Work

& Other

Resume

Contact

Work

& Other

Resume

Contact

Start a Project

Work

About

Resume

Pic Stitch

Driving Growth through Subscription Redesign in Pic Stitch—a Photo Editing App

Led the end-to-end subscription redesign, aligning value, pricing, and user intent to drive Day 0–1 conversion and seasonal IAP growth.

ROLE

Lead Product Designer

TEAM

PM | Engineering

Marketing | Revenue | QA

DURATION

6 weeks (3 sprints)

THE BUSINESS CHANLLENGE

Pic Stitch is a top-ranked photo collage app with over 100K DAU.

After the acquisition, our company shifted its overall business strategy from one-time purchases to subscriptions for sustainable growth—selecting Pic Stitch as the pilot product.

While the initial rollout gained traction, conversion soon plateaued, revealing the need for a more user-centered approach.

Pic Stitch is a top-ranked photo collage app with over 100K daily active users.

After the acquisition, our company shifted its overall business strategy from one-time purchases to subscriptions for sustainable growth—selecting Pic Stitch as the first pilot.

While the initial rollout gained traction, conversion soon plateaued, revealing the need for a more user-centered approach.

Pic Stitch is a top-ranked photo collage app with over 100K daily active users.

After the acquisition, our company shifted its overall business strategy from one-time purchases to subscriptions for sustainable growth—selecting Pic Stitch as the first pilot.

While the initial rollout gained traction, conversion soon plateaued, revealing the need for a more user-centered approach.

MY DESIGN STRATEGY

Through a comprehensive discovery effort involving surveys and user research, I uncovered significant gaps in the current subscription flow.

This initiative reshapes the experience—turning a static, unclear journey into a user-centered, insight-driven flow that supports clearer value communication and conversion.

PROBLEM

Despite having a paywall in place, the app struggled to convert free users due to:

Before

Users Don’t Get the Value

The feature value proposition isn’t clear. 70% users don’t fully understand what they’re unlocking and how it enhances their editing experience.

Users Don’t Trust the Terms

Pricing tiers, trial duration, and auto-renewal are not clearly explained, creating confusion and hesitation around commitment.

Users Aren’t Guided by Design

Paywalls often appear out of context, interrupting flow instead of supporting it.

Lack Visual Distinction

Pro features blend in with free ones, making it difficult for users to recognize what’s premium.

RESULT AFTER 3-MO WITH 7 RELREASED FEATURES

85%

IAP Conversion

120%

Install Rate

Revenue per User

Install → Trial-Start

REDESIGN #1

Standard Paywall

Each animated carousel is triggered by the corresponding feature to reinforce the user intent.

REDESIGN #2

Feature Preview

User research revealed that users often encountered the paywall before understanding the value from subscription screen, creating friction & hesitation.

I introduced a “Preview” mode that lets users try Pro tools with live visual feedback on their own edits—building confidence before prompting them to subscribe at export.

See All Released Features

PROCESS

Design fast, test smart, iterate with real feedback in a rapid agile environment under tight timeline & limited resource.

Discover from Data

By analyzing user behavior in Google Analytics & Firebase, reviewing the legacy app, and gathering stakeholder input, I uncovered quick wins that could drive immediate impact.

Revenue spikes during holidays
Day 0–1 is the key conversion window
Watermark & Border shop trigger the majority of paywalls

Quick Mocks

I rapidly mocked up new paywall variations, adjusted the shop UX, and refined visual cues across key trigger points. These updates made pricing easier to scan, reduced confusion, and helped users make quicker decisions.

Plus an UI refresh:)

User Survey

To surface user needs, I launched a survey targeting free users. I also led the company’s first in-app user survey—despite initial constraints—which uncovered deeper insights that significantly influenced our conversion strategy.

Deeper Iteration

Contrary to our early assumptions about pricing concern, research revealed that the core issues were unclear feature value and low engagement cuz of the long text.

The insights helped me to allocate time on designing animated paywall variations for clear value prop & more engagement and optimizing user triggers during editing process.

Validate

After testing prototypes internally, we confirmed key features were effective. However, we also discovered that long-term retention tactics weren’t viable—so we pivoted toward more aggressive user acquisition and conversion via holiday content.

Post-release Testing & Monitoring

Given tight timelines, I collaborated with PMs and Marketing to run post-launch A/B tests on offers, copy, and trigger timing. Real-time data helped us iterate quickly and refine the experience.

MORE RELEASED FEATURES

New User Offer

I tested & replaced the standard offer with limited-time offer with shorter commitment time at the end of onboarding process.

Holiday Upsell

Launched holiday collage as a pro feature for max conversion.

During seasonal periods, we promoted them through carousal paywalls, individual upsells, limited-time offers, and banners.

Launched holiday collage as a pro feature for max conversion.

During seasonal periods, we promoted them through carousal paywalls, individual upsells, limited-time offers, and banners.

Launched holiday collage as a pro feature for max conversion.

During seasonal periods, we promoted them through carousal paywalls, individual upsells, limited-time offers, and banners.

Discount Waterfall

To maximize Day 0–1 conversion, I designed a discount waterfall with strategically timed triggers based on user behavior and engagement signals.

Remove Watermark

User research identified watermark removal as a top driver of subscription intent.

To maximize impact, I strategically placed paywall triggers both during editing and at the point of export—making the value proposition visible and the trigger moments intuitive.

User research identified watermark removal as a top driver of subscription intent.

To maximize impact, I strategically placed paywall triggers both during editing and at the point of export—making the value proposition visible and the trigger moments intuitive.

User research identified watermark removal as a top driver of subscription intent.

To maximize impact, I strategically placed paywall triggers both during editing and at the point of export—making the value proposition visible and the trigger moments intuitive.