Membership Onboarding

Client

UNISON

Overview

UNISON, the UK’s largest public service union, needed to modernise how new members joined online. The existing NJOL system was outdated, disconnected from core systems, and created friction for prospective members. This was especially critical as UNISON faced declining membership among younger, digital-first workers.

Approach

As Lead Product Designer, I led the design direction from discovery through delivery, partnering with a UX researcher to identify where prospective members were dropping off and what was causing confusion or hesitation.

I worked with stakeholders across membership, digital and comms to align the sign-up journey with UNISON’s wider Member Engagement Programme, simplifying the experience while preserving the data and operational requirements the organisation needed. Our focus was to reduce complexity, capture essential information progressively, and build trust and reassurance throughout the journey.

Client brief

Reimagine the NJOL journey to make joining intuitive, mobile-friendly, and better integrated into UNISON’s digital ecosystem.

Solution

Broke down the sign-up process into simple, progressive steps to reduce friction.

Introduced progressive profiling, capturing only essential details upfront and requesting additional information later.


Designed mobile-first screens optimised for clarity and accessibility.

Added confirmation emails to reassure members and provide a clear next step.

Implemented a welcome onboarding flow, introducing new members to UNISON’s benefits and services immediately.

Improved system integration with CRM and comms platforms to ensure accurate data and a smoother user journey.

Priming
Highlighting required details upfront prepares users and reduces drop-off caused by missing information.

Endowed Progress Effect
Clear progress stepper motivates users by showing how far they’ve already come, increasing completion rates.

Goal Priming
Reassuring users of membership benefits at payment stage strengthens motivation and reduces last-minute abandonment.

Goal Gradient Effect
Countdown timer and help options at each step reduce uncertainty and encourage users to complete the form.

Membership fee calculator
Step 1
Select pay period
I know how much I get paid before tax per:
Year
Month
Week
Hour
Step 2
Enter your earnings
Amount earned before tax per year
£
Your membership fee
Please enter your pay details into the calculator
Membership fee calculator
Step 1
Select pay period
I know how much I get paid before tax per:
Year
Month
Week
Hour
Step 2
Enter your earnings
Amount earned before tax per year
£
Your membership fee
Please enter your pay details into the calculator

Rapid Prototyping
Interactive Figma prototype enabled quick testing and iteration to validate the design with users.

Impact

By reducing friction and creating a modern, mobile-first joiner flow, UNISON was able to increase the likelihood of younger members joining online. The new NJOL created a strong foundation for future personalised journeys, ensuring that joining UNISON felt both seamless and supportive.

Tested the onboarding journey with 8 users, identifying key points of confusion around eligibility, payment and account setup, then refining the flow to improve clarity and confidence.