Timeline
1 Month
Client
My role
Collaborators
Introduction
This case study shows how reframing Deel’s compliance coverage during contract creation boosted conversion and unlocked millions in ARR. By shifting the focus from “add-ons” to risk awareness and clearer product names, we helped clients understand the value and make informed choices.
My Role
I led the project end-to-end as product designer - research, strategy, design, and delivery - partnering closely with product, compliance, and growth teams.
Impact
+$2.2M – $4.4M
Projected ARR
A Hidden Risk
Many clients weren’t even aware of the potential fines and penalties - and when the option for coverage appeared mid-flow, it felt like an upsell rather than protection.
How might we help clients understand the risks of worker misclassification so they can make confident, informed choices about compliance coverage - while also increasing adoption of protection plans and reducing business exposure?
We targeted small and medium businesses: fast-growing, hiring globally, and moving quickly. Unlike enterprises, SMBs lack dedicated compliance teams - making them more exposed to misclassification risks.
Through interviews, we learned SMB owners value speed and simplicity but often struggle to understand compliance risks. They want protection - without the legal jargon or extra admin.
“I didn’t even realize there was a compliance risk here”.
Brian Doe
Sales (New joiner), Deel
“Compliance sounds important, but honestly, I don’t know what I really need until something goes wrong.”
Sarah Johnson
Senior Sales Rep, Deel
From our conversations with SMB owners, we uncovered recurring pain points around compliance during contract creation. While speed and cost drive their decisions, compliance feels complex, abstract, and often ignored until risks surface.
Compliance feels invisible - risks aren’t clear until they cause problems.
Contract creation feels like admin - slows them down, not value-adding.
Protection feels optional - add-ons seem like upsells, not essentials.
Lack of clarity - SMBs struggle to know which compliance choices matter.
From these insights, it became clear that SMBs don’t reject compliance - they avoid it because it feels abstract, complex, and like extra admin. This gap between what they value (speed, simplicity, protection) and what they experience (uncertainty, overload, upsells) revealed our areas of opportunities.
The original flow worked like a checkout: users filled out compliance inputs first, then saw coverage options at the end. But if coverage was chosen, those inputs weren’t needed at all - making the process redundant and confusing.
Focusing on better information hierarchy
Focusing on optimal framing
💾
Leading with risk
Risk messaging comes first, helping clients understand the stakes and make a conscious, informed decision
📈
Value over features
Coverage options reframed as protection benefits, not product names turning abstract features into clear value.
⚡
Reassurance
Active states confirm the user’s selection, giving confidence they’ve made the right choice.
👁️
Progressive disclosure
Extra inputs appear only if “I don’t want protection” is chosen - collecting key info without overwhelming upfront.
+$2.2M – $4.4M
Based on the improvements, we projected the incremental ARR driven by releasing this feature would be of an upper limit of $4.4M USD to midpoint at $2.2M USD and no negative impact at lower limit over 12 months at a 90% confidence level.
🎉
What surprised me
I was surprised by how little awareness clients had around compliance risk. Many weren’t ignoring it on purpose - they simply didn’t realize it was a real threat. Once framed clearly, the value clicked immediately.
✍️
Main lesson
The biggest impact often comes not from adding more, but from reframing what’s already there. By shifting the story from “extra products” to “protection,” we unlocked both clarity for users and growth for the business.
