Brief
How might we turn first-time users into engaged readers without forcing them through a rigid signup process—while delivering the personalized experience they expect?
Duration
2 Days
Team
Solo Consultancy
Roles played
UX Research
Product Design
TLDR;
Removed content barriers to let users explore freely, prioritized smart personalization through email and social connections, and optimized reading comfort—creating an onboarding that proves value instantly while building a tailored reading experience.
Intro
In a world of what feels like infinite content, readers don't just need another app—they need a compelling reason to make reading a daily habit.
Perch brings all your newsletters and online reads into one space and helps you discover new content based on your interests.
I had two days to rethink how users discover and actually engage with content from the start. Given the short time frame, I prioritized changes that would move the needle on retention. Decisions needed to balance what users want, what's technically possible, and what helps the product grow.
Upon reviewing their current flow, three opportunities jumped out: Create value before commitment, frictionless signup, and organic personalization.
Breaking Down Barriers
The Case for Open Doors
Removing pre-signup content gating
Products typically have just one minute to demonstrate value to first-time users. When content is gated, we ask for commitment before showing what makes Perch worth using.
Letting people explore content before signing up creates natural growth loops. Shareable content leads to organic discovery, while progressive personalization increases the likelihood they'll meaningfully commit to the product, thus increasing retention.
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Reimagining Email Verification
Changing Six Leaps to One Step
Email verification was sending users on quite a journey: leave app, check email, find code, return, verify.
That's a lot of steps just to start reading.
Google and Apple sign-in transforms the process into a single tap, while keeping people in the app.
Why not phone verification? I thought about this a lot.
While phone verification offers simplicity, through magic-link, email offers that same level of simplicity and aligns better with Perch's core value: "All your blogs and newsletters in one place." By connecting through one-step email, Perch get instant personalization from existing subscriptions, plus a direct line for sending unified updates, creating immediate value.
All this being said, do I think it's something worth A/B Testing? Absolutely.
email steps img
Tailoring the Experience
Personalization isn't just about what users read—it's about how they read it. From content discovery to reading preferences, every aspect should feel tailored to the user.
When users connect their email, I created a moment for Perch to immediately demonstrate value by identifying their newsletter subscriptions and offering one-click inbox decluttering.
Previously these publications were quietly added. Now, we can showcase this capability as a 'hero moment' before formal onboarding begins. This builds trust and shows how Perch simultaneously streamlines their reading experience and personalizes content.
The personalization extends naturally through every interaction: topic interests emerge from existing subscriptions, content suggestions flow from actual engagement, and reading preferences surface when users need them. I designed a seamless way to connect social accounts so Perch can find writers they already follow elsewhere, letting them instantly follow those same voices here.
By mirroring how people naturally discover content—through recommendations, social connections, and organic exploration—I've created an onboarding flow that feels both powerful and respectful of user privacy.
Reading Comfort by Design
While branding wasn't the focus of this sprint, I did tackle some crucial reading experience improvements.
Standard black and white might look clean, it's not ideal for long-form reading. Instead, I opted for warmer tones that reduce eye strain and make extended reading sessions comfortable. Accessibility in a reading app is vital – ensuring high contrast, line height, and a legible typeface.
But Serif or Sans Serif? What's the most ideal type size for people? What if you didn't need to pick?
Rather than decide, I made it customizable. When someone opens their first article, they can adjust everything to their liking and by using their phone's settings (light/dark mode, text size) as defaults it feels familiar immediately.
Natural Progression
Every feature introduction aligns with natural behavior: Browse freely at first, quick sign-in when you want to save something, reading preferences when you start reading, notification preferences after showing interest through engagement (Following a writer or saving an article.) It's important to enhance the experience at the right moment, rather than front-loading decisions.
Main Flows
Next Steps
I transformed Perch's onboarding into an intuitive journey that proves its value from the first interaction. The core strategy prioritizes immediate value through smart email integration, followed by organic personalization that mirrors how people naturally discover content. Show worth quickly, then deepen engagement through meaningful personalization.
Next steps include:
A/B testing phone-based magic link signup vs. current flow
Building an automated feed curation system that learns from early reading patterns
Implementing smart notifications that adapt to reading schedules
Developing reading goals to help users build sustainable habits
Creating collaborative features for shared reading lists and discussions
These improvements maintain the ethos behind the redesign: creating a reading space that feels personally crafted for each user—because that's what drives retention—a product that feels like it was made for you.
user direction