2025
How unifying authentication removed friction and set up future growth
For years, log in and create account were two separate experiences at Business Insider. Beyond the friction it created for users, it meant we were missing out on valuable first-party data — logged-in users give us the signal we need to better understand and serve our audience.
I led the design end-to-end, working with a PM and engineering to consolidate these paths into a single, seamless flow.
6%
Increase in conversion
24%
Improvement in trial to paid conversion
36k
new subscribers
The Problem
Splitting login and account creation into separate paths forced users to make a decision they shouldn't have to make. Worse, if a user had forgotten whether they'd already signed up, there was nothing to help them — no indication, no error message, no recovery path. The result was confusion, drop-off, and lost sessions.
Launching a "self-serve" experience on Corporate Subscriptions
We replaced the back-and-forth pricing quotation process with a redesigned landing page that made pricing transparent and let admins subscribe and onboard their teams independently.
Design Discovery
I started with broad competitor research — not just the obvious media comparisons like NYT or Washington Post, but brands known for clean authentication: Google, Ikea, Expedia. The goal was to understand the full landscape before narrowing in on what was right for Business Insider.
Design and engineering ran discovery in parallel. I mapped out every possible authentication path a user could take before sitting down with engineering — I wanted to come in with a point of view, even where I had open questions:
Could we consolidate screens, or would that be too high LOE at this stage?
Could we offer email-based login or a magic link, which was increasingly common?
Stakeholder alignment
I partnered with the PM to present both options with a clear recommendation: V2 required more engineering effort, but it was the right long-term bet — especially given how naturally it would connect to the checkout flow we'd already redesigned.
Stakeholders aligned on V2. From there, I increased the cadence of engineering reviews, knowing the tighter design-engineering coordination this work would demand.
Design decisions
Key decisions that reduced user friction and increase conversion
While traffic coming from mobile sources has been increasing with the advent of Google Discover, these users tend not to convert as easily as desktop users. We have found only ~7% of users that enter our checkout flow on mobile devices actually completes it.
Launching a "self-serve" experience on Corporate Subscriptions
We replaced the back-and-forth pricing quotation process with a redesigned landing page that made pricing transparent and let admins subscribe and onboard their teams independently.
Removed user friction with "Delayed account creation"
Instead of requiring account setup upfront, we moved it after payment. Users only needed an email to get started. This change drove a 6% increase in checkout completion — roughly 2,500 more subscribers per month.
1-click checkout
Once Stripe was in place, we enabled Apple Pay and Google Pay, making it significantly easier to capture mobile users at the moment of intent.
Other highlights
While we updated the main checkout experience, I also led the redesign of our onboarding, subscription management, landing pages and many subscriber activation strategies.
Achievements:
Checkout completion rate increased from 8% to 14%
Onboarding redesign lifted completion from 16% to 58%
Subscription landing page boosted clicks from 7.6% to 14.19%
INMA (International News Media Association) 3rd place for Best Subscription or Registration Experience
Reflections & takeaways
This project pushed me to think across the entire subscription experience — from first touchpoint to retention. The biggest lesson: sequencing matters. Starting with Corporate gave us a low-risk path to modernize the stack, and that foundation made everything downstream move faster.
Working on this huge project was truly an honor and I’m able to establish myself as a well rounded designer who was able to create delightful experiences at every touchpoint: from vision and strategy, to brand awareness, marketing, to product and development. It enabled me to push for a higher craft and generate impact towards business goals.