How I helped design a zillion sign-up flows
To help accelerate the energy transition
Client
Timeline
12 Months
Helping households make the energy switch
iChoosr is an Amsterdam-based scale-up that helps people switch to sustainable energy — in an easy and affordable way. They organise group purchases for things like solar panels, heat pumps and home batteries, together with local governments and trusted partners. Their digital platforms guide households step by step through the process. So far, they’ve helped over 2.2 million people, with more than 170,000 solar panel installations in countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, the US and Japan. The team has around 150 people working across these countries.
Well, imagine having 17 slightly different sign-up flows for the same service, each with its own design and technical stack. Inefficient, hard to maintain, and expensive? Yes, but they do their job, and the business is successful. There is no immediate need to change; apparently, there is no problem.
But the business is so successful that you want to expand to new regions, offer new products, and target new audiences. Continuing on this path will lead to an increasing number of varied flows. You’re not only scaling your business but also the inefficient, high-maintenance, and costly product you’ve created. And that is a problem.
The brief was straightforward: Design one ideal sign-up flow that could serve all countries and products in the future. This flow needed to be standardised so that its components could be reused as much as possible.
/ Although many components differ slightly, they are essentially the same
Making decisions for hypothetical user segments, markets, and products can be very risky. Additionally, designing for a future where technical capabilities evolve rapidly makes it nearly impossible to predict what the user experience will look like in, say, three years.
These uncertainties led us to realise that a single master flow would not be sustainable in the long run. We needed a system capable of generating an unlimited number of flows. This approach allows us to adapt not only to different countries, target groups, and products but also to unforeseen future developments, ensuring we always serve people in the best possible way.
Because the user base isn’t fully defined yet, we relied on universal psychological patterns, motivations, biases, and decision principles that apply broadly to human behaviour. These foundations can later be refined with real insights, but they already help us design for confidence across the journey.
VALUE PROPOSITION
"Will this really help me?"
We want to make it as fast and easy as possible for users to experience value by showing how benefits can impact their goals.
CONVERSION
"Is this a safe choice? Will I regret it later?"
We encourage users to commit to the offer by removing friction and cognitive load.
RETENTION
"Is this living up to what I expected?"
We keep users engaged and satisfied throughout the installation process by building a strong mental model and manage expectations in every step of the journey.
PHASE 1
The goal was to quickly confirm that we could meet users’ specific needs and budget, making the value clear right away. Instead of just relying on marketing copy, we focused on providing immediate reassurance that solar panels were a viable solution for them, helping users move forward with confidence.
/ Multi-step flow to reduce cognitive load
PHASE 2
At this stage, we focused on making it easy for users to accept the offer by removing friction. We distilled and layered information to reduce cognitive load and addressed potential anxieties, ensuring a smooth, stress-free decision-making process.
/ We guide, you decide
/ Clear overview with links to full details
Phase 3
The time between accepting the offer and installing the panels can take weeks or months, making it crucial to keep customers engaged and prevent churn. We focus heavily on expectation management, keeping users informed and involved at every step, while addressing any uncertainties they may have to ensure a smooth and satisfying experience.
/ Always know where you are and what’s next
New sign-up flow is rolling out internationally
After a successful launch in the UK, where the new heat pump sign-up flow is now live, we’re expanding to other countries. Localised versions are currently in development for the US and Japan. Next up: the Netherlands and Belgium. This international rollout will help us refine a flexible, white-label flow that can be reused across future schemes and markets.
Product management: Jorrit Bosma, Marco Van Heerde, Peter Boermans, Willemijn Van Woerkom
Product Design: Demmy Onink, Thomas Dallmeir, Lisanne van der Palen
Growth strategy: Claire van Erck
My role: As Senior Designer, I led the early phase of the project, setting the long-term vision and aligning key stakeholders. I defined the strategic foundation and established the design framework. Once the direction was clear, I worked closely with the design team to deliver user-tested UX flows and polished final designs in Figma.