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Photo Editor
Subscription Design for Growth
Led end-to-end subscription flow redesign—aligning value, pricing, and triggers to user intent to drive Day 0–1 conversion and seasonal IAP growth
CONTEXT
Pic Stitch is a top-ranked photo collage app with 100K+ DAU.
After acquisition, our company shifted from one-time purchases to a subscription-focused IAP model for sustainable growth.
While the initial rollout gained traction, conversion soon slowed—revealing the need for a more user-centered strategy.
ROLE
Lead Product Designer
TEAM
PM | Engineering
Marketing | Revenue | QA
DURATION
6 weeks (3 sprints)
OVERVIEW
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
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
85%
IAP Conversion
120%
Install Rate
8%
Revenue per User
5%
Install → Trial-Start
REDESIGN #1
Standard Paywall
Each animated carousel is triggered by the corresponding feature to reinforce the user intent.
PROTOTYPE FOR PREVIEW
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.
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 and 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
Pro Badge
Serves as a visual cue for premium features and triggers to prevent user frustration.
New User Offer
I tested & replaced the standard offer with limited-time offer with shorter commitment time at the end of onboarding process.
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.
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.
Full Deck
Curious about the twists and behind-the-scenes stories from development? I’d love to share more in my case study presentation.
See Full Deck