Applying storytelling principles to solve user abandonment and drive measurable conversion improvements through strategic UX design and cross-functional collaboration.
The Growth Manager sought out my storytelling expertise to address a critical conversion issue: users were dropping off at the loading bar experience before reaching the email capture page. Customers searching for specific information like a phone number would leave without signing up when they didn't immediately find what they were looking for.
Having exhausted their existing ideas, the Growth Team specifically requested a fresh creative perspective from other arms of the marketing organization. They had witnessed the successes we achieved with social content and believed my storytelling approach could unlock new solutions they hadn't considered.
The Problem: Our loading experience was too short and functional. Users would search for one piece of information (like a phone number), and if they didn't find it instantly, they'd abandon the page before we could capture their email or show them the full value of what we offered.
What Was At Stake: We were losing qualified prospects who could benefit from our comprehensive data, including other contact info, social media accounts, and publicly available information they didn't even know existed. Every abandoned session meant lost email captures and missed opportunities to convert searchers into subscribers.
Here's a side-by-side comparison of the original loading experience versus my optimized solution:
As the strategic lead on this initiative, I took a counterintuitive approach: instead of speeding up the loading experience, I made it longer and more valuable. My strategy was to transform what users perceived as "search time" into an experience that built anticipation, communicated value, and revealed possibilities they hadn't considered.
My involvement went far beyond strategy and direction. I personally animated and mocked up the entire flow to clearly articulate how the experience should feel and function. By creating detailed, interactive prototypes, I gave the Design Team a tangible vision they could refine and implement, rather than abstract concepts to interpret.
The Psychology: By extending the experience and showcasing what we're searching for, users became more invested in seeing the results. They understood the comprehensive nature of our data and were more likely to provide their email, even if they didn't find their original search target, because they saw the broader value we could provide.
Based on my research, I created mockups that transformed the loading experience from a point of friction into an opportunity for engagement and trust-building.
I presented my mockups to the Design Team, walking them through the strategic rationale behind each element. The response was enthusiastic. My storytelling approach opened their eyes to new possibilities.
My mockups didn't just solve the immediate problem. They inspired the Design Team to incorporate more animation and narrative elements in future iterations across other landing pages. This represented a shift in how the team approached UX design, moving from purely functional to strategically engaging.