Charles Schwab · Moderated Usability Study

Bridging Knowledge Gaps: Optimizing Schwab's Learn Section for Multi-Device Learning Journeys

Moderated Usability User Interviews Mixed Method Dual Device
11 In-depth interviews
70% Missed the primary CTA entirely
60% Unsure what was clickable
Problem: Investors visiting Schwab's redesigned Learn section couldn't find, start, or resume educational courses the way the design intended, especially when switching from desktop to mobile mid-course.

Outcome: Identified the exact points where navigation broke down and delivered three targeted recommendations that reshaped the learning path's entry point, signposting, and completion flow.
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Project Brief

Millions of investors visit Schwab.com seeking educational content to make informed financial decisions, yet the Learn section's proposed learning path presented unexpected friction. Through 11 in-depth user interviews, I investigated whether users could successfully discover, start, and complete courses, including a real-world scenario where participants began a course on desktop during work hours and picked it back up on mobile during their commute.

Research Goal & Focus

The goal was to understand whether users could successfully navigate the learning path at each step, based on the information and visual cues in the prototype. Specifically:

My Role

I led the study end-to-end: gathering requirements from product partners, designing the moderated study alongside the UX design partner (guide, tasks, prototype), recruiting participants, conducting interviews, synthesizing findings, and presenting the report to product leadership.

Timeline: requirements & discussion guide (Aug) → user interviews & prototype check-ins (Sept) → synthesis & final readout (Oct)

Key Findings

7 of 10 participants completely missed the "What is your goal" call-to-action on the landing page, the entry point to the entire learning path.
"Oh, I didn't even see that there. I was looking for something that clearly said 'Start' or 'Begin Learning.'"
Generic course landing page wireframe A recreated, unbranded wireframe showing a content-heavy landing page with a small call-to-action button that most participants missed. What is your goal? 70% missed this
Recreated wireframe (unbranded): the landing page's actual CTA sat beside dense content, not above it.
Missed the CTA
70%
Noticed the CTA
30%
Nearly two-thirds of participants who did notice the CTA still misjudged what would happen next, expecting a personalized quiz or a curated list rather than what the design actually delivered.
60% of participants were confused upon reaching course pages, unsure whether they'd already committed to specific content or were still browsing.
60% of participants hesitated on interactive elements, unable to distinguish what was clickable from what wasn't.

Together, these patterns told a clear story: the navigation design was creating wayfinding challenges that kept users from engaging with the learning content the way it was intended.

Recommendations

Elevate the entry point. The Learning Path CTA needs to read as the start of a journey, not a competing element on a content-rich page. Bringing it above the fold and increasing its visual weight solves this directly.

Signpost the journey. Consistent, predictable cues at every intersection (a CTA, a pop-up, a new page) so users always know where they are and what happens next, building trust as they move through the content.

Close the loop on completion. Offer clearly labeled next-step choices at natural completion points, rather than a single ambiguous "Continue" button that can drop users back into content they thought they'd finished.