What’s your favorite onboarding experience from a product (that you actually kept using)?
We’re in the thick of redesigning onboarding for a new consumer app—trying to make that first minute actually count. Not just informative, but compelling enough that people actually stick around and use it again.
Too many products treat onboarding like a tutorial. And it becomes easy for the user to view it as just another hurdle to “get through” instead of a moment to get set up for a positive experience. Swipe, swipe swipe, go...
One that's really stuck with me that others are probably familiar with: Notion. It's great because doesn’t talk at you. It builds with you. The best part? You end up with a personalized workspace you can actually keep using, if you want. At least in my experience, that is pretty rare.
So I’m curious:
What product nailed onboarding for you?
What made it work—clarity, speed, personality, something else?
Did it feel helpful, delightful, or just out of the way?
Always looking for examples that do more than just check the box. Thanks for reading!
Replies
Figma had a surprisingly smooth onboarding for me. It just pulled me in with actual time collaboration right away. I didn’t feel like I was learning something, I was just doing it. That hands-on feel made me want to stick around.
@eo__matthew So important that we show value to the user as quickly as possible. Sounds like Figma does that well!
I still remember Duolingo’s onboarding. It got me doing a lesson in like 30 seconds. The way it skipped the fluff and got me to feel like I was already learning made all the difference.
@jonathan_prime Me too! 434 days and I keep coming back.
@jonathan_prime My current product is Duo-adjacent, and I'm insisting on this being super important. If someone wants to learn a language, get them doing it ASAP. Nice reminder!
I remember loving the onboarding in Forest. It was simple and emotionally engaging. The idea that I could grow a tree while staying focused just worked for me.
@tina_kim2 How have I not heard of this?? I think I could use a little forest in my life. Thanks for sharing!
I was wondering about this recently, and after some thought, I believe the most successful product experience for me is the one Apple offers with its ecosystem. It starts with the phone, then the computer, the earbuds... you get swept away by the simplicity, practicality, and intuitiveness of each product! And also how the products work together!
@ines_billieres Have to give credit where it's due! Always so elegant as well.
For me, Figma nailed it.
The onboarding didn’t just show how the tool worked it made me use it in context. What stood out was:
Micro-actions over tutorials: Instead of a linear walkthrough, it nudged me to create something instantly. That built confidence way faster than passively swiping through tips.
Live collaboration demo: I got a fake collaborator in the file right away ("TeamBot") which instantly showed me Figma’s superpower real-time teamwork.
Zero fluff: No unnecessary steps. Just enough structure to get started, then a seamless transition into the actual product.
It felt like they respected my time but still gave me just enough structure to avoid the “blank canvas panic.”
That “do it while you learn it” design really stuck with me.