Better UX, Better Revenue: Lessons from Uxcel’s Transformation

Uxcel is an interactive learning platform that helps designers improve their skills through interactive UX courses. While it offers excellent resources for UX learning, a poor UX flow prevented Uxcel from generating revenue effectively. In this case study, I will discuss how this issue impacted Uxcel and how I contributed to resolving it.

Back Story

I began using Uxcel when they started their journey during the COVID era in 2020, and I’ve always admired their content. It’s incredibly beneficial for learners interested in UX, but their courses are all paid; they only offer the first lesson for free, with the remainder of the course reserved for paid users.

So, I’ve always desired to subscribe to their platform, but unfortunately, I don’t have sufficient funds to do so. However, in January 2023, Uxcel reduced their yearly plan from $80 to $48, and in addition to this reduction, they offered a discounted rate of only $24. When I received this offer, I was thrilled and eager to seize the opportunity. Therefore, I decided to subscribe. However, the issue arose that I don’t have any credit cards to complete the purchase.

A friend offered to help through his colleague, who was willing to use his credit card but did not want to share his card information. Instead, he asked for my Uxcel login details. I had created my account using social login, which didn’t allow me to create a password.

The Problem began now

When I try to create a password by clicking the “Forgot your password” option and entering my email address, and then click “Send reset email” they display the following message: “We couldn’t find a user with this email. Sign up.”

Upon seeing this message, I was shocked because I had been using Uxcel for over a year, spending a lot of time on their site, and making significant progress.

Subsequently, when I attempt to sign up with this email, they present the following result: “This account can only be logged in with Google.”

I then searched on Google for “How to change a Uxcel password,” and found a help section on the Uxcel website that explains how to change the password of a Uxcel account. So, I followed the steps, but in my account, I couldn’t find the password reset option, which should be located under settings > password.

When I attempted to locate the password section in my account, I couldn’t find the password option.

I was thoroughly confused about the situation, so I took a deep breath and began analyzing the problem. Eventually, I realized that if someone signs up with Uxcel using the social button, they can only log in through the social login button and cannot change their password. This limitation exists because social sign-ups and logins do not require users to create passwords. Consequently, users who created their accounts using the social sign-up button are unable to create any passwords.

So, I took my problem to their support team and explained it to them. Now, I face the challenge that the average support response time is 8 hours. So, after one message, I have to wait 8 hours to get a response from them. After spanning 3 days, explaining my problem, they took almost 1-2 weeks and provided a solution. They suggested creating a new account with email signup and assured me that the email would migrate all my progress. Then, I could change or create a new password. However, when I received the solution, the offer had already ended, and I was unable to get the subscription.

This problem is not unique for me. There are numerous people worldwide who don’t have a Visa or Mastercard. So, it can happen frequently, preventing Uxcel from generating a significant amount of revenue. I decided to address these issues and shared them with the Uxcel team.

Analysis and Solutions

1st Problem: UX Copy

The first issue was a misleading UX copy suggesting I had no account with my email.

Solution:

I proposed modifying the UX copy to include a message like “This account can only be logged into with Google. Want to set a password?” Users clicking the password text would receive a reset link in their email, allowing them to set a password and log in.

2nd Problem: Add a Reset Password Tab

I made another option for creating a password on profile>setting>password, which was available for only email sign-up users. So, in my design solution, users can set their password from the forgot password as well as on the profile section. That provides extra convenience for the user.

Implementation and Outcome

I collaborated with Uxcel’s product designer, presenting my proposed solutions. After some time, the UX issues were addressed. The refined copy and added password reset tab in the user profile settings improved the overall user experience, benefiting not only me but potentially countless users facing similar obstacles. By resolving these issues, Uxcel enhanced its user accessibility and potentially prevented revenue loss due to barriers faced by users without credit cards.