Scope: Business Acquisition, Early Retention, Conversion Optimization

Headspace

I approached this redesign as a systems-level growth problem, not a surface-level UI update. By aligning behavioral decision science with monetization strategy, I reduced cognitive friction across critical touchpoints—discovery, recovery, and conversion. The result is a friction-optimized product experience engineered to strengthen retention and accelerate revenue velocity.

4

Overview

Headspace is a leading meditation app operating on a subscription model; however, preliminary research indicates that 95% of users stop using the app within the first 3 days 🤯

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Problem

Headspace was facing challenges with user retention and business acquisition, as few users purchased subscriptions, and those who did often dropped off, leading to a high churn rate.

Outcome

Improved user retention by redesigning key flows, increasing subscriptions from 38% to 88% which would significantly improve business acquisition and reducing user's decision fatigue by 44% (A/B Testing with 40 participants)

Date:

Jun 2025 – Sept 2025

Team:

Kevin Park, Kelly S.

Industry:

Subscription Product

Designing Retention Systems for Headspace

My Methodology

01
Research
•Interviews
•Surveys
•Competitive Benchmarking
•Thematic Analysis
•Sentiment Analysis
•Cognitive Analysis
02
Synthesis
03
Brainstorming
04
Prototyping
05
Evaluation
06
Documentation

1. Payment Wall Simplified

Designed a low-friction monetization optimised for rapid conversion by reducing cognitive load, simplifying choice architecture, and accelerating decision momentum within the subscription funnel.

After
Before
>
01

Payment Wall Redesign Projected Impact Based on Behavioral Design Benchmarks:

2. Homepage Restructuring

Led a strategic homepage redesign for Headspace focused on improving activation and subscription conversion. I restructured the information architecture, clarified pricing and plan differentiation, strengthened CTA hierarchy, and introduced earlier trust signals to reduce friction in the decision journey. The result is a conversion-optimized, experiment-ready homepage that aligns brand calmness with measurable growth impact.

After
Before
>
02

Homepage Redesign – Usability Test Results

3. Error Screen Optimized For Recovery

The original screen acted as a dead end after a failed search, offering no clear recovery path. The redesign introduced curated recommendations, clear messaging, and visible next-step actions that reframed failure as guided exploration. Instead of forcing users to think about what to do next, the system proactively suggested relevant alternatives, reducing hesitation and cognitive load.

After
Before
>
03

Error / Fallback Screen Redesign – Usability Test Results

Presented at the NYIT Winter Show 2025, this project sparked thoughtful discussions around scalability in
digital wellness platforms, transparency in AI driven systems, and the future of multimodal design experiences.

Key Takeaways

This redesign eliminated friction at the moments that matter most — discovery, recovery, and monetization. By aligning the experience with behavioral decision principles and reducing cognitive load, I transformed hesitation points into momentum drivers.

The result is a faster, clearer, and more persuasive user journey that strengthens retention and accelerates subscription conversion transforming engagement into monetization through behavioral decision architecture and strategic funnel engineering.

64%
User Retention
79%
Business Aqcuisition
92%
Comprehension
88%
Subscription Improvements
50%
Content Discovery
50%
UX Delight
Tested with 40 participants of various technical and meditation knowledge levels

Team's Comments

The updated experience reduced friction across discovery, search, and monetization strengthening engagement, protecting retention, and accelerating subscription conversion.

T. Griffith

– Lead Designer @Headspace

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Got a project in mind? Tell me about it

Hi, I’m Priyam Joshi, a Designer who turns curiosity into meaningful experiences. I bridge human emotion, technology, and strategy to craft experiences that don’t just look good they work beautifully. As a UX Designer and Researcher, my passion lies in uncovering the “why” behind user behavior and transforming insights into inclusive, data-driven design systems that create real business impact.

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