When customers signed up for Airship, many of them were blocked immediately because they needed an app, SMS setup, or email configuration before they could test anything. Most of those channels required technical skills, which caused users to stall right after account creation. This project focused on designing a new onboarding experience that allowed users to download a test app, connect their account, and send their first real message without developer setup, while also supporting sales, security, and internal teams.
Problem
New users often signed up for Airship but could not complete anything afterward because they needed an app before they could send a message. Most landed on the dashboard with nothing they could actually do. This created early friction and prevented users from even trying the product.
Goal
Improve first-time-to-value for new users while giving sales clean, usable lead data so they knew who to reach out to and when.
Project Setup
The onboarding initiative involved product managers, frontend and backend engineers, the mobile team, sales, RevOps, security, and marketing. Executive oversight came from the VP of Sales, the CTO, and the VP of Product. I worked weekly with a core team to whiteboard and shape the flow while a larger group tracked progress across the company.
Account Creation
The signup flow started with region routing so users were directed to the correct data center based on whether they were in the U.S. or Europe. Email was the first required step, followed by accepting terms and optional marketing opt-in. Users then entered basic profile details including name, company, industry, role, and country. Email verification was required before continuing.
Security
Password setup and two-factor authentication requirements were defined with the security team. One of the main challenges of this phase was balancing required protection with making sure users were not blocked from progressing through onboarding.
1st Flight App
To remove the dependency on a customer's own app, we introduced the 1st Flight App. This gave new users a way to test Airship immediately by receiving real messages without needing developer setup.
App Connection
Users connected the 1st Flight App to their Airship account using QR codes or email and password. The original goal was to use a single QR code, but the solution shifted to platform-specific codes due to technical constraints.
Guided First Message
AppCues was used to guide users through three main steps: getting the app, sending a message, and interacting with that message. The message composer had become complex over time, so it was simplified for first-time use to focus only on the essentials.
Impact
The onboarding experience allowed new users to download a test app, connect their account, send a message, and see that message on their own device without configuring their own app or involving a developer.