Docker Onboarding & Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Docker's onboarding experience significantly boosted developer success and engagement, driving Docker Desktop's user base growth and doubling sign-in rates, paving the way for a more intuitive, accessible platform.
This project began with rigorous research into software developers and how they were using Docker. Regular user interviews gave insight into their typical workflows uncovering common joys, frustrations, pain points, and opportunities.
User research revealed a significant barrier: Docker's steep learning curve. This insight was used in a series of ideation and sketching workshops where I encouraged the team to imagine ways to dismantle adoption hurdles.
Meanwhile, our business goal was to increase user engagement by encouraging sign-ups and sign-ins. This would unlock personalized features and surface powerful paid team functionalities.
The result was a guided, hands-on Quick Start onboarding experience which introduced Docker's core concepts with a built-in command-line terminal.
We successfully grew Docker's user base and convinced a significant number of users to sign in. In the first quarter, 2.3 million users completed the Quick Start guide resulting in around 300,000 new sign ins. The percentage of people who signed in increased from 15 percent to 30 percent over a one year period, allowing us to create a pathway to paid team plans while simultaneously fostering developer success.