Improving a Telecom eSIM Onboarding Experience Through Usability Testing
While working at a digital agency, I led user research and usability testing for a telecom product redesign. The project focused on improving the mobile subscription onboarding experience, including the introduction of eSIM as an alternative to physical SIM cards.
The goal was to evaluate the usability of the new purchasing flow and identify friction points before launch.
Due to NDA restrictions, design visuals cannot be shared publicly at this time. This case study focuses on the research process and key insights that informed the design decisions.
Project: eSIM Onboarding Experience
Client: Telecom Company via Digital Agency (Client name omitted due to NDA)
Role: Product designer
Team: Project Manager, Designer
My Role
I led the usability testing process from planning to insights.
• defining research goals
• recruiting participants
• moderating usability sessions
• documenting insights
• proposing design improvements
Responsibilities included
The Challenge
The telecom company was introducing a new online onboarding flow where customers could purchase a mobile subscription and choose between a physical SIM card or eSIM.
Before launching the new experience, the team wanted to validate whether users understood the flow, could confidently select a mobile plan, and felt comfortable choosing between SIM and eSIM.
To evaluate the usability of the new design, I conducted moderated usability testing with participants representing typical telecom customers. Participants were selected to represent different age groups, genders, and levels of digital literacy.
During the sessions, participants were asked to complete tasks such as exploring the mobile subscription landing page, selecting a mobile plan, and going through the purchase flow.
The goal was to observe where users hesitated, misunderstood the interface, or encountered friction in the experience.
Research Snapshot
Participants: 5
Method: Moderated usability testing
Focus: onboarding flow, plan selection, eSIM adoption
The usability testing revealed several opportunities to improve clarity, reduce decision friction, and build trust in the onboarding experience. While users were generally able to navigate the flow, certain parts of the journey created hesitation or uncertainty.
The main insights fell into three broader themes.
Key insights from testing
Some parts of the experience did not clearly guide users toward the next step. Participants occasionally hesitated when deciding what to do next, indicating that the value proposition and primary actions needed to be more explicit.
Clarity and guidance
Certain steps presented users with too many decisions at once. Participants expressed a preference for a more gradual decision process, where optional choices would appear later rather than at the initial selection stage.
Decision complexity
Trust and understanding of new technology
The introduction of eSIM raised questions for some participants. While the concept was interesting to users, several wanted clearer explanations about how it works and what it means for their existing subscription.
The Outcome
The usability testing helped identify several usability and clarity issues early in the design process.
The insights informed design improvements that simplified the onboarding flow, reduced decision complexity, and improved user understanding of eSIM.
The findings were used to iterate the design before development and helped align the team around a more user-centered onboarding experience.