About

Google Site Kit is a WordPress plugin that connects websites with Google’s tools for performance, analytics, and search. The plugin’s team wanted to streamline the onboarding process, making it easier for new users to set up and connect their Google services.

The key challenge became:
How might we design an onboarding flow that motivates users to connect more Google services, without overwhelming or frustrating them?

My role

I led the research study from end to end: planning, recruiting, interviewing, and synthesising insights. My goal was to provide clear evidence to guide the product team’s decision on how to structure Site Kit’s new installation flow.

Approach

I recruited a group of WordPress users who had not previously used Site Kit. This choice was intentional: we wanted fresh perspectives from people who weren’t influenced by existing knowledge of the plugin.

In the interviews, I explored how participants manage and monitor their site’s performance, which Google tools they use, and what matters to them when setting up a new plugin. This gave us valuable context for understanding their expectations before introducing the prototypes.

I then presented two versions of a new onboarding flow:

• A gamification-based approach that used badges as motivation to connect more Google products.
• A linear approach that guided users step by step through the setup.

The response was unanimous. Participants found the badge-based experience gimmicky and frustrating, while the linear flow was clear, straightforward, and aligned with their mental models of how plugin setup should work.

After the sessions, I synthesized findings into clear themes and used ChatGPT to support pattern analysis and reporting. I created a presentation for the Site Kit team that highlighted not only what users said but why it mattered for the product direction.

Outcomes

The research gave the Site Kit team strong validation that a linear onboarding flow was the right path forward. By grounding the decision in user feedback, the engineering team was able to move forward with confidence, focusing on simplifying the experience and helping users connect more Google services without friction.

For me, the project reinforced the importance of testing assumptions early — in this case, that gamification might motivate users. By putting prototypes in front of real people, we were able to discard a flawed approach and double down on what users actually wanted: simplicity, clarity, and speed.