Grubhub

Sign-up flow

An optimization of Grubhub’s sign-up experience to allow restaurants to join the Grubhub platform without the help of a sales representative, leveraging AI to help with the process.

Role: Owned design, research, ideation, prototyping, engineering support
Team: Product manager, frontend engineers, backend engineers, copy expert, sales, marketing, legal, restaurant operations
Platform: Tablet, mobile, and web
Timeline: 6 months

Explore prototype

Background

Fewer than 1% of restaurant partners were able to complete the sign-up process independently, forcing Grubhub sales reps to manually assist with signups. This increased their workload and extended the onboarding timeline to an average of 2-4 weeks—significantly longer than the 3-5 day industry standard. The delays frustrated restaurant partners, preventing them from reaching diners and resulting in lost potential sales. Additionally, the outdated design contributed to a poor user experience and lacked brand consistency, further diminishing engagement and trust.

The problem

HMW create a sign-up experience that restaurants can complete on their own?

User research

To determine the best solution, we conducted Pendo surveys to gather feedback on the existing flow, interviewed around 20 restaurant partners, and held focus groups with 2-3 partners at a time.

We asked questions like:

"Did you run into roadblocks that required help? If so, where?"
"Which steps did you find easy to complete? Which were more difficult?"
"If you could change one thing about the experience, what would it be?"

We discovered that:

9 out of 10 people were unable to complete the signup flow due to the time required to locate necessary information like Tax ID numbers and menus.
20-30% of people required sales rep assistance due to a language barrier.
8 out of 10 people didn’t understand the value of our offerings.

Opportunities

Language translation

Provide translation for the most common languages, Spanish and Mandarin.

Value propositions

Highlight value to reinforce our benefits and support informed decision-making.

Engaging visuals

Delight users with engaging visuals throughout the process.

Clear pricing plans

Show well-structured plans with cost breakdowns and included features.

Key requirements

Be upfront about the information and time needed to complete the flow.

Optional steps

Enable users to skip steps for a more flexible experience.

Design exploration

In the wireframing stage, I focused on organizing complex information efficiently. I chose an accordion-style flow to enhance usability, allowing users to easily reference previous inputs while maintaining responsiveness across devices. Additionally, I streamlined the steps and simplified the wording for a smoother experience.

Usability testing

I tested the new accordion design against the original stepper to assess user preference, observing interactions and gathering feedback as users navigated the flow.
70% of people preferred the accordion, citing its ease in referencing previously submitted information and clarity on upcoming tasks.

Stepper

Accordion

Final designs

The revamped signup flow offers a simpler, more engaging, and user-friendly experience for prospective restaurant partners. We optimized the process by reducing steps, making some fields optional, and simplifying language for clarity. To improve accessibility, we added language translation for restaurant owners with language barriers. Clear pricing breakdowns and 30-day free trials help ease decision fatigue, while time estimates and required information upfront improve completion rates. Additionally, engaging illustrations and compelling value propositions encourage signups. The redesign also streamlines sales team onboarding by collecting key business details early.

The designs function seamlessly on both mobile and tablet devices, providing flexibility for busy restaurant partners who lack time to use a desktop and enabling sales reps to onboard restaurants in person.

Responsiveness

Tablet

Mobile

Leveraging AI

To further enhance the intuitiveness and efficiency of the signup process, I designed an AI assistant called GrubBot to guide restaurant partners through onboarding, provide real-time support, answer FAQs, clarify requirements, and help reduce drop-off rates. I focused on creating a user-friendly chatbot UI with clear prompts, structured decision paths, and proactive assistance. Through iterative testing and user feedback, I continuously refined the experience to maximize engagement and conversion.