Couplet
Turning downloads into returning users
Year
2024
Timeline
Ongoing
Category
Lifestyle
Role
UX Lead
Problem statement
Couplet — an app with activity ideas for couples — was losing users before they'd seen its value. The onboarding flow was unclear, navigation confused first-time users, and the content categorisation made it hard to find relevant ideas. Downloads weren't converting to engaged users.
Approach
As UX Lead I was responsible for the full redesign of the onboarding experience and content structure, working alongside the development and marketing teams. Scope covered research, concept, prototyping, testing, and iteration. In the discovery phase, research sessions with first time users surfaced the core issue immediately: people didn't know where to start or what the app could do for them. In the define phase I mapped the dropoff moments and set clear goals around orientation, navigation clarity, and content findability. From there I redesigned the onboarding flow with interactive guided tours that orient new users to key features and categories, and restructured the content categorisation so users could more naturally browse and discover ideas relevant to them. In the deliver phase both approaches were validated through A/B testing — comparing different onboarding strategies and guided tour styles — before moving to development.
Results
The redesigned onboarding produced a measurable improvement in first-week user retention. Navigation satisfaction increased based on user feedback. The updated App Store presentation, developed alongside the marketing team, also contributed to improved visibility and a lift in downloads.
Conclusion
Consumer apps live or die in the first 90 seconds. Onboarding isn't just a tutorial — it's the moment you either earn someone's time or lose them. Designing that window requires the same rigour as any complex B2B flow, just with a much shorter attention span.
