Case studies

Moving the Aha Moment to the Start of Onboarding

+20 XP

Case study

Moving the Aha Moment to the Start of Onboarding

A curious user downloads Too Good To Go after seeing a friend pick up a bag at a coffee shop, but only understands what the app is for after reserving their first bag. You will learn three changes that bring that moment of understanding to the very first screens.

4 min read +20 XP when you reach the end

What you will learn

  • Lead with why the product matters, not how to use it
  • Show a new concept instead of describing it vaguely
  • Ask for permissions with one clear, attractive reason

Scroll to follow the story. The screen changes with you.

Based on the learnings from Growth.Design: 3 UX Tips To Make Aha Moments Click, presented in our own format.

How first screen

Step 1 of 10

  1. How first screenSounds generic

    01

    The setup

    The first screen says 'Explore the stores', which sounds like a directory.

    The user saw a friend grab a Too Good To Go bag at a coffee shop and downloaded the app later. The opening slide explains saving Surprise Bags from local shops, but the headline makes it sound like a store discovery app.

    TakeawayIf the first headline describes a feature, people guess the wrong product.

  2. Vague concept screenWhat surprise?

    02

    Still unclear

    'Get ready for a surprise' names the concept without showing it.

    The next slides mention surprises, being on time and collecting orders, each with a line drawing. The user starts to wonder what they are collecting, and why. The steps confuse more than they explain.

    TakeawayA new concept needs to be shown, not just named.

  3. Two asks screenVague reasons

    03

    Permission requests

    Two permission requests follow, before the user has seen any value.

    'Never miss a thing' asks for push notifications with a list of vague reasons, and a second screen right after asks for email updates. The user declines both, since there is nothing yet they would want to hear about.

    TakeawayPermission requests before value feel like a cost, so people say no.

  4. The deals screenCA$5.99, not $18

    04

    Finally in

    The home screen shows real bags at a fraction of the price.

    A bakery the user loves appears under 'Recommended for you', with a bag worth CA$18 offered for CA$5.99. Interest jumps immediately, because this is concrete.

    TakeawayConcrete prices and familiar places explain more than any intro slide.

  5. Only 5 left screen5 left

    05

    The store page

    Only five bags are left, so the user reserves one quickly.

    The store page shows the price, a rating of 4.6 and a collection window tonight. The '5 left' badge adds urgency, and the user taps Reserve without fully understanding what is in the bag.

    TakeawayPeople will act on a good deal, but they still need to understand what they are buying.

  6. It clicks screenThe real idea

    06

    The aha moment

    Only now does it click: the bag is food that would otherwise go to waste.

    A 'What you need to know' sheet explains that stores cannot predict what will be left, so they fill the bag with unsold items. The user loves the idea, but it took until the checkout for the value to land.

    TakeawayWhen the aha moment arrives late, many people have already left.

    The aha momentThis is the moment people first realize a product's value. Growth.Design notes that great products design their experience to reach that moment as early as possible.

  7. How
    Fix 1: why screenFeature first
    Why
    Fix 1: why corrected screenValue first

    07

    Fix 1

    Start with why the product exists, not how to use it.

    The alternative first screen says 'Save good food. Save money. Save the planet.' with a watermelon globe, and notes that over 350 million meals have been saved from waste. The value is clear before any instructions.

    What changed

    • Headline states three benefits
    • Proof: 350 million meals saved
    • Button says 'Start saving food'

    TakeawayLead with the reason people should care. The how can follow.

  8. Tell
    Fix 2: show screenTold vaguely
    Show
    Fix 2: show corrected screenThree clear steps

    08

    Fix 2

    Show what a surprise bag is, and how to get one, in three steps.

    'Get local, surplus food in a surprise bag' sits above a bag with food falling in. Three numbered steps explain the model: pick a local business, they fill a bag with unsold items, you get it at a discount. A short video of someone collecting a bag could make it even clearer.

    What changed

    • Headline defines the surprise bag
    • Picture of real food in a bag
    • Three numbered steps
    • Button: 'See it in action'

    TakeawayReplace vague mentions of a concept with a clear picture of how it works.

  9. Ask
    Fix 3: offer screenVague ask
    Offer
    Fix 3: offer corrected screenOne clear reason

    09

    Fix 3

    Give one clear reason to turn on notifications.

    Instead of a list of vague reasons, the alternative says there are only a few surprise bags each day, and offers to notify you when local spots have surplus food. The button says 'Yes, notify me please'.

    What changed

    • One reason instead of several
    • Scarcity that is real: few bags each day
    • Button describes the benefit

    TakeawayTurn a permission request into an offer people want to accept.

    Temptation bundlingPair an action people should do with a reward they want. Growth.Design shows this by turning 'Enable our notifications' into 'Don't miss your surprise bag'. When motivation is aligned ethically, people accept happily.

  10. Late aha
    The gap screenToo late
    Early aha
    The gap corrected screenRight away

    10

    The result

    The same product, understood on the first screen instead of the last.

    In the original, excitement fell through the intro and notification steps and only recovered at checkout. With a value-first onboarding it rises from the start. The difference between those two paths is the impact of good design.

    TakeawayIt is rare for a product to be good for people, businesses and the planet. When it is, make sure people get it early.

Every takeaway, in one place

  1. The setupIf the first headline describes a feature, people guess the wrong product.
  2. Still unclearA new concept needs to be shown, not just named.
  3. Permission requestsPermission requests before value feel like a cost, so people say no.
  4. Finally inConcrete prices and familiar places explain more than any intro slide.
  5. The store pagePeople will act on a good deal, but they still need to understand what they are buying.
  6. The aha momentWhen the aha moment arrives late, many people have already left.
  7. Fix 1Lead with the reason people should care. The how can follow.
  8. Fix 2Replace vague mentions of a concept with a clear picture of how it works.
  9. Fix 3Turn a permission request into an offer people want to accept.
  10. The resultIt is rare for a product to be good for people, businesses and the planet. When it is, make sure people get it early.

Source: Growth.Design: 3 UX Tips To Make Aha Moments Click

Help new users see your value on the first screen.

When the value of a product only becomes clear deep into the flow, many people leave before they get there. Zyxware can find your product's real aha moment, rebuild onboarding around it, and rewrite permission requests so people say yes for good reasons.

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