Reshaping Sign-ups — A Conversion-Focused Redesign
A complete redesign of the sign-up and application flow for a job-matching platform. Research revealed key drop-off points and mismatched expectations. The redesign addressed clarity, momentum, and trust at each step.
Overview
Ignition Program is a job-matching platform connecting young professionals with companies looking for apprentices and early-career hires. The sign-up and application flow is the platform's most critical conversion surface — it's where candidates decide whether to invest time in a process they don't fully understand yet.
When I joined the project, the existing flow had significant drop-off that the team couldn't fully explain. Candidates were starting applications and not finishing them. Some were completing the flow but arriving with incorrect expectations — leading to downstream support issues.
The Challenge
The sign-up flow had been designed in pieces, over time, by different people. The result was:
- Inconsistent length signals — users couldn't tell how long the process would take at any point
- Trust gaps at key moments — requesting detailed personal information before explaining what it was used for
- Mobile friction — the flow had been designed desktop-first; on mobile, it was barely functional
- Expectation mismatches — candidates completing the flow had misunderstood what they were signing up for, creating a quality problem in the matched pool
The business goal was clear: improve conversion. But the real design goal was to make candidates want to complete the flow — because they understood it, trusted it, and felt it was worth their time.
Step 1 — Research
Funnel analysis
Working with the data team, I mapped the full conversion funnel and identified three specific drop-off moments:
- Step 2 of 7 — immediately after the initial sign-up form, when users hit a question about their educational background
- Step 5 of 7 — the CV upload step, where mobile users in particular abandoned
- Confirmation page — surprisingly, a significant number of users bounced on the confirmation screen before completing the final submit
User interviews
I ran six interviews with recent sign-ups (completers) and five with drop-offs (reached via an exit survey). The pattern was consistent: users didn't understand why each step was there, what the platform would do with their data, or how long the process would take.
One drop-off described it perfectly:
"I started filling it in and then it just kept going. I wasn't sure where it was heading so I left."
Competitive audit
I reviewed sign-up flows from six comparable platforms — job boards, EdTech, and apprenticeship programs. Key differentiators that improved completion:
- Showing total step count upfront
- Explaining the purpose of sensitive requests ("We ask this to match you with the right companies")
- Allowing save-and-continue on mobile
- Celebrating micro-completions ("Nice — your profile is 60% complete")
Step 2 — Design Process
Restructuring the flow
The original 7-step flow had been sequential without clear grouping. I reorganised it into three conceptual phases:
- Who you are — basic profile information (name, location, languages)
- What you're looking for — role preferences, availability, sector interests
- Your background — education, experience, CV upload
This grouping served two purposes: it gave users a mental model of the journey, and it front-loaded the low-friction steps — building momentum before asking for more sensitive information.
Progress and transparency
I introduced a persistent progress bar with named stages and an estimated time-to-complete ("About 4 minutes") displayed at the top of the first step. This single change — showing users what they were committing to before they committed — was the highest-impact structural change in the redesign.
Mobile-first design
The CV upload step was redesigned completely for mobile. The original required a file upload from a file system — on mobile, most candidates didn't have their CV accessible. The redesign offered three paths:
- Upload from files (desktop)
- Upload from cloud storage — Google Drive, Dropbox (mobile-friendly)
- "Build a basic profile instead" — a lightweight alternative that captured the same data points without requiring a document
Copy and trust moments
Working with the product team, I rewrote the in-flow copy throughout. Key changes:
- Every sensitive question now had a one-line explanation of why it was being asked
- Error messages became specific and actionable ("This email is already registered — log in instead?")
- The confirmation page was redesigned as a genuine celebration moment with a clear "what happens next" explanation — addressing the surprising drop-off at the final step
Before → After
The original flow opened with "Create your account" — a generic title that told users nothing about what they were creating or why it mattered. The redesigned flow opened with "Find your next opportunity" and immediately established the value proposition.
The CV upload step went from a single file input with no fallback to a three-path design that worked across all device types and circumstances.
The confirmation screen went from a generic "Thanks for signing up!" to a named next-step timeline: "We'll review your profile within 48 hours. In the meantime, explore companies who match your interests."
Outcome
- Drop-off at the educational background step (Step 2) eliminated — the step was repositioned later in the flow and given context copy
- Mobile completion rate improved significantly following the CV upload redesign
- Candidate expectation mismatch issues reduced in post-sign-up support tickets
- The three-phase flow structure was adopted as the platform's standard for all future multi-step forms