2022-2023
web&app
growth
36 countries
sumup
ab testing
Redesigning onboarding to drive growth across 36 markets
Redesigning onboarding to drive growth across 36 markets
Redesigning onboarding to drive growth across 36 markets
Redesigning onboarding to drive growth across 36 markets
Redesigning onboarding to drive growth across 36 markets
Redesigning onboarding to drive growth across 36 markets
As the Lead Product Designer, I initiated and drove an onboarding redesign project at SumUp, collaborating closely with product managers, legal/compliance, engineering, and market operations across 36 European countries. My role included defining strategy, guiding cross-functional workshops, designing flows, and optimizing through A/B testing.
As the Lead Product Designer, I initiated and drove an onboarding redesign project at SumUp, collaborating closely with product managers, legal/compliance, engineering, and market operations across 36 European countries. My role included defining strategy, guiding cross-functional workshops, designing flows, and optimizing through A/B testing.
As the Lead Product Designer, I initiated and drove an onboarding redesign project at SumUp, collaborating closely with product managers, legal/compliance, engineering, and market operations across 36 European countries. My role included defining strategy, guiding cross-functional workshops, designing flows, and optimizing through A/B testing.
As the Lead Product Designer, I initiated and drove an onboarding redesign project at SumUp, collaborating closely with product managers, legal/compliance, engineering, and market operations across 36 European countries. My role included defining strategy, guiding cross-functional workshops, designing flows, and optimizing through A/B testing.
As the Lead Product Designer, I initiated and drove an onboarding redesign project at SumUp, collaborating closely with product managers, legal/compliance, engineering, and market operations across 36 European countries. My role included defining strategy, guiding cross-functional workshops, designing flows, and optimizing through A/B testing.
As the Lead Product Designer, I initiated and drove an onboarding redesign project at SumUp, collaborating closely with product managers, legal/compliance, engineering, and market operations across 36 European countries. My role included defining strategy, guiding cross-functional workshops, designing flows, and optimizing through A/B testing.
product
SumUp — smart tools to grow businesses
SumUp — smart tools to grow businesses
A platform supporting over 4 million merchants across 36 global markets with payments, banking, and business tools.
A platform supporting over 4 million merchants across 36 global markets with payments, banking, and business tools.
Challenge
Turning compliance into conversion
Turning compliance into conversion
A sudden shift in EU regulations forced SumUp to verify user identities upfront—turning our once-smooth “get started in minutes” flow into a legal maze. Confused by unexpected forms and missing context, users dropped off sharply. Worse, most never realized they were getting a free business bank account.
A sudden shift in EU regulations forced SumUp to verify user identities upfront—turning our once-smooth “get started in minutes” flow into a legal maze. Confused by unexpected forms and missing context, users dropped off sharply. Worse, most never realized they were getting a free business bank account.
Hypotheses
H1: Simplifying the flow would reduce drop-offs
H1: Simplifying the flow would reduce drop-offs
We believed breaking onboarding into progressive steps would reduce perceived effort and create trust by guiding users, not overwhelming them.
We believed breaking onboarding into progressive steps would reduce perceived effort and create trust by guiding users, not overwhelming them.
H2: Pre-filing legal data would build confidence and improve conversion
H2: Pre-filing legal data would build confidence and improve conversion
By pulling verified company info from government registries, we could reduce user input, prevent typos, and build legitimacy for our platform.
By pulling verified company info from government registries, we could reduce user input, prevent typos, and build legitimacy for our platform.
H3: Bundling incentives would increase banking adoption
H3: Bundling incentives would increase banking adoption
We assumed users weren’t adopting SumUp Business Accounts because they didn’t understand the benefit. By presenting banking as a core part of the onboarding bundle—with a clear value proposition—we could drive meaningful uptake.
We assumed users weren’t adopting SumUp Business Accounts because they didn’t understand the benefit. By presenting banking as a core part of the onboarding bundle—with a clear value proposition—we could drive meaningful uptake.
solution
Progressive registration
Progressive registration
Reduced cognitive load by grouping questions, introducing progress indicators, and making early steps feel lightweight.
Reduced cognitive load by grouping questions, introducing progress indicators, and making early steps feel lightweight.
solution
Data prefill from government registry
Data prefill from government registry
Time is key when it comes to "boring", but important forms, why not to simplify that and get the legal and compliance agree on the direction.
Time is key when it comes to "boring", but important forms, why not to simplify that and get the legal and compliance agree on the direction.
solution
Business account offer
The screen has the biggest growth potential for SumUp's banking product. Therefore, it has been experimented with the most. Here you see the latest version of the screen.
solution
Bundle product offering with extrinsic motivation
Bundle product offering with extrinsic motivation
To encourage new merchant to discover and try the benefits of banking product, we decided to experiment and offer discounted fee for a month if new user chooses to receive their slaes payouts in SumUp Business account.
To encourage new merchant to discover and try the benefits of banking product, we decided to experiment and offer discounted fee for a month if new user chooses to receive their slaes payouts in SumUp Business account.
outcome
The business is compliant and experiencing higher conversion rates.
The business is compliant and experiencing higher conversion rates.
We successfully launched a compliant onboarding experience across 36 countries, transforming a regulatory hurdle into a growth opportunity. Thanks to close collaboration between product, legal, engineering, and market teams, we saw meaningful product and business impact.
We successfully launched a compliant onboarding experience across 36 countries, transforming a regulatory hurdle into a growth opportunity. Thanks to close collaboration between product, legal, engineering, and market teams, we saw meaningful product and business impact.
+46%
Registration completion
+18%
Banking product adoption
+10%
First transaction rate
+46%
Registration completion
+18%
Banking product adoption
+10%
First transaction rate
My role & team
My role & team
Led onboarding redesign from discovery to experimentation
I drove the end-to-end redesign of SumUp’s onboarding and verification flows across 36 markets. My scope included research synthesis, ideation, facilitation, flow mapping, design execution, usability testing, experimentation, and stakeholder alignment. I collaborated closely with our PM, engineering leads, and legal/compliance teams to align strategy, feasibility, and regulatory guardrails. Team setup:
Led onboarding redesign from discovery to experimentation
I drove the end-to-end redesign of SumUp’s onboarding and verification flows across 36 markets. My scope included research synthesis, ideation, facilitation, flow mapping, design execution, usability testing, experimentation, and stakeholder alignment. I collaborated closely with our PM, engineering leads, and legal/compliance teams to align strategy, feasibility, and regulatory guardrails. Team setup:
Led onboarding redesign from discovery to experimentation
I drove the end-to-end redesign of SumUp’s onboarding and verification flows across 36 markets. My scope included research synthesis, ideation, facilitation, flow mapping, design execution, usability testing, experimentation, and stakeholder alignment. I collaborated closely with our PM, engineering leads, and legal/compliance teams to align strategy, feasibility, and regulatory guardrails. Team setup:
Product manager
Engineering manager
Engineering manager
3 Frontend developers
2 Backend developers
Approach
Approach
How we designed for trust, speed, and regulation
We knew we couldn’t “design around” regulation—but we could design through it. To do that, we brought every stakeholder into a shared process—from onboarding agents to legal and senior leadership. My job was to bridge those silos, translate constraints into creative possibilities, and make space for divergent ideas before converging on one scalable onboarding experience.
How we designed for trust, speed, and regulation
We knew we couldn’t “design around” regulation—but we could design through it. To do that, we brought every stakeholder into a shared process—from onboarding agents to legal and senior leadership. My job was to bridge those silos, translate constraints into creative possibilities, and make space for divergent ideas before converging on one scalable onboarding experience.
How we designed for trust, speed, and regulation
We knew we couldn’t “design around” regulation—but we could design through it. To do that, we brought every stakeholder into a shared process—from onboarding agents to legal and senior leadership. My job was to bridge those silos, translate constraints into creative possibilities, and make space for divergent ideas before converging on one scalable onboarding experience.
Service blueprint
Service blueprint
Competitor analysis
Competitor analysis
Co-creation sessions
Co-creation sessions
Iterative design
Iterative design
Lightning talks
Usability testing
Strategy mapping
User flow mapping
High fidelity prototyping
Limitations
Limitations
Technical
Our team focused solely on the personal/business info + phone verification flow—other teams owned the pre- and post-registration experience.
Regulatory
We worked under strict KYC and banking compliance rules that varied by region.
Design system
To move fast, we relied on existing UI components and prioritized functionality. New patterns were proposed for follow-up iterations.
Crafting and Testing Solutions
Crafting and Testing Solutions
Visualizing the broken state
Visualizing the broken state
We analyzed drop-off points in the original registration UI. The flow was dense, generic, and assumed legal/accounting knowledge most small merchants didn’t have. The business account offer was buried or misunderstood.
➡️ Initial state became the control variant for our experiments.
We analyzed drop-off points in the original registration UI. The flow was dense, generic, and assumed legal/accounting knowledge most small merchants didn’t have. The business account offer was buried or misunderstood.
➡️ Initial state became the control variant for our experiments.
Co-creation to uncover breakthrough ideas
Co-creation to uncover breakthrough ideas
I facilitated a 2-day collaborative sprint with stakeholders across disciplines. We used the 11-star framework to reimagine a delightful, transparent experience that bundles hardware + banking in a way that builds trust, not confusion.
I facilitated a 2-day collaborative sprint with stakeholders across disciplines. We used the 11-star framework to reimagine a delightful, transparent experience that bundles hardware + banking in a way that builds trust, not confusion.
Mapping flows with emotion in mind
Mapping flows with emotion in mind
We mapped the full merchant journey to pinpoint emotional friction points—uncertainty, overwhelm, lack of control—and designed flows that intentionally reduced them. (E.g., smart defaults, upfront value messaging, verified data prefill.)
We mapped the full merchant journey to pinpoint emotional friction points—uncertainty, overwhelm, lack of control—and designed flows that intentionally reduced them. (E.g., smart defaults, upfront value messaging, verified data prefill.)
Sketching to unlock faster iteration
Sketching to unlock faster iteration
While we relied on design system components, I sketched ideas by hand to speed up conceptual feedback cycles and align with devs on structure and logic before moving to Figma.
While we relied on design system components, I sketched ideas by hand to speed up conceptual feedback cycles and align with devs on structure and logic before moving to Figma.
Validating Through Usability & A/B Testing
Validating Through Usability & A/B Testing
Ran 15+ moderated usability sessions, collaborating with user researchers. I helped define testing goals, created interactive prototypes, prepared briefs, reviewed findings, and presented insights to the company.
Used Experiment Canvases to document hypotheses, success criteria, and risk mitigation plans.
Collaborated with devs to ensure instrumentation was accurate and test variants reflected real-world scenarios.
Ran 15+ moderated usability sessions, collaborating with user researchers. I helped define testing goals, created interactive prototypes, prepared briefs, reviewed findings, and presented insights to the company.
Used Experiment Canvases to document hypotheses, success criteria, and risk mitigation plans.
Collaborated with devs to ensure instrumentation was accurate and test variants reflected real-world scenarios.
Delivering Impact & Next Steps
Delivering Impact & Next Steps
Registration completion improved +46 %
Banking adoption rose +18 %
Insights were used to localize flows for underperforming markets
Prioritized future improvements like bundling education and flexible verification entry points
Registration completion improved +46 %
Banking adoption rose +18 %
Insights were used to localize flows for underperforming markets
Prioritized future improvements like bundling education and flexible verification entry points
Learnings
Learnings
learning
Start simple. Iterate fast.
Start simple. Iterate fast.
Don’t wait for perfect. A solid first version opens the door for smarter iterations.
Don’t wait for perfect. A solid first version opens the door for smarter iterations.
learning
Challenge what “can’t be done”
Challenge what “can’t be done”
We proved that even complex, regulated systems can be reimagined—if you push past initial resistance.
We proved that even complex, regulated systems can be reimagined—if you push past initial resistance.
learning
Talk to users early—and often
Talk to users early—and often
When metrics dropped, we brought affected users into the process. They had the answers.
When metrics dropped, we brought affected users into the process. They had the answers.
learning
Human connection drives alignment
Human connection drives alignment
Strong bonds across product, design, and markets made fast, meaningful collaboration possible.
Strong bonds across product, design, and markets made fast, meaningful collaboration possible.
learning
Real users > best guesses
Real users > best guesses
Only production A/B tests reveal what truly works—not stakeholder opinions or lab tests.
Only production A/B tests reveal what truly works—not stakeholder opinions or lab tests.
learning
Design for culture, not just compliance
Design for culture, not just compliance
Local teams helped us tailor flows to user norms, expectations, and values. Adoption followed.
Local teams helped us tailor flows to user norms, expectations, and values. Adoption followed.
learning
Ask “what’s the real blocker?”
Ask “what’s the real blocker?”
Stakeholders often describe symptoms. We dug deeper to find—and fix—the root problem.
Stakeholders often describe symptoms. We dug deeper to find—and fix—the root problem.
learning
C-levels want truth, not polish
C-levels want truth, not polish
Good execs value clarity and bold thinking—don’t shy away from pushing back.
Good execs value clarity and bold thinking—don’t shy away from pushing back.
