App Refresh
Project Insights
The Problem:
For company X, their mobile app was fragmented, and insights showed low engagement when navigating the experience. We lacked a north-star narrative that tied growth, creator needs, and community value together.
My Role
Senior Product Designer, Researcher and PM aid
I led the strategy, system, and cross-platform design that rebuilt Company X’s app.
Tools: Figma, Miro, Usertesting.com, LaunchDarkly (A/B experiments), and Jira for sprint collaboration.
Deliverables: User flows, interaction maps, design system components, and high-fidelity prototypes for iOS & Android.
Research first
“How might we redesign the mobile app to feel modern, cohesive, and fast — while preserving the trust and creativity that define the brand?”
Many users are desktop first but with the desire to utilize the app better. Our research strategy aimed to:
Understand how paid vs. free users interact differently on mobile.
Map behavioral gaps between mobile engagement and desktop uploads due to feature differences.
Gather insights on how how these users discover and organize content.
Methods
20+ user interviews
In-app surveys with ~1.5K responses
Heuristic audit of current app
Cross-reference of App Store reviews and NPS scoring
Analytics deep dive (time-in-app, upload flow drop-off, upsell conversion)
Findings
Through various research methods, I was able to see pain point patterns that were present across all user groups, regardless if they were a paid or free user. I was able to categorize these pain points into larger themes to ensure any mobile experience improvements were aligned with the entire product and business goals. These themes led to user stories and our MVP feature list.
Strategy Approach
Platform Modernization:
I partnered with engineering and product to transition to a rebuild, enabling faster release cycles and design consistency across platforms. This was the first step to alining our tech stack and getting both desktop and mobile apps into a more consistent state.
Design System Alignment:
Speed: fewer taps to upload and organize.
Community: social features reimagined for conversation.
Focus: decluttered interface centered on photography.
Cross-Functional Collaboration:
Worked with PMs, data, and engineering leads to define MVP scope and validate designs through prototype testing and phased rollout.
Feature Focus:
Dark Mode – Highly requested – Native OS
Bulk Organization – Drag n drop on desktop & multi select on mobile
DM/Mail – New app features to foster connection better
Search & Explore – Update navigation to highlight search cues and recommendations
Upload flow – Simplified flow to reduce user friction and increase speed
Outcome
Early Beta metrics:
+23% increase in daily active mobile users
+17% faster uploads
+28% higher engagement in community tools
-15% decrease in lack of paid feature awareness (25% to 5%)
Qualitative feedback described the new app as “finally usable on the go,” “like instagram but no algo”, “modern but still a home for photographers,” and “willing to upgrade once I use it after a while.”
By focusing on consistency, performance, and modernizing our feature set to meet today’s mobile expectations, we were able to successfully launch the Beta of the new app.
Before
After
Learnings & Reflection
This app redesign was more than a visual overhaul — it was a strategic reset for a platform that’s deeply loved but often misunderstood.
What began as a UI update quickly evolved into a full-scale alignment of technology, design systems, and brand philosophy.
I also grew as a design leader. Balancing legacy constraints, engineering timelines, and executive priorities required not just design skill, but diplomacy and narrative clarity. I learned to advocate for design as a business multiplier, framing creative decisions through measurable outcomes — faster performance, higher retention, and renewed trust.
Most importantly, this project reinforced that modernization isn’t just about code or color palettes — it’s about restoring confidence. By reconnecting the app with its original promise — a home for their craft — we reminded users why the platform still matters. Personally, it reminded me why I design: to create tools that respect creativity, make complexity invisible, and let people focus on what they love.
