Automating Systems for Scalable Client & Member Onboarding

This project was implemented for fwd design co to automate the flow of information between payment systems, email marketing, and audience segmentation. This enabled hands-off client onboarding and audience management.

Goal: Create a connected system that automatically adds new members and customers from Stripe into Kit, triggering the correct email sequences and tags for a seamless onboarding experience.

Client: fwd design co

Role: Founder of fwd design co, Digital Business Manager & Systems Architect, overseeing the design, build, and testing of the full automation infrastructure

What this Demonstrates

This project highlights my ability to design operational ecosystems that connect systems, data, and people. It demonstrates my ability to build scalable automation that improves communication and reduces manual workload.

THE PROBLEM

fwd design co was growing its offers - from memberships and waitlists to courses and audits, but each audience lived in a different system. Every new Stripe purchase of form submission required manual updates in Kit, delaying onboarding emails and creating inconsistencies in subscriber tagging and segmentation.

The challenge was to build one cohesive automation framework that connected every entry point (purchase, sign-up, opt-in) to its correct workflow in real time.

THE APPROACH

I treated this as a systems design problem: connection operations to user experience.

• Mapped all audience entry points (Stripe, forms, and opt-ins) and their intended workflows.

• Audited current email automations and tagging structure in Kit to identify inefficiencies.

• Defined key success metrics around accuracy, response time, and user experience.

• Selected Zapier as the automation layer for syncing transactions, subscribers, and data tags.

This discovery phase clarified where data bottlenecks occurred and informed the automation structure for future scalability.

THE SOLUTION

I designed and implemented an 8-part automation system integrating Stripe, Zapier, and Kit.

• Stripe → Zapier → Kit Integration: Automatically added new customers to the appropriate automation sequence based on the purchased product or membership level.

• Segmented Automations: Created eight visual workflows in Kit for memberships, courses, community, and newsletter funnels.

• Data Hygiene & Tagging: Standardized tag naming conventions to ensure clear segmentation and prevent overlap.

• Onboarding Sequences: Developed automated email flows for welcome, confirmation, and follow-up communication.

• Scalable Architecture: Established templates to replicate automations for future offers of course launches.

Alongside these marketing automations, I created an additional Stripe → Notion workflow. When a new client subscribed, a page was automatically generated in Notion to serve as their client portal. This page included key project details, links, and communication checkpoints. It gave clients a clear view of their project while keeping internal operations structured and easy to manage.

The result was a cohesive system that connected payment, communication, and experience—both for the client and the team—without manual work.

IMPACT

The automation system:

• Eliminated manual onboarding for memberships and product sales

• Reduced administrative

• Increased data accuracy and segmentation consistency

• Improved client and community experience with instant, branded communications

• Created a replicable automation model for future fwd design co initiatives.

The result was an integrated backend that supported business growth while maintaining clarity and control.

Reflection

Effective operations are both efficient and user-centric. Building this automation reminded me that systems serve people (clients, teams, and customers alike) and that designing for clarity and trust is as essential as technical precision.

An overview of the 8-part automation ecosystem built in Kit, connecting memberships, waitlists, courses, and community sequences.

Part of the automated onboarding experience — a branded welcome email introducing FWD Design Co’s “Foundations: Design + Business” course sequence.

Automated subscriber segmentation flow for newsletter opt-ins across website, social, and content channels.

Zapier automation connecting Stripe purchases to Kit, automatically enrolling new customers in the correct onboarding flow.

An example of the Stripe → Notion workflow, where a new subscription automatically creates a client portal page in Notion, keeping client onboarding and project management connected.

The Notion database of client portals, where each new Stripe subscription automatically creates a dedicated workspace for that client.

An automatically created client portal in Notion, personalized for each new project and shared between the client and studio for meetings, files, and project updates.