Redesigning How Users Create Studies on GetCurious

Redesigned the task creation for unmoderated studies that reduced user drop-offs and increased study completions by ~25%.

My Role & Contribution

My Role & Contribution

My Role & Contribution

Responsible for driving initial research, proposing the project, conceptualisation, design, usability testing, dev handoffs, and delivery of key modules and feature areas.

Team

Team

Team

Me working as a solo product designer with a product manager, engineers, and customer support team.

Project Type

Project Type

Project Type

B2B SaaS, Web, Research

Timeline

Timeline

Timeline

August 2023 - October 2023

About GetCurious

About GetCurious

About GetCurious

GetCurious is a user testing platform built for UX researchers, designers, and product managers to conduct research studies, observe real user interactions, and gather valuable feedback.

🚩 The Problem: Users Relied on Support to Create Studies

GetCurious helped users to create unmoderated studies in three simple steps:
Basic Details → Create Tasks → Invite Participants

GetCurious helped users to create unmoderated studies in three simple steps:
Basic Details → Create Tasks → Invite Participants

GetCurious helped users to create unmoderated studies in three simple steps:
Basic Details → Create Tasks → Invite Participants

But despite this, something wasn’t working. By June 2023, we noticed an emerging pattern:

• A majority of users, especially PMs & Designers weren't creating studies independently.

• A majority of users, especially PMs & Designers weren't creating studies independently.

• A majority of users, especially PMs & Designers weren't creating studies independently.

• Instead, they contacted support to help them through the process.

• Instead, they contacted support to help them through the process.

• Instead, they contacted support to help them through the process.

I connected with the support team to pinpoint exactly where users were getting stuck. The answer was clear:

🔎 The Task Creation Page was the biggest friction point.

🔎 The Task Creation Page was the biggest friction point.

🔎 The Task Creation Page was the biggest friction point.

📊 Understanding the Scope: How Big was the Problem?

I analyzed support ticket trends, Hotjar sessions and Onboarding funnel data. The data revealed:

• ~80% of new users struggled to complete study setup on their own

• ~80% of new users struggled to complete study setup on their own

• ~80% of new users struggled to complete study setup on their own

• This led to a +60% increase in support tickets within 2 months

• This led to a +60% increase in support tickets within 2 months

• This led to a +60% increase in support tickets within 2 months

• Most users often abandoned mid-way, on the Task Creation Page

• Most users often abandoned mid-way, on the Task Creation Page

• Most users often abandoned mid-way, on the Task Creation Page

🎯 Defining Success: What did we Aim to Achieve?

From platform usage data, we found:

From platform usage data, we found:

From platform usage data, we found:

• Teams that created 4+ studies (each with 3+ responses) were more likely to become long-term, paid users.

• Teams that created 4+ studies (each with 3+ responses) were more likely to become long-term, paid users.

• Teams that created 4+ studies (each with 3+ responses) were more likely to become long-term, paid users.

Our north star became clear:

Our north star became clear:

Our north star became clear:

• ✅ Make task creation easy, intuitive, and scalable to improve study completion, reduce support dependency.

• ✅ Make task creation easy, intuitive, and scalable to improve study completion, reduce support dependency.

• ✅ Make task creation easy, intuitive, and scalable to improve study completion, reduce support dependency.

🎊 The Impact: 12 new Product Teams adopted GetCurious within 3 months of new release

each team is bringing dozens of users onboard and expanding the platform's reach. The teams cited the new study creation experience as the key driver.

Overall Business Impact
↓~0%
↓~0%
↓~0%

Reduction in support tickets related to study creation

+0
+0
+0

Studies created independently by users

↑~0%
↑~0%
↑~0%

Increase in successful completed studies

User Impact
↓~0%
↓~0%
↓~0%

Decrease in average study creation time

+300
+300
+300

Participants performed in new studies created

↑~0%
↑~0%
↑~0%

Month-over-month user growth

🧪 Usability Testing to Minimize Guesswork

We conducted 7 usability sessions with a mix of UX Researchers (2), Product Designers (2), and Product Managers (3). Our goals were clear:

We conducted 7 usability sessions with a mix of UX Researchers (2), Product Designers (2), and Product Managers (3). Our goals were clear:

We conducted 7 usability sessions with a mix of UX Researchers (2), Product Designers (2), and Product Managers (3). Our goals were clear:

• Understand how user conduct research on our and other platforms.

• Understand how user conduct research on our and other platforms.

• Understand how user conduct research on our and other platforms.

• Identify friction points during the study setup process.

• Identify friction points during the study setup process.

• Identify friction points during the study setup process.

• Validate patterns seen in support data.

• Validate patterns seen in support data.

• Validate patterns seen in support data.

Usability Test Result Sheet. Check here

Usability Test Result Sheet. Check here

Thus our hypothesis was proved—most pain points were in Task Creation Page and, here’s what we found.

Thus our hypothesis was proved—most pain points were in Task Creation Page and, here’s what we found.

Thus our hypothesis was proved—most pain points were in Task Creation Page and, here’s what we found.

⭐️ Usability Findings: Where Users Struggled Most

Two types of insights we filtered out from our usability sessions.

Platform Insights

1. High Cognitive Load - Extra fields like welcome/final messages felt unnecessary and slowed users down.

1. High Cognitive Load - Extra fields like welcome/final messages felt unnecessary and slowed users down.

1. High Cognitive Load - Extra fields like welcome/final messages felt unnecessary and slowed users down.

2. Landing Page URL Confusion - Users didn't understand what to enter or where it would appear.

2. Landing Page URL Confusion - Users didn't understand what to enter or where it would appear.

2. Landing Page URL Confusion - Users didn't understand what to enter or where it would appear.

3. Clunky Task Management - With 8-14 tasks per study, rearranging them was frustrating.

3. Clunky Task Management - With 8-14 tasks per study, rearranging them was frustrating.

3. Clunky Task Management - With 8-14 tasks per study, rearranging them was frustrating.

Below, image indicating places of issues in old task page design

Old Task Page Design highlighting issues

Old Task Page Design highlighting issues

Additional Insights/ Feedbacks

• Limited task types

• No task previews during creation

• No way to test static images

• Frequent edits post-launch due to unclear tasks for participants

💡 Strategy: Prioritize What Matters Most

Through our research, we identified key gaps and solutions, then prioritized them using the Critical / Useful / Delightful framework to ensure our first iteration addressed the most pressing issues first.

Through our research, we identified key gaps and solutions, then prioritized them using the Critical / Useful / Delightful framework to ensure our first iteration addressed the most pressing issues first.

Through our research, we identified key gaps and solutions, then prioritized them using the Critical / Useful / Delightful framework to ensure our first iteration addressed the most pressing issues first.

Development Roadmap

Development Roadmap

The roadmap focused on three areas:

1. Designing the Clean, Focused Task Creation Page

2. Introducing New Features

3. Refine with AI: Helping Users Write Better Tasks

✍🏼 1. Designing the Clean, Focused Task Creation Page

We redesigned the Task Page from the ground up with three distinct sections:

• Task List: Manage tasks in a compact side panel

• Task List: Manage tasks in a compact side panel

• Task List: Manage tasks in a compact side panel

• Content Area: Focused editing experience

• Content Area: Focused editing experience

• Content Area: Focused editing experience

• Task Preview: Real-time participant view

• Task Preview: Real-time participant view

• Task Preview: Real-time participant view

I explored multiple layout options, identified three standout designs, and conducted quick feedback sessions to gather insights.

Task Page Layout Explorations

Task Page Layout Explorations

Explorations Pros & Cons

Explorations Pros & Cons

We chose a tabbed layout for its clarity and ease of use.

We chose a tabbed layout for its clarity and ease of use.

We chose a tabbed layout for its clarity and ease of use.

✅ This layout reduced cognitive load and made multitasking simpler.

✅ This layout reduced cognitive load and made multitasking simpler.

✅ This layout reduced cognitive load and made multitasking simpler.

Tabbed Editing & Preview (Final Choice)

Tabbed Editing & Preview (Final Choice)

🧩 2. Introducing New Features
🆕 2.1 New Task Types

A major takeaway from user sessions was the need for more task variety. In the first phase, we introduced 8 different task types, allowing users to gather richer insights and improve study results.

A major takeaway from user sessions was the need for more task variety. In the first phase, we introduced 8 different task types, allowing users to gather richer insights and improve study results.

A major takeaway from user sessions was the need for more task variety. In the first phase, we introduced 8 different task types, allowing users to gather richer insights and improve study results.

New Task Types

New Task Types

🔄 2.2 Easier Task Management

Rearranging tasks was hard and frustrating due to large task boxes.

For this I have done competetive research to see how other platform solving this. One common pattern I have noticed everywhere using it is show one task at a time.

We introduced a Task List View:

We introduced a Task List View:

We introduced a Task List View:

• A compact left-hand panel displaying all tasks.

• Users could quickly switch, reorder, or manage tasks.

Task Reordering

Task Reordering

👀 2.3 Study Preview

Participants often misunderstood tasks. This led to post-launch edits and inconsistent study data.

To address this, we introduced a Study Preview mode. This feature let users test their study flow before launch, reducing post-launch edits and inconsistencies.

To address this, we introduced a Study Preview mode. This feature let users test their study flow before launch, reducing post-launch edits and inconsistencies.

To address this, we introduced a Study Preview mode. This feature let users test their study flow before launch, reducing post-launch edits and inconsistencies.

Mobile Study Preview

Mobile Study Preview

🤖 3. Refine with AI: Helping Users Write Better Tasks

Users weren’t always confident their instructions were clear. Many over-explained, making tasks hard to follow.

To solve this, we introduced a "Refine Text" button that used AI to:

To solve this, we introduced a "Refine Text" button that used AI to:

To solve this, we introduced a "Refine Text" button that used AI to:

• Simplify language

• Improve clarity

• Keep instructions concise

Refine Task Implementation

Refine Task Implementation

🧐 Hmm... Does this solve the problem?

The layout and overall experience felt much better now by users. The above changes we made make a huge difference to what existed before, and we felt we were close to our goals.

Before Revamp

After Revamp

Before Revamp

After Revamp

Before Revamp

After Revamp

But still we noticed, users were spending too much time creating tasks.

But still we noticed, users were spending too much time creating tasks.

But still we noticed, users were spending too much time creating tasks.

🔁 Iterations Based on User Behaviour

From Hotjar sessions and follow-ups, we uncovered two major pain points:

⛳️ 1. Inline Error Feedback

Users skipped required fields without realizing it — and only discovered errors at publish time. We added inline error indications inside each task to highlight missing fields and reduce backtracking.

Users skipped required fields without realizing it — and only discovered errors at publish time. We added inline error indications inside each task to highlight missing fields and reduce backtracking.

Users skipped required fields without realizing it — and only discovered errors at publish time. We added inline error indications inside each task to highlight missing fields and reduce backtracking.

Error States

Error States

🫣 2. Hidden Actions - Delete, Duplicate, or Hide a Task

We placed these action buttons in the top right corner of the content box, but some users had difficulty finding them.

To improve this, we added a hover-based "More (⋮)" dropdown for a cleaner yet discoverable interaction model.

To improve this, we added a hover-based "More (⋮)" dropdown for a cleaner yet discoverable interaction model.

To improve this, we added a hover-based "More (⋮)" dropdown for a cleaner yet discoverable interaction model.

Delete/Duplicate/Hide Task

Delete/Duplicate/Hide Task

💭 Reflections & Learnings

  1. Clarity builds confidence

Users didn’t need more features — they needed to feel sure they were doing the right thing. Clear defaults, better previews, and validation helped remove second-guessing.

  1. Support teams are a goldmine of insight

Talking to the support team gave us real problems, not assumptions. Their feedback helped us prioritize what actually mattered.

  1. Small changes create big outcomes

Things like inline errors, task previews, and AI text suggestions felt minor — but they had a huge impact on usability and reduced support load.

🙌 Final Note

The overall impact of the project was positive. Nevertheless, there were tons of learnings and a lot of areas to improve upon. Feel free to reach out to know more about how we all worked together to ship the project.

For future, we had planned a lot of updates which were also shipped by the team at GetCurious after I left the team.

Thanks for reading!
I’d love to talk more about this project and the many behind-the-scenes decisions that went into it.

Thank you for reading!

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Feel free to connect let’s chat about
design, product, community, or anything

Feel free to connect let’s chat about design, product, community, or anything

Feel free to connect let’s chat about design, product, community, or anything

I'd love to grab tea to talk about anything - from design and tech to sports and anime. Shoot me an email and we can work something out.

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