow which helped shape the case for a new in-house solution. These workshops gave the project a clear direction rooted in business needs.
COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
I conducted a competitive analysis of leading publishers like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Athletic, along with modern e-commerce checkouts. The benchmarking surfaced clear best practices: single-page flows, inline account creation, and transparent, upfront pricing. These patterns reinforced our direction ensuring the Forbes experience would match the clarity and ease set by industry leaders.
INTERVIEWS
With the business goals in mind, I turned to the users’ perspective. I interviewed both internal stakeholders (like customer support teams who hear subscriber complaints) and actual Forbes readers who had attempted to subscribe. These conversations revealed where people felt frustrated or unsure in the old flow. Common pain points included: sudden prompts to log in that felt like roadblocks, uncertainty about what they were paying for, and a general lack of guidance through the steps.
I just wanted to pick a plan and pay. Why did it feel like I had to jump through hoops first?
I just wanted to pick a plan and pay. Why did it feel like I had to jump through hoops first?
I just wanted to pick a plan and pay. Why did it feel like I had to jump through hoops first?
It wasn’t clear what I was getting with each plan. A simple comparison would’ve helped.
It wasn’t clear what I was getting with each plan. A simple comparison would’ve helped.
It wasn’t clear what I was getting with each plan. A simple comparison would’ve helped.
I got confused when the login popped up in the middle. I wasn’t sure if I was losing my progress.
I got confused when the login popped up in the middle. I wasn’t sure if I was losing my progress.
I got confused when the login popped up in the middle. I wasn’t sure if I was losing my progress.
It looked like a third-party site. I wasn’t sure if it was actually Forbes handling my payment.
It looked like a third-party site. I wasn’t sure if it was actually Forbes handling my payment.
It looked like a third-party site. I wasn’t sure if it was actually Forbes handling my payment.
I wanted to go back and change my plan, but I couldn’t find a way without starting over.
I wanted to go back and change my plan, but I couldn’t find a way without starting over.
I wanted to go back and change my plan, but I couldn’t find a way without starting over.
It would’ve been easier if everything—account, plan, and payment—was on one page.
It would’ve been easier if everything—account, plan, and payment—was on one page.
It would’ve been easier if everything including account, plan, and payment—was on one page.
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS
I complemented these interviews with quantitative data analysis – reviewing funnel analytics to see exactly where users were dropping off. The data highlighted two major bottlenecks: a ~34% drop-off when users hit the account creation step, and another ~22% drop-off at the payment form. This was invaluable in confirming that our redesign needed to focus on those critical moments.
34% Dropoff
34% Dropoff
34% Dropoff
When users hit the account creation step
When users hit the account creation step
When users hit the account creation step
22% Dropoff
22% Dropoff
22% Dropoff
When users hit the payment form.
When users hit the payment form.
When users hit the payment form.
🎯 Identifying Key Challenges & Opportunities
After synthesizing the workshop findings, user feedback, and competitive insights, I outlined the key challenges our redesign needed to solve. It became clear that the new flow must directly address the pain points that were turning users away. The critical issues were:
Mid-Flow Sign-In Friction:
Users were getting interrupted by a sign-in prompt partway through checkout, leaving them confused about why it was needed and whether it would erase their progress.
Users were getting interrupted by a sign-in prompt partway through checkout, leaving them confused about why it was needed and whether it would erase their progress.
Lack of Plan Flexibility:
Once users began the payment process, it was difficult (or impossible) to change their subscription plan or term without starting over, causing frustration if they reconsidered their choice.
Once users began the payment process, it was difficult (or impossible) to change their subscription plan or term without starting over, causing frustration if they reconsidered their choice.
Inconsistent Visual Design:
The interface didn’t match Forbes’ modern brand design – it felt like a patchwork, which subconsciously undermined credibility. A cohesive, branded look was needed to build trust.
The interface didn’t match Forbes’ modern brand design – it felt like a patchwork, which subconsciously undermined credibility. A cohesive, branded look was needed to build trust.
Unclear Plan Benefits:
Users weren’t sure what they would get with each subscription option. The value propositions and pricing details weren’t communicated clearly, making it hard for users to commit confidently.
Users weren’t sure what they would get with each subscription option. The value propositions and pricing details weren’t communicated clearly, making it hard for users to commit confidently.
Mid-Flow Sign-In Friction:
Users were getting interrupted by a sign-in prompt partway through checkout, leaving them confused about why it was needed and whether it would erase their progress.
Users were getting interrupted by a sign-in prompt partway through checkout, leaving them confused about why it was needed and whether it would erase their progress.
Lack of Plan Flexibility:
Once users began the payment process, it was difficult (or impossible) to change their subscription plan or term without starting over, causing frustration if they reconsidered their choice.
Once users began the payment process, it was difficult (or impossible) to change their subscription plan or term without starting over, causing frustration if they reconsidered their choice.
Inconsistent Visual Design:
The interface didn’t match Forbes’ modern brand design – it felt like a patchwork, which subconsciously undermined credibility. A cohesive, branded look was needed to build trust.
Unclear Plan Benefits:
Users weren’t sure what they would get with each subscription option. The value propositions and pricing details weren’t communicated clearly, making it hard for users to commit confidently.
Users weren’t sure what they would get with each subscription option. The value propositions and pricing details weren’t communicated clearly, making it hard for users to commit confidently.
These findings weren’t just a list of problems – they pointed to our opportunities. By resolving each of these issues, we could significantly improve the experience. I framed a clear value proposition for the project:
How might we design a subscription flow that feels effortless to complete, clearly communicates value, and builds user confidence at every step?
🔀 User Flows (Before & After)
Armed with our insights and goals, I moved into ideation and design. I began by sketching out new user flow possibilities. The vision was to keep the entire journey on a single page or seamless sequence so that users would no longer feel they were jumping around. I charted a flow where a new subscriber could enter their email, choose a plan, create an account, and input payment all in one guided experience. For returning users, the flow would smartly detect their email and offer a quick sign-in (via password or a magic link) within the same sequence, instead of a disruptive detour.
🧩 Main Features
I won’t go through every single screen in the flow - instead, here are the key improvements and features that made the biggest impact in the Forbes subscription experience redesign:
🧩 Extending The System
Redesigning the subscription flow wasn’t just about improving checkout - it also meant revisiting existing sign-in and account creation screens across Forbes' surfaces.
Learnings
In reimagining core user flows like sign in, account creation, and checkout, this project reinforced the value of cross-functional collaboration, iterative design, and keeping both user experience and business impact at the forefront. By balancing strategic input with real user feedback, we created scalable, future-ready solutions that can adapt with the business and continue delivering value.
Design for Systems, Not Just Screens
This project wasn’t just about individual flows. It was about creating a consistent, end-to-end user journey. Working across sign in, account creation, and checkout emphasized the importance of cohesive design systems and how micro-interactions contribute to a seamless experience.
Prioritize with Purpose
Through research and workshops, we learned to distinguish between high-impact features and nice-to-haves. This helped align cross-team efforts and allowed us to focus on what mattered most to users - clarity, ease, and trust, while still meeting business goals.
Iterate Early, Test Often
Regular testing helped us validate assumptions quickly and adjust before investing too much in the wrong direction. From mobile layout tweaks to trust messaging, real feedback shaped many of our final decisions and led to stronger outcomes.
Collaborate Closely to Ship Confidently
Working within an ambitious timeline meant tight coordination with product and engineering was essential. Early alignment on scope, feasibility, and technical constraints helped us prioritize smartly, avoid rework, and ensure that what we designed could be built efficiently, without compromising on user experience.
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