Solving the blank page

A powerful government platform froze first-time users. The fix wasn't fewer features — it was a clear path.

The problem

Users logged in, saw 12 possible actions at once, and stalled. Nearly half gave up during onboarding. The support queue filled with one line: "I don't know where to start."

What I did

  1. 1

    Watched

    8 new users, no guidance. Noted every stall.

  2. 2

    Mapped

    Charted where confusion and drop-off happened.

  3. 3

    Prototyped

    Tested 3 onboarding approaches head-to-head.

  4. 4

    Shipped

    Progressive disclosure: one step at a time.

Show the next logical action; hide the rest. Twelve choices became one to three at any moment.

The results

Before
45%
After
78%

First-attempt success on the core workflow.

0
Fewer support tickets
(first month)
Takeaway

Clarity beat features. We didn't change the 12 steps — only how they were revealed. The product was already powerful; the experience was the problem.