Purchasing Power · 2018–2019 · with Slalom

People signed up, then couldn't prove they worked there

Purchasing Power lets employees buy things like laptops and appliances and pay through payroll deduction. Lots of people started signing up and quit at the step where they had to prove they were eligible. I led the research that found it, then designed a phone-first sign-up that fixed it.

UX lead at Slalom. Seven weeks of research, then design and a working prototype.Research charts, comps, and an Axure prototype

The problem

Nobody has heard of Purchasing Power, and you can't shop until your employer is in the program.

/The first thing you do is type your employer's name. Two of the three answers aren't "yes."

/Sign-up asks for an employee ID and pay details most people don't know by heart.

/That step lost more people than any other.

/Most visitors came from a phone.

Redrawn in 2026 from the 2019 prototype and the 2018 research charts. Flows, fields, and pricing logic match the originals. The employer, people, and products are made up.

The research showed where people quit

We tracked every employer client from sign-up to purchase. The biggest loss was always at eligibility: people registered, then couldn't finish proving they worked there. That told us where to start.

researchEligibility drop-off by employer client, redrawn from the April 2018 charts.

Every answer to "is my employer in?" has a next step

Your employer comes first, because nothing works without it. If they aren't signed up, the page stays put and lets you try another name or ask us to contact your HR team. When it asks for your employee ID, it shows a sample pay stub with the number circled.

sign-upEmployer check, not signed up, and the pay stub helper.

Prices in paychecks

Everything is priced in the amount that comes out of each paycheck, with the full price right under it. You can browse before you're approved. One banner asks you to finish, and it turns into your spending limit when you do.

shoppingBrowsing before approval, a product page, and the approved state.

What made it work

Research that pointed at one step, and a design that went after it.

Prices in the unit people actually feel: one paycheck.

The "no" answers got as much design as the "yes."

A pay stub that shows you where your employee ID is.

A phone-first prototype that actually checked your answers.

Outcome

The new sign-up went live, and more people made it through eligibility.

/Fewer people dropped off at the employee ID step.

/More sign-ups turned into first purchases.

/Employers saw more of their staff actually use the benefit.