# What did Nextdoor learn from testing a boring sign-up screen?

Author: Ali Abouelatta
Source date: 2024-08-02
Tags: signup, onboarding, conversion, video
HTML: https://lazyweb.com/research/nextdoor-boring-sign-up-screen
Markdown: https://lazyweb.com/research/nextdoor-boring-sign-up-screen.md

## Primary visual

Local image URL: https://lazyweb.com/research-assets/boring-sign-up-screens/04-nextdoor-signup-experiment.jpg
Original image URL: https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e4fb3d2d-71bd-46d9-b7a4-a6df2ad48f46_6903x3996.png
Alt text: Nextdoor signup screen experiment comparing a neighborhood video control against a plain experiment.
Image description: Nextdoor tested a lively neighborhood background-video signup screen against a white, plain signup screen; the visual says the simple version won.

Short answer: Nextdoor's plain white signup screen beat a background-video version built around lively neighborhood footage. The winning version kept the neighborhood promise but removed the moving scene, making the sign-in methods and invite-code path more prominent.

## Evidence

The Nextdoor visual shows the same acquisition goal with two treatments: a brand-story video control and a static white experiment with clearly separated login choices.

## What changed

- Control: lively neighborhood video behind the signup choices.
- Experiment: white background, large Nextdoor mark, headline, and stacked auth buttons.
- The experiment preserved the neighborhood concept while removing motion and visual noise.

## Why it matters

- A community product does not need to prove community with video at the signup step.
- Removing visual noise can make secondary paths, like invite codes, easier to notice.

## Sources

- [1] Lazyweb Research: Nextdoor signup-screen experiment. The Nextdoor example shows a simple signup screen winning against a background video of lively neighborhoods. [Source](https://read.first1000.co/p/use-boring-sign-up-screens)