SSO & Homepage Redesign

Introducing SSO was far more than adding Google/Facebook/Apple buttons. It meant redesigning authentication for millions of existing members whilst ensuring new users could register more easily. I also needed to ensure existing users could safely link their accounts, and conversion rates remained unaffected.

The research highlighted four challenges that were particularly important for TopCashback:

• Existing members also needed a secure way to benefit from SSO.
• The homepage sign-up form would become more complex rather than simpler.
• Platform-specific behaviours and entry points introduced additional edge cases.
• Existing security, promotional and bonus journeys still needed to work.

For the first point, the agreed approach was account linking, allowing users to connect SSO providers to their existing accounts.

For the second, I proposed removing the form entirely and replacing it with clearer CTAs leading to a dedicated join page. While this introduced additional scope, it significantly improved the long-term UX.

Incorporating a homepage redesign with this project was a necessary step.

In parallel with development, I began redesigning the homepage. The goal was not to change the content, but to modernise the UI, strengthen brand presence, remove the sign-up form in favour of clearer, lower-friction entry points. As part of my process, I started with paper sketches to explore layout directions.

The top section (previously dominated by the form) required the most attention. I explored multiple layout variations that elevated the brand’s 3D bird asset, highlighted the core value proposition more clearly, retained key trust signals (e.g. Trustpilot, awards).

Initial feedback highlighted that removing the form created a feeling of “empty space.” Through iterations, I solved this by introducing engaging visual elements and subtle motion to maintain balance without cluttering the UI. The final solution addressed these concerns whilst improving the visual hierarchy.

Account linking

To ensure existing members could benefit from SSO, I designed the account linking journeys that allow users to link and unlink social providers within their account area. Within the user flows, I paid particular attention to edge cases such as, what happens when the user updates their account email/password or where a social account is already linked to another TopCashback account.

Homepage

A new user does not want a form asking for personal details as the first thing they see on the homepage.

Simply adding SSO to the existing homepage form would have increased complexity and friction, especially with additional requirements such as terms acceptance and marketing preferences. Instead, the redesigned approach allowed the homepage to focus on communicating value before asking for any commitment.

For the rest of the page, I adopted a more modern - bento-box style layout - with clear content sections to decrease cognitive load and allow the user to understand exactly what TopCashback does. Using Google Analytics, I identified that the majority of users accessed the site via mobile. Therefore, I adopted a mobile-first approach, ensuring layouts and components are scaled effectively across breakpoints.

Working closely with the front-end developer, we ensured:

• A consistent experience across browsers.
• Full responsiveness across devices.
• Performance considerations for the homepage video (e.g. fallback thumbnails for slower connections).
• Ensuring WCAG 2.2 AA is met.

Delivering the project required collaboration well beyond the stakeholders. Alongside Product Managers and developers, I worked with Customer Services, Marketing, SEO and Engagement teams to validate journeys, understand considerations, and ensure the final solution balanced user experience with commercial goals. Throughout implementation, we regularly reviewed edge cases and technical constraints as new scenarios emerged.

I also coordinated with stakeholders across international markets (including the USA, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Australia) to review the proposed journeys and identify any region-specific considerations before launch.

• Beyond the initial brief: Although the project began as allowing users to purely authenticate themselves with social accounts, the discovery phase revealed wider opportunities to improve the logged-out homepage, join journey and referral landing pages. Rather than limiting SSO to the forms, I simplified and modernised several high-traffic entry points across the platform.
• Building confidence through evidence: Removing the homepage sign-up form was initially met with hesitation, as it had been part of the page for many years. Using competitor analysis and historical data (that shows adding more to forms encourages drop off, see figure 4), I was able to demonstrate how a simplified homepage could improve the overall user journey and increase TopCashback's brand awareness, while still supporting the business's goals of conversions, ultimately securing stakeholder buy-in.