Pod: Turbotax DIY (Do it yourself SKU)
Team: Lead Designer (myself), Senior Designer, Content Designer, Engineers
Timeline: 1 month
Skills: Interaction Design, Visual Design, Cross-functional collaboration
Outcome
Impact
Improving Authorization to Complete (conversion metric for turbotax application) by 5%
Increasing adoption to mobile units by 15k
scroll to see how i did this ↓
Context
about turbotax
Turbotax is a tax filing software for USA and Canada produced by Intuit.
42 million users and 25 million+ returns filed on Turbotax over the last 5 years.
what is the T4?
Statement of Remuneration Paid (equivalent to W2 in the USA)
Provided by employers to employees in Canada, summarizes annual total earnings and deductions
Nearly every working Canadian receives a T4, making it a core part of the tax filing process
Where Do We Begin, and Why?
our hypothesis
If TurboTax allows users to easily import all their employment information in a method that works for them, then users will spend less time on their taxes, quickly receive accurate refunds, and feel confident and assured they completed their taxes correctly.
scope
We are starting with the T4 because it is a highly used form (all working Canadians), yet its current experience on TurboTax is inefficient
current state of the t4
🚫 Manual Data Entry
🚫 51 input fields
🚫 Extremely long scroll (7+ frames)
👧🏽
MY CONTRIBUTION
My design process looked something like this ...
Let’s start by taking a look at the current user flow
The current TurboTax user flow begins with users providing their personal information and setting up their tax profile. If they indicate they have a T4, they are guided to the income section, where the T4 entry process takes place.
Designing for the happy path 😁
Designs for the single flow case, there are spousal returns where the designs are slightly different.
key outcomes
✅
Users can choose between importing data or entering it manually.
Option to switch back to manual entry is provided even at the upload screen.
Users can edit imported data to ensure accuracy if the import is not 100% ideal.
✅
Visuals and animations are incorporated to signal interactions and offer delight, making the experience more engaging and enjoyable.
Designing for the unhappy path ☹️
key outcomes
✅
Provide specific error messages that clearly explain the issue and guide users on how to correct it, rather than displaying generic errors.
Switching gears, so what is AFR and how is it relevant?
What is AFR?
Auto Fill my Return
Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) allows users to connect their CRA account and directly import all accessible tax documents, making tax filing significantly easier.
🚧
CHALLENGE #1
Modifying the the user flow to minimize frustration
Regardless of whether AFR results in an error, a "no new slips" message, or success, the current path follows the same structure—leading users to the "Income" section before reaching T4 upload
This adjustment could reduce frustration from errors, provide users with more control, and introduce moments of delight
New AFR flow 🎉
Error case
Users are immediately offered a way to “get a head start” on their T4, reducing friction in the flow.
By allowing T4 uploads at the beginning of the process, users gain actionable next steps, even if AFR fails
Saving just two screens by introducing the upload option earlier creates a significant positive impact, transforming a potentially frustrating experience into a smoother journey
No Slips
Enhanced visual alignment, type hierarchy, and styling for a cleaner and more intuitive experience
Added a callout box with engaging language and "magic" iconography to reassure users that instant uploads are still possible, encouraging them to continue their journey
💤 Before
🚀 AFTER
🚧
CHALLENGE #2
🟢 ideal state
🔴 current state
Despite these constraints, I pushed for meaningful improvements. Without the ability to make structural UX changes, I focused on enhancing copy to make the interface more conversational, user-friendly, and easier to understand.
🟡 mODIFIED state
Launch 🚀
When
Summer
Why
Tax off season, to get more insights and gather data and feedback to iterach
LIVE IN PRODUCT SCREEN RECORDING !!!
Key Learnings
👯♂️
Collaborating with engineers to create delightful solutions within technical constraints
Partnered with developers to deeply understand technical limitations and identify opportunities for innovation.
Delivered optimized solutions that prioritized user delight despite strict constraints
📐
Creating detailed hand-off specs
Developed comprehensive hand-off specs for the first time, detailing global structures and screen anatomy, with clear references to components, colors, and typography used—highlighting any deviations from the design system.
Included responsive designs views for mobile and desktop, ensuring seamless implementation across all screen sizes