While all who tried the original onboarding flow expressed that this new version was an improvement, our usability test results also revealed a desire for clarified terminology and contextual guidance. Several users also expressed a desire to see a thoroughly fleshed out example project to get a stronger sense of what Glossa could do for their own projects.
1. Universal Terminology Confusion (4 out of 4 users)
All four participants struggled with specific terminology throughout the onboarding process, indicating fundamental naming issues that would impact every user. For example:
"Project Capabilities/Features"
"Organization" vs. "Team" vs. "Company"
"Source System" and "Target System
2. Need for Contextual Guidance (4 out of 4 users)
Every participant expressed wanting more context about why information was being requested and what the system would do with it.
One user wanted to know upfront what information would be needed at each step, comparing it to discovering mid-wizard that "you need your credit card" without warning.
Another felt "a little bit lost" with the original onboarding and wanted "a high level overview of how I should set this up so I don't have to backtrack and redo it."
A third appreciated when instructions were clear but noted that "lots of other pretty things to look at" distracted from instructional text that "doesn't insist on being read."
3. Strong Demand for Example/Sample Projects (3 out of 4 users)
Three participants explicitly requested the ability to explore a pre-populated example project before creating their own.
Two users wanted sample data to understand best practices: "If there was another record row in there of … “example project” or something, I'd click on it and be like, okay, what does best of breed or … best practice look like using this tool?" He felt this was better than "the blank screen of like, now what."
The third preferred "hands-on, dirt under my fingernails" learning with example data over videos for complex scenarios.
4. Information Architecture Challenges (3 out of 4 users)
Multiple participants identified structural issues with how information is organized.
Client-first vs. Project-first setup: One user strongly advocated for inputting a client's data before getting to the specific project, which was opposite of our current flow.
Hierarchical organization needs: Two users emphasized the need for visual hierarchy. One recommended showing the organizational structure ("like a tree") on the first page.
When to define requirement categories: Multiple participants found it confusing to define requirement categories during initial project setup.
5. Data Source and Integration Clarity (3 out of 4 users)
Participants wanted more transparency about how integrations and data sources work.
One user questioned whether historical data would be imported from Slack ("I'm assuming it's not gonna take anything historical outta Slack") and needed clarity on one-to-one channel mapping.
Another noted uncertainty about what happens post-connection: "The question is what happens after you click connect?" but found the screen generally made sense once it was explained that each integration behaves differently.
A third highlighted the complexity of multiple data sources: His current project involves "monday.com, spreadsheets, and some stuff they're inventing as they go."
6. Positive Reception of Core Design Elements
Despite identified issues, participants appreciated several aspects of the redesigned experience.
One user praised the clean layout: "There's not too many options. There's a decent amount of white space. It focuses my eyes and doesn't let me wonder what all happens if I touch other stuff."
Another praised the time estimate on the opening screen ("I love the time, by the way. That's awesome") and the step-by-step wizard approach with numbered steps.
A third found the progress indicators helpful: "This is helpful. It kind of tells me what you need from me."
The breadcrumb navigation was recognized as useful, though one user suggested removing "Project Setup" from the initial view since it's a separate container of tasks.
