Malla
Designing the journey from first impression to fully built practices
Onboarding Experience Design, Product Activation Strategy
Scope
Freelance UX Designer
Role
Malla is an all-in-one operating system for a practitioner’s business and care delivery - not just a tool, but the entire environment they run their practice from. I designed a comprehensive onboarding experience that included sign-up, pre-platform introduction, and in-product setup.
Summary
The onboarding design was split into two phases - inspiration then activation
1. Inspire → Show the value before the product
A visually driven, brand forward signup flow that introduces the most impactful features first - framing the platform through outcomes. This establishes clarity, trust, and aspiration before any setup begins.
2. Activate → Learn by doing inside the platform
A guided, step-by-step onboarding within the product that helps practitioners build their practice in real time. Instead of overwhelming users with options, the system introduces functionality progressively - teaching through action and driving toward a meaningful first milestone.
SELECT SCREENS
Phase 1 - Inspire & Sign Up
We paired the sign-up experience with a visually-driven carousel highlighting key features - introducing immediate value and motivating users to continue and discover more within the platform.
The initial onboarding experience was designed to feel immersive and visually impactful. Imagery was intentionally elevated and natural, centered on a single individual to reflect the practitioner - someone building their own practice.
We gathered key inputs during sign up to shape a more personalized, relevant experience from the very beginning.
We surfaced high-impact features upfront and introduced light interaction before users entered the platform, creating early engagement without overwhelming them. This approach builds momentum while ensuring users reach the most differentiated, AI-driven features before encountering any potential onboarding fatigue.
It was important to highlight that the platform enables full customization of the client facing offerings page and client portal. This key differentiator empowers practitioners to shape their business - whether they’re just starting out or already established.
SELECT SCREENS
Phase 2 - Activate & Build
In the second phase of onboarding, we focused on familiarizing users with the features that address their most critical pain points first. From there, we guided them through setting up their business and client-facing platform - enabling them to get their practice live quickly and seamlessly.
We designed this second phase through a guided, walkthrough-style experience. A persistent panel in the bottom right acts as an anchor, providing clear steps and structure as users explore key features, understand their practitioner workflow, and learn the platform’s layout.
Tooltips provide step by step guidance throughout the flow, while an always-available AI assistant sits alongside the walkthrough, offering support at any point of friction.
Once all steps are complete - discovery, offerings established, client list imported, and payments setup - practitioners can share their page and confidently launch their practice with Malla.