GoHarness
Redesigning the onboarding experience for a developer-first CI/CD platform, accelerating time-to-first-pipeline for new users.
The Challenge
GoHarness had a powerful CI/CD platform, but new users were struggling to create their first pipeline. The onboarding flow required deep domain knowledge, and 70% of trial users dropped off before completing setup. The product team needed a redesign that would lower the barrier to entry without dumbing down the tool.
Discovery
I led a two-week discovery sprint with the team. We conducted 15 user interviews with DevOps engineers of varying experience levels, analyzed session recordings, and mapped the existing onboarding flow against industry benchmarks.
Three key insights emerged:
- Terminology overload — the platform used internal jargon that didn't match mental models of engineers coming from other tools
- No progressive disclosure — advanced configuration was shown upfront, overwhelming first-time users
- Missing feedback loops — users couldn't tell if their pipeline was configured correctly until they ran it and it failed
"I spent 40 minutes setting up my first pipeline and it just errored out. I had no idea what I did wrong." — Senior DevOps Engineer, Series B startup
Framing the Strategy
Rather than redesigning screens, we reframed the problem as a learning design challenge. The goal wasn't just to simplify the UI — it was to build confidence through small, validated wins.
We established three design principles:
- Show, then ask — demonstrate what a working pipeline looks like before asking users to build one
- Validate continuously — give real-time feedback on every configuration choice
- Escape hatches everywhere — let experienced users skip ahead without penalty
BEHAVIORAL JOURNEY MAP · 12 MOMENTS
PRE-ACTION RULE · M01–M05
Users must complete identity verification and card confirmation before accessing any mission-based content. This gate ensures compliance while preserving forward momentum through progressive disclosure.
VISIBILITY RULE · M05.1–M11
Mission content becomes visible only after enrollment is complete. Reward states are locked until at least one mission cycle is finished, preventing premature expectations.
GOHARNESS · BEHAVIORAL DESIGN ENGAGEMENT · 2023
The Solution
Guided Pipeline Builder
We replaced the blank-canvas pipeline editor with a step-by-step builder that used smart defaults. Each step showed a live preview of the generated YAML, so users could learn the underlying configuration as they went.
Template Gallery
We introduced a template gallery with pre-built pipelines for common stacks (Node.js, Python, Go, Java). Users could start from a working template and customize it, rather than building from scratch.
Inline Validation Engine
Every field in the pipeline editor now runs real-time validation. Instead of waiting for a pipeline to fail, users see clear, contextual error messages as they configure each step.
5 EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES · OPPORTUNITY SCORING
CONFIRMED CHANGE · MOMENT 05
Expiration-only card verification
Replaced full card re-entry with expiration-date-only confirmation. Reduced friction while maintaining PCI compliance requirements.
CTA LANGUAGE · STANDARDIZED
REMOVEDGOHARNESS · EXPERIENCE PRINCIPLES FRAMEWORK · 2023
Results
The redesigned onboarding launched to 100% of new signups after a successful A/B test:
Reflection
This project reinforced a principle I return to often: the best onboarding doesn't feel like onboarding. By treating the setup flow as a learning experience rather than a configuration form, we helped users build real competence — not just complete tasks.
The key leadership decision was resisting pressure to just "simplify the UI." Simplification without strategy often just hides complexity. Instead, we structured the complexity so users encountered it at the right moment, with the right support.