UX design case study: rethink autism
The Story
The company that is the subject of this UX design case study, rethink autism, is an online ABA based autism treatment platform. The rethink autism pricing calculator is the interface individuals use to select options for their subscription to the rethink autism service. Pricing calculators are an interesting challenge because as interfaces, they are located at the point in the funnel where customers are most likely to abandon the purchase process.
My core focus was presenting customers with the information they needed to choose the service that best fits their needs while keeping the user experience simple and engaging as possible.
The Specs
The Pricing Calculcator would allow the customer to choose from 18 different pricing tiers. These included different combinations of children, payment schedules and options.
18 different pricing options
Additionally, the pricing calculator’s look and feel should match the overall design of the site, and make choosing a plan as simple as possible.
Design Process
Initially, I considered using a pricing table design pattern like this one.
Pricing tables can present a lot of information in a clear and simple format. And if you download and customize one of the many templates available online, you can also sometimes save development costs.
Unfortunately, pricing tables with more than three or four pricing options can quickly become confusing. The rethink autism pricing calculator has 18.
Another consideration is the potential customer. While quick and easy decisions can be a benefit for a business person wanting to save time, a parent choosing a treatment program for their child may have different needs.
Initial Sketch
My mom says I'm a great illustrator
Instead, of a pricing table, I opted for a short form with 3 short, simple, personalized questions. How many children to you with to enroll? Would you like extra support? And how would you like to pay?
With three clicks, a visitor can compare the cost of different plans without having to make any commitments. An “Annual savings:” display at the bottom update interactively, showing potential customers the amount of money they will save by paying more up front.
To reduce cart abandonment, the design includes space for a promotional banner offering additional discounts for action within a given time window. The idea of being up front about costs, and offering additional discounts for parents seeking treatment options for their children is something I can get behind.
To minimize clicks, the pricing calculator interface uses only radio buttons instead of text fields or pull-downs,
The entire pricing process can be filled out in three clicks.
Finished Product
rethink autism won a 2011 codie award for “Best Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students.”
Congrats to the whole team!
I’m grateful to have had a chance to contribute to rethink autism’s mission of bringing simple, affordable, and effective research based autism treatment tools to organizations and families with special needs children. It’s a great company. If you know anyone with a child on the spectrum, please let them know about rethink autism.