Workshop test
We worked through the current onboarding during the session.
Homecrowd
Workshop Recap,
App Audit, and Roadmap
New Apology · July 14, 2026
Workshop summary
The workshop showed where users hesitate and what motivates them.
Too many steps
Each screen added work and made the app feel less familiar.
Missing guidance
Users lacked a clear next step while linking a card.
Fan identity
Fans want credit for supporting their school.
App Audit findings
We reviewed onboarding through return visits and found four problems to solve.
Full journey
We tested onboarding, card linking, shopping, earning, and return visits.
User friction
Users lose momentum during card setup, browser handoffs, and point tracking.
Priority order
Fix activation before football season, then improve shopping and retention.
Audit finding · Earning experience
Fans encounter three different ways to earn.
In person
Local merchants via card swipe.
Browser extension
Online purchases through a separate browser tool.
In-app purchases
The app opens a browser before the fan can buy.
Shop tab
Put discovery, shopping, and earning status in one place.
Shopping assistant
Give fans the same shopping assistant in Mobile Safari and the in-app browser.
Build on existing support.
Mobile Safari works today. Use its extension as one surface for the shared shopping assistant.
Bring the assistant into Homecrowd.
Match the prompts, merchant details, activation steps, and earning confirmation fans see in Safari.
One assistant, two surfaces
Fans get the same steps, language, and feedback wherever they shop. Switching surfaces does not change how Homecrowd works.
Audit finding · Engagement & recognition
Fans want credit for supporting their school.
Hardcore alumni
Want status that reflects years of support.
Casual fans
Need a quick way to understand the benefit.
Students
Want social recognition and reasons to return.
Retention
Give fans a reason to return.
Recognition
Fans need credit for their support.
Show school rankings and fan status.Card status
Users need confirmation that a card or bonus is active.
Show status in alerts and banners.Multiple cards
Users have no reason to link a second card.
Offer a benefit for each added card.Points
Users struggle to track points and earnings.
Show points, earnings, and school contributions together.Overall problems identified
Four problems block activation and repeat use.
Shorten onboarding
Remove steps and guide users through card linking.
Combine shopping
Put in-person, browser, and in-app earning in one Shop tab.
Show the value
Display points, earnings, and school contributions in plain terms.
Reward return visits
Use alerts, rankings, and card incentives to bring fans back.
Product principle
The product should work without instructions.
We set product direction and review the designer’s work.
Our role
We turn executive priorities into briefs and review each round of design work.
Designer partnership
The UX designer search is underway. We will give the selected designer product context and feedback each week.
- Designer review each week
- Executive meeting each week
- Written feedback
- Engineering review
- User testing
How the partnership works
New Apology gives the designer direction each week.
Your executive team makes the product decisions. We give the designer the context and feedback to act on them.
Executive decisions
Your executive team sets priorities and resolves product questions with us.
New Apology guidance
We give the designer briefs, priorities, and comments tied to those decisions.
Designer revisions
The designer shares work with us. We review it and set the next round of changes.
Live cadenceOne designer working session each week
Async cadenceTwo designer check-ins each week
We review the work, give written feedback, and apply executive decisions to the next round.
Roadmap overview
Fix onboarding in three weeks, polish it before football season, then build loyalty.
Immediate
Next 3 weeks
- Fix the onboarding flow.
- Make each step feel native.
- Advance the designer search.
Phase 1
Before football season
- Polish the full onboarding flow.
- Make setup more engaging.
- Add quick wins for guidance and gamification.
Phase 2
Early season
- Bring the same shopping assistant to Safari and the in-app browser.
- Add useful notifications.
- Gamify key actions.
Phase 3
Mid-season onward
- Build a loyalty program.
- Give fans status and recognition.
- Give fans more control over how they support their school.
Ongoing
Review the work each week and test changes with users.
Near-term roadmap
What we’ll work on over the next four weeks.
Already underway
UX / product designer
- We are sourcing the right designer for the work ahead.
Week 1
Onboarding + Shop
- Kick off the onboarding flow.
- Begin consolidating the shopping experience.
Week 2
Chrome extension
- Make the extension feel as native as possible.
- Add smart exclusions without AI or merchant cataloging.
Weeks 3–4
Access + rewards
- Clarify how access and rewards are communicated throughout the product.
Project access
What we need from you
- Repository accessSo we can review the backend and the full app.
- Current Figma fileAccess to the file being used for this project.
- Admin dashboard metricsRead or view access to counts and metrics so we can get a complete view of the app.