Loom Onboarding Checklist
Loom has a getting started checklist embedded on its home page. The checklist has four steps composed of download, record, share, and invite. The checklist steps are connected to actual product actions, and each also includes some helpful links and resources where applicable. Notably, this checklist is not skippable. See below...
Interesting Approach and Shortcoming
Loom does something interesting with their product onboarding. It's not apparent at first, but they actually change the entire product UI while a user is in an onboarding state. That is, the home screen is greatly simplified and declutterred for new users compared to onboarded users. This can have the benefit of focusing new users on only the most important tasks or functionalities, especially if the product has a depth of advanced functionalities or if the product supports multiple user personas and they are personalizing it to each user type.
In this case, I don't agree with their implementation, especially since I experienced it backfire firsthand. To begin, the standard Loom interface is not that complex, so it does not accomplish much by simplifying, and it actually prevents the user from beginning to learn the actual interface. In this case, I wanted to upload a video instead of record a video. I could not however find the upload button anywhere. In Loom's own help center they say to click on the upload button from the home screen – yet unbeknownst to a new user, it is nowhere to be found. Only after completing the (mandatory) checklist does the product transform into its standard form and reveal its full range of functionality.
In my opinion, this is a huge shortcoming of its onboarding. A great onboarding should enhance the setup experience (and improve activation rates), but it should never prevent a user from accomplishing a common workflow or task. Frustrated, I actually left Loom to find another product to support video uploads. (I returned later only to discover the "Upload" button was behind a paywall, anyway...)
