01

Discovery

Users were dropping off quickly—but why?

I worked with my product partner to gather and review the data we had collected on the site's performance so far. Something we immediately noticed was the significant drop-off (over 80%) between the homepage and the plan selection page, signaling a key friction point.

Uncovering critical issues through user testing

To better understand users' experience with the current site, including potential reasons for the high drop-off rate, I planned and conducted a series of user tests. After completing the tests, I synthesized the feedback into key findings, ranking insights by frequency and severity. Two issues in particular stood out:

At first glance, users struggled to understand the concept of a "wellness club"

Many users confused the wellness plan with pet insurance, calling it “like an insurance plan” or “wellness insurance.” Users also interpreted “club” in unexpected ways, leaving them unclear on what they were signing up for.

Once understood, users struggled to understand the details on what would be covered

Users were unclear on what a membership might cover, whether it included grooming, food, or emergency care, and how pricing worked, making it harder to commit.

Connecting the dots: misaligned messaging as the reason for drop-off

Our findings from user testing directly explained the high drop-off rate—users weren’t clicking through because they didn’t fully understand what the Wellness Club was or how it worked. This misalignment in messaging and clarity became the key problem to solve.

02

Framing

Reframing the problem: what needed to change?

How might we help users quickly grasp what Pumpkin Wellness Club is—building just enough confidence to spark their interest and encourage them to explore further?

Narrowing in: our homepage

Specifically, I focused my design efforts on the hero and the content just below the fold. This decision was directly informed by our discovery phase: users lacked a clear understanding of the product upfront, making them less confident in moving forward. To address this, we needed to ensure they grasped the value of the plan immediately upon landing on the site.

My hypothesis: show our value

If we clearly communicate what Pumpkin Wellness Club is upfront, highlight its most compelling benefits, and provide visual cues that make joining & using the product feel approachable, then more users will engage with the site, progress further in the funnel, and ultimately consider signing up.

Defining success

I worked with my partner on the product team to set success metrics for this project:

Primary: Decrease in drop-off rate between homepage and plan page

Secondary: Increase conversion rate

03

Exemplar Collection

Auditing effective heroes from analogous brands

Four groupings emerged in the exemplar heroes:

04

Design

Moving towards a solution

Laying out options for a new hero structure

These 3 directions in particular echoed three of the groupings that I found when looking at other heroes.

Simple Product Description

More Product Detail

Interactive/Driver

I shared these options in a critique with other designers. The last two in particular resonated with the group, so I decided to explore them further.

Exploring through design

Next, I explored multiple hero variations in Figma. Some worked well; others fell flat. By trying out different approaches, I was able to quickly identify what worked and what didn't.

I originally liked the idea of having users select their pet's species earlier as a way to keep them moving, but designing out options helped me see two downsides:

• Competing Priorities: The prominent buttons immediately drew attention, distracting from the hero’s primary goal—clarifying what the product offers.
• Reduced Brand Identity: The buttons took up significant space in the hero, limiting room for visuals that help reinforce Pumpkin Wellness Club's identity.

Refining the content

As I honed in on a direction, I worked closely with my partner on the copywriting team to tighten the messaging. This included writing a creative brief to lay out goals and considerations.

05

Solution

The final design

Handoff and QA

I provided detailed specifications to my engineering partners and collaborated closely through multiple rounds of QA to refine and perfect the implementation.