Modernized the FreeConferenceCall.com App, which Boosted In-App Purchases by 12% and Contributed to 10M+ Downloads

Summary

In 2020, as the pandemic necessitated a global pivot to remote work, FreeConferenceCall.com experienced a surge in demand, spotlighting the outdated interface of our mobile app and challenging the "cheap" perception tied to our free service.

As Design Director, I led a crucial redesign to improve feature accessibility and showcase our premium upgrades, significantly enhancing the app's perceived value and solidifying vital revenue stream for the company. This transformation not only addressed pandemic-induced needs but also resonated deeply with our users, many of whom reached out to express gratitude for our service's role in keeping their businesses afloat and supporting their families during a critical period in history.

Impact

Boosted our in-app purchase for "Huddle Individual", our premium upgrade by 12%,
Increase in community contributions through "Pay What You Can" by 10%
All additional upgrades received a 5% subscription increase such as Extra Storage, Automated Meeting Keywords, etc.

My Role

As the Design Director, I led a team of 4 in-house and 3 remote designers from Russia and Ukraine, while actively contributing across Marketing, Product, Sales, Customer Support, and C-Suite engagements. My role evolved to address urgent project launches and company-wide initiatives through strategic hiring and collaboration.

Spearheaded the hiring of a product designer to enhance our team's capabilities.
Collaborated on visual direction, features, wireframing, and proposed user testing.
Worked directly with the VP of Marketing to refine upgrade feature messaging for cohesive communication across platforms.
Coordinated marketing efforts across email, web, and app store to ensure user awareness of updates and new features.

Research

Our product team conducted user surveys on across mobile/desktop and utilized post-conference questionnaires to identify interface pain points.
Users reported confusion on initiating calls and were surprised to find out we had additional features upgrades. There was a visibility challenge found within the communication of these upgrades.
Those that were aware of upgrades, did not understand the value of service upgrades despite meeting their needs. There was messaging issue.

Iterations

Our redesign focused on decluttering the home screen, directly presenting "Host," "Schedule," and "Join a Call" options, and maintaining beloved features like recent meetings. We introduced a dedicated upgrades section on the homepage and a comprehensive store page, enhancing visibility and context for each upgrade. User-requested video previews before joining calls were also integrated.

Collaborated closely with Product Designer Igor to refine the new user experience, beginning with in-depth visual direction talks and integrating usage insights from Product Manager Cameron.
Allocating an additional designer specifically for project revisions proved invaluable, allowing our primary design team to concentrate on marketing campaigns, Bullhorn app development, and ongoing updates for FreeConferenceCall.com on both desktop and mobile platforms, all of which I oversaw.

Learnings

Redesigning the app was a massive task! You are talking about a design system shared across Mobile, Tablet, Desktop and Web Assets to ensure consistency. The urgency and global expectations made it challenging. I would have recommended tabling the “redesign” while we worked on updating the app utilizing the previous design system.
The collaboration between product and marketing teams was key to maintaining consistent communication. Our design team played a vital role in ensuring this consistency, working tirelessly to achieve this goal. Here are examples of the planned consistency across devices.

Success Story

Our redesign transformed the FreeConferenceCall.com app into a modern, intuitive platform, significantly improving user experience and perception. This project underscores the power of user-centered design in elevating app functionality and engagement, marking a milestone in the app's evolution.

Check it out on the Android Store (4.1 Stars 58K Reviews 10M+ Downloads)
Check it out on the Apple Store (4.5 Stars 4.9K Reviews)