Taco Bell Onboarding Flow: From Install to Order

Role

Lead UIUX Design (Customer Pod)

Motion Graphics
User Research

Copy Writing

Date

5/2024 to 03/2025

Project Type

MOBILE APPLICATION

(IOS + Android)

Research shows users decide within 90 seconds whether to keep or delete a food delivery app. Taco Bell's old onboarding was losing 73% of new users before they placed their first order. Taco Bell's app faced significant challenges in the competitive fast food landscape, particularly when compared to leading QSRs like Starbucks, McDonald's, and Burger King. With a growing focus on Gen Z users over millennials, it became clear that Taco Bell needed to revamp its app to remain relevant. The existing design fell short, featuring outdated fonts and images, while competitors showcased engaging animations and modern design assets.

72.4%

increase in retention

58%

Users keep
location ON

7.2%

low drop off rates

Analyzing the Data

When I took over the onboarding project in May 2024, I began by gathering data from existing resources. Connecting with the data analytics team and marketing team revealed alarming patterns from 2022 to 2024.

📉 45% of users were returning, while 55% were one-time users, indicating low long-term retention

📍 58% had location services ON, yet drop-offs showed users weren’t leveraging location for faster ordering

❌ The Rewards sign-up screen had the highest drop-off rate, making it the biggest conversion killer

🍎 Users bypassed Taco Bell Rewards by using "Sign in with Apple", skipping loyalty prompts and value messaging

📦 Users redirected their orders to third-party apps (e.g., Uber Eats) rather than completing orders in the TB app

Problem #1
Apple Log In

Users chose Apple sign-in to avoid TB account creation
We lost valuable customer data and direct relationship
Push notification opt-ins were nearly impossible

Problem #2
Lack of Engagement

Rewards program sign-up felt like a barrier, not a benefit
Generic UI lacked Taco Bell's bold brand personality
No visual hierarchy or engaging design elements

Problem #3
Delivery App

Users found it easier to order through DoorDash/Uber Eats
Our onboarding couldn't compete with third-party simplicity
Lost direct customer relationships and higher margin orders

Before Onboarding

🔻2021-2024 Activation Rate fluctuated between 51%–59%, far below the 65% goal

💔 55% of users were one-time users, showing poor long-term retention

📍42% of users had location services turned off, suggesting unclear permission prompts or low trust

🚫 Massive drop-off at the Rewards sign-up screen—users weren’t seeing the value of joining

📉 Loyalty sign-ups were 25% below forecast, showing a lack of organic growth

After Onboarding

📈 As of March 2025 and present, activation rate rose to 72.4%+ indicating better early retention than before

📍 Clear, animated guidance improved opt-ins—58% of users now kept location ON

🧲 Onboarding helped maintain user interest beyond install spikes

📊 Campaigns became more effective due to onboarding alignment

⚙️ “Sign in with Apple” no longer bypassed key steps

Competitors Analysis

To better understand what drives successful onboarding, I conducted an in-depth card sorting exercise and feature analysis across a wide range of QSR and non-QSR apps. This included top brands like McDonald’s, Burger King, Chipotle, Starbucks, Nike, and Yelp. I categorized key features and flows, as shown in the visual provided, to compare how each app guides users through onboarding. I noticed clear trends among high-performing apps: McDonald’s and Burger King leveraged branded animations and motion design to make the experience visually engaging and memorable, while Chipotle and Starbucks used simple, focused flows to clearly highlight the value of their Rewards programs. Many apps, including McDonald’s, Chipotle, and Nike, used educational or illustrated permission screens to explain the purpose of location access, push notifications, and tracking permissions—helping build user trust and reduce drop-off. By identifying these patterns, I was able to surface the UX gaps in Taco Bell’s onboarding and apply proven industry techniques to drive stronger engagement and retention.

Screenshot 2025-05-25 at 12.02.21 AM.png

What was Taco Bell's Onboarding Lacking?

No intro animation or brand visuals to create an engaging first impression (unlike McDonald's or Burger King)
No educational screens to guide users through the onboarding flow or explain features and benefits
Rewards program lacked visibility early in the flow — no strong callout or visual cue like Starbucks or Chipotle
Permission requests (location, push notifications, tracking) appeared with no context or illustrations, leading to user distrust or skips
No step-by-step guidance to encourage users to complete the onboarding journey
Visually plain UI with minimal brand identity or emotional appeal
No engagement triggers or interactive moments to retain first-time users
“Sign in with Apple” bypassed key loyalty messaging, causing drop-offs from the rewards funnel

Old wires - old onboarding displayed below for reference.

Team-Driven Onboarding: Defining the Flow Through Low-Fidelity Design

To ensure the redesigned onboarding flow met both user needs and business goals, I created mid-fidelity wireframes and led collaborative working sessions with engineering, data analytics, graphic design, product management, the legal team, and marketing directors.
These wireframes served as a shared blueprint to align on feasibility, compliance, and brand messaging. Together, we evaluated various onboarding flows—testing different placements for permission prompts, reward visibility, and login methods—to determine what would maximize engagement without overwhelming users. By grounding design decisions in both user research and stakeholder feedback, we were able to define an onboarding experience that not only improved activation but also supported loyalty growth and maintained legal clarity.

Designing for Impact: High-Fidelity Built with Real-Time Insights

After multiple review sessions with leadership and managerial stakeholders, I finalized the high-fidelity wireframes for Taco Bell’s onboarding flow. Each step was carefully reviewed and approved to ensure alignment across product, marketing, and legal. A key challenge was integrating motion graphics—starting with an engaging launch animation, followed by subtle bouncing animations for location, push notification, and app tracking permission screens. Since Taco Bell’s engineers had never implemented live animations before, I led the effort by introducing JSON(code)based Lottie files and guided the team on proper execution, ensuring animations were timed and triggered correctly for a smooth user experience.

Onboarding is Accessible Now from your Phones

Now, when users install the Taco Bell app, they’re no longer met with a static login screen—they’re welcomed into an experience. Every animation, every interaction, was intentionally crafted to tell a story: bold, craveable, and unmistakably Taco Bell. From the launch motion to the permission prompts, users are guided step-by-step through an onboarding flow that reflects not only brand personality, but care for clarity and momentum. What once felt transactional now feels exciting. It's fast food meets thoughtful design—and it's the first taste of a much better digital journey. Seeing these flows come to life in the live app marked the moment this project moved from pixels to real impact.