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Instead of encouraging upgrades, the paywall sparked hesitation. It felt confusing, unconvincing, and disconnected from what Gen Z users value.
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We reframed the upgrade as a smart, values-aligned decision, leveraging simplicity and transparency to turn hesitation into confidence and confusion into conversions.
In the final week of our 12-week design fellowship, I led a 5-person UX team in an intensive redesign sprint.
Building on weeks of prior research, we executed a targeted user research plan and iteratively refined concepts, ultimately delivering a more strategic, user-centered paywall in just 7 days.
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Research began by gathering and organizing previous insights, conducting surveys with a total of 30 respondents along with interviews and usability testing with 3 of our Gen Z beta users.
With limited incentives and time constraints, we struggled to recruit enough beta users in time. I broadened our reach and created an additional survey guide for the general public that could help us quickly gather more data on the preferences and behaviors of demographics.
Users prefer and expect free trials before committing, as it gives them a risk-free way to explore the app's value and decide if it's worth the cost.
Users not only need to know what premium includes, but why these features are significantly more beneficial to them.
Privacy/data concerns have an impact on willingness to pay for a subscription, users want these concerns addressed before committing.
In order to confidently make a decision, users need clear, upfront costs and billing options presented in a simple, easy-to-understand way.
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On day 4 I facilitated an ideation workshop with the team to create wireframes based upon our synthesized research findings. Focusing on the layout, structure, and incentives that can improve conversion rates.
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I led a discussion as team members shared their initial sketches, exploring ways to refine or combine ideas. This led to Version 1 (left image), which I further refined into Version 2 (right image) based on feedback.
Combining qualitative and quantitative data, we gathered thoughts, behaviors, and followed up with a survey asking users to rate the clarity, visual appeal, confidence in buying a subscription, and likelihood of subscribing on a five-point scale.
This early feedback underscored the power of simplicity and clarity in driving user decisions.
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After the fellowship program ended, I sent an anonymous survey to my team to gather their feedback on my leadership. Since it was my first time leading a design team, their insights were incredibly valuable in helping me grow and improve.
Managing collaborative sessions, being so organized and on top of things, great communication skills
I loved how you were assigning tasks, managing schedules, providing feedback, and ensuring effective collaboration among team members
Your approach to weekly meetings is well-structured and providing the team with additional information helped greatly in designing the wireframes
Maybe being more assertive in following up with the tasks and motivating people to finish them
You did great as a team leader, I don't have anything specific where you can improve
Looking back, I believe there should be more design critiques and collaborations in designing a singular wireframe
I’ve always been good at creating a supportive, collaborative environment, but I realized I could be more proactive in following up on tasks. If I were in a leadership position again, I plan to introduce regular check-ins and clarify task ownership to keep things moving without affecting team morale. Striking this balance is crucial for delivering projects on time while keeping everyone engaged and motivated.
Projects rarely go exactly as planned, and leading the team meant adapting quickly to challenges like low research participation or shifting project constraints under tight deadlines. I learned that staying flexible, reprioritizing tasks, and finding creative solutions — while always being mindful of the tradeoffs — helps keep the team focused and productive.