How Evernote designs its fantastic Onboarding Flow

During the last weeks I’ve published different articles about what onboarding is, how you can design it and why you should think user-centric. Now I want to take a closer look at the successfully designed onboarding flow of Evernote.

Evernote uses a combination of all three types of onboarding I’ve explained in the article “How not to lose users during app onboarding”.

__________________________

*Opening Evernote*

The Evernote icon welcomes you.

Wait, there is more! An animation with the different functionalities Evernote offers.

And a Call To Action. Designed in an eye-catching green.

*Click*

*Sign up*

Trying Evernote Premium for free? Thank you for the nice gift but at the moment I just wanted to test the Evernote onboarding flow. I’ll get back to it when I’m convinced 😉

*Continues with a free trial*

A quick tour through the Evernote functionalities? This is exactly what I was looking for! Evernote doesn’t force the users to join the onboarding flow. They can try the app on their own too. But at this point I want to take the tour.

*Great, let’s go!*

Evernote does not just explain the functionalities, it mentions the benefits too.

*Create a note*

By clicking through the process Evernote guides you through the different functionalities and screens.

Wait! A permission request? There is a narrow ridge between asking the user for permission at the right time and annoying him at an inappropriate time.

Do I know why Evernote ask me? – Yes

Do I understand the benefits of the request? – Yes

Do I understand the importance of accepting the request? – Yes

*OK*

Well done! Evernote has mastered this narrow ridge. The request is placed at the right time and with an explanation of the importance to accept the request.

Pssst: do you want to learn more about asking the users for permission? Check this article!

Users can connect Evernote to the web.

*Show me how*

Now Evernote links to their website. A more detailed explanation.

Have I left the app? Do I have to open it again?

No.

Evernote doesn’t let the users go – at least not at this point. The website is opened in a window inside the app to keep the users inside the app. This makes it easy to continue with the Evernote onboarding flow.

*Click*

*Click*

*Click*

*Finish*

After finishing the onboarding flow Evernote opens the front page.

Where do I find the functionalities Evernote explained before? What if I’ve skipped the Evernote onboarding process? Can I use the app now or would it be too difficult?

No worries, Evernote has a quick progressive onboarding part for the users who want to have more information.

It shows where to find and how to use the most important functionalities.

Conclusion on a well-done Onboarding Flow

Even if the Evernote onboarding flow is quite long, it is well structured and informative.

Evernote focuses on two types of users.

• The ones who want to have a detailed user onboarding flow, who want to know which benefits they get and which functions they can use.

• And the users who want to start directly without reading every slide of the onboarding flow.

Evernote has not just managed to design a user-centric onboarding, it managed to ask users for permission in the right way, too.

Related Articles:

• How does LinkedIn onboard its new users?

• How to Monitor Your Mobile App Onboarding

• The future of app onboarding is user-centric

• How to make your mobile app onboarding even better

• How not to lose users during app onboarding (Part 1)

• How not to lose users during app onboarding (Part 2)

• 10 apps with the best user onboarding flow

• Skyrocket Your App With User-Focused Onboarding (e-book)