18 steps to 4.

ZAR's 18-step flow was designed by engineers adding screens as requirements came in — email verification, phone verification, KYC documents, selfie capture, address entry, security setup, wallet creation, seed phrase backup. Each step made sense in isolation. Together, they felt like filling out a government form.

The data confirmed what the design suggested: completion rates were low, and most drop-offs happened in the middle of the flow where cognitive load peaked. Every additional step was another chance to lose someone who was curious but not committed.

I mapped every step of the existing flow, then categorized each: essential (legally required or technically necessary), important (adds value but can be deferred), removable (legacy, redundant, or premature). The guiding principle was progressive disclosure — not every piece of information needs to be collected before the user gets value.

The goal was a minimum viable onboarding: get them to value first, then earn the right to ask for more. Document scan and liveness check merged into one screen. Wallet creation happened automatically, framed as a benefit rather than a chore. Security setup was tied to biometrics. Progress indicators, pre-filled data, smart defaults, and micro-copy that explained why each step mattered.

The redesigned 4-step flow — identity, wallet, security, welcome — measurably raised completion. The deferred steps were reintroduced through contextual prompts: when a user first tries to send a large amount, they're prompted for enhanced KYC. When they accumulate a balance, they're guided through seed phrase backup. Friction matched to motivation.

Users who completed onboarding also engaged more — they'd already experienced the product's value before being asked to do more. The shorter flow didn't just improve completion; it changed the quality of every user who made it through.