INTRODUCING
flashcards
Revise in short,
engaging sessions
INTRODUCING
flashcards
Revise in short,
engaging sessions
INTRODUCING
flashcards
Revise in short,
engaging sessions
Driving Daily Engagement : A Strategic Redesign of the ALLEN App Homepage.
Driving Daily Engagement : A Strategic Redesign of the Allen App Homepage.
The Allen App homepage had become a cluttered "billboard" of internal priorities, making it difficult for students to find features for their day to day studies. To fix this, we transitioned from a feature-heavy layout to a purpose-driven experience. By separating deep-learning tools from administrative tasks and replacing intrusive pop-ups with guided onboarding, we removed the friction and restored a seamless daily study habit.
The Allen App homepage had become a cluttered "billboard" of internal priorities, making it difficult for students to find features for their day to day studies. To fix this, we transitioned from a feature-heavy layout to a purpose-driven experience. By separating deep-learning tools from administrative tasks and replacing intrusive pop-ups with guided onboarding, we removed the friction and restored a seamless daily study habit.
Outcome
Outcome
Average content access time
Avg content access time
15 min → 3 min
15 min → 3 min
15 min → 3 min
↓ 60%
Feature Adoption
~35% → ~85%
~35% → ~85%
~35% → ~85%
↑ 50%
New feature adoption
15% → 42%
15% → 34%
15% → 42%
↑ 3x
Student satisfaction (NPS)
NPS on discovery
2.8/5 → 4.3/5
2.8/5 → 4.3/5
2.8/5 → 4.3/5
↑ 1.5
Quick Actions CTR
~22-27%
~22-27%
~22-27%
DAU
Foundational Problems from NPS Insights.
Cluttered homepage made core study tools hard to discover
Too many teams competed for homepage space. Without a clear content strategy, the home screen became crowded and noisy. Key features like Custom Practice, Improvement Book, Homework etc. were buried below the fold
Too many teams competed for homepage space. Without a clear content strategy, the home screen became crowded and noisy. Key features like Custom Practice, Improvement Book, Homework etc. were buried below the fold
When everything is shown at once, nothing stands out. Students couldn’t easily find what mattered.
When everything is shown at once, nothing stands out. Students couldn’t easily find what mattered.
Student interview verbatim :
“I didn’t even know the Allen App had Custom Practice and Improvement Book. I would’ve used it if I knew.”
“I didn’t even know the Allen App had Custom Practice and Improvement Book. I would’ve used it if I knew.”
2. The "Day 0" & Onboarding Vacuum
Before classes began (“Day 0”), online students received no in-app onboarding or guidance. Unlike offline students who had structured orientation and bridge material, digital users entered the product with no clear starting point.
Before classes began (“Day 0”), online students received no in-app onboarding or guidance. Unlike offline students who had structured orientation and bridge material, digital users entered the product with no clear starting point.
There were no walkthroughs, no starter content, and no guidance on what to do first. Feature discovery relied on intrusive full-screen pop-ups that were quickly dismissed, while awareness depended on WhatsApp and manual communication rather than the product itself.
There were no walkthroughs, no starter content, and no guidance on what to do first. Feature discovery relied on intrusive full-screen pop-ups that were quickly dismissed, while awareness depended on WhatsApp and manual communication rather than the product itself.
As a result, students started their journey confused, underprepared, and disconnected from key features.
As a result, students started their journey confused, underprepared, and disconnected from key features.
Pop-ups used for onboarding, often dismissed :
Pop-ups used for onboarding, often dismissed :
Interim “Day 0” solution with low engagement :
Interim “Day 0” solution with low engagement :
Course Homepages Didn’t Match Student Intent
Course homepages weren’t designed around what students actually came to do. Despite supporting multiple course types, the app treated them uniformly weakening focus, discovery, and engagement.
Course homepages weren’t designed around what students actually came to do. Despite supporting multiple course types, the app treated them uniformly weakening focus, discovery, and engagement.
Course type
Student intent
Available features
What broke
Study material only
Consume core content
Modules, revision notes, flashcards
Treated like richer courses; no clear content-first focus
Practice first
Practice & improve weak areas
Custom practice, improvement book, score booster*+ all features above
Practice features under-discovered and under-prioritised
OLTS/CBT (Test series)
Take tests & track results
Test series + all features above
Tests competed with non-essential features; poor prioritisation
Recorded courses
Watch recorded lectures
Recorded videos + all features above
Secondary features existed but were largely undiscovered
Live/CCP course
Attend live classes
Live classes + all features above
Overloaded surfaces diluted focus and discovery
Cross-app fragmentation:
Cross-app fragmentation:
Students had to switch between the new Allen App and the legacy app to complete basic study loops, breaking flow and trust.
Students had to switch between the new Allen App and the legacy app to complete basic study loops, breaking flow and trust.
Research: Understanding How Students Study.
We used a mixed-methods approach, quantitative signals and in-depth interviews to map how students move from course purchase to daily study. Across interviews, two clear study mindsets emerged. This distinction became the foundation of the product architecture.
We used a mixed-methods approach, quantitative signals and in-depth interviews to map how students move from course purchase to daily study. Across interviews, two clear study mindsets emerged. This distinction became the foundation of the product architecture.
Two Study Mindsets
Self-Directed Learners
Self-Directed Learners
High-performing students who plan their own study, choose topics independently, and want fast, direct access to tools without guidance or friction.
High-performing students who plan their own study, choose topics independently, and want fast, direct access to tools without guidance or friction.
Design need: Keep the experience unblocked, fast, and flexible.
Design need: Keep the experience unblocked, fast, and flexible.
Guided Learners
Guided Learners
Students who struggle with planning and momentum, and need clear next steps, prioritisation, and reminders to stay on track.
Students who struggle with planning and momentum, and need clear next steps, prioritisation, and reminders to stay on track.
Design need: Provide guidance, prioritisation, and recommendations.
Design need: Provide guidance, prioritisation, and recommendations.
A Shared Study Rhythm
A Shared Study Rhythm
Regardless of mindset, students follow the same natural learning loop:
Regardless of mindset, students follow the same natural learning loop:
Learn
Learn
Practice
Practice
Revise
Revise
Repeat
Repeat
After classes, focus consistently shifts to practice, homework, and improvement, forming the core of asynchronous study.
After classes, focus consistently shifts to practice, homework, and improvement, forming the core of asynchronous study.
Key Insight → Product Decision
Planning and discovery (guidance, schedules, browsing) and execution (focused study and practice) cannot live in the same interface without causing cognitive overload.
Planning and discovery (guidance, schedules, browsing) and execution (focused study and practice) cannot live in the same interface without causing cognitive overload.
Our Decision
Our Decision
We split the experience:
We split the experience:
Home → for discovery, guidance, schedules, reminders, and urgent actions
Home → for discovery, guidance, schedules, reminders, and urgent actions
Study → distraction-free deep work, organised by subject → topic → sub-topic
Study → distraction-free deep work, organised by subject → topic → sub-topic
Task : Redefining the Digital Campus.
The goal was to redesign the Allen App homepage and onboarding experience to fix systemic discoverability and fragmentation issues, while preserving focus for high-intent study.
The goal was to redesign the Allen App homepage and onboarding experience to fix systemic discoverability and fragmentation issues, while preserving focus for high-intent study.
Improving discoverability and navigation
Make high-value study features easy to find without overwhelming students, separating planning and discovery (Home) from focused study (Study).
Make high-value study features easy to find without overwhelming students, separating planning and discovery (Home) from focused study (Study).
Creating a unified, course-agnostic experience
Design a consistent homepage system that worked across all course types, while still prioritising what mattered most to each student cohort.
Design a consistent homepage system that worked across all course types, while still prioritising what mattered most to each student cohort.
Designing effective user and feature onboarding
Introduce a structured, non-intrusive “Day 0” and feature onboarding experience that guided students without disruptive pop-ups or UI resets.
Introduce a structured, non-intrusive “Day 0” and feature onboarding experience that guided students without disruptive pop-ups or UI resets.
Defining a clear homepage governance model
Establish clear principles and guardrails to prevent feature sprawl and ensure the homepage scaled sustainably over time.
Establish clear principles and guardrails to prevent feature sprawl and ensure the homepage scaled sustainably over time.
Action: The Final Designs.
Home: Command Center for Awareness & Action
Home: Command Center for Awareness & Action
Home: Command Center for Awareness & Action
The Home screen is designed to surface what matters now - upcoming schedules, test announcements, due homework, and urgent alerts, so students can act without searching. It also enables continuous discovery through a single action grid and subtle update cues, keeping guidance and key features visible without disrupting focused study.
The Home screen is designed to surface what matters now - upcoming schedules, test announcements, due homework, and urgent alerts, so students can act without searching. It also enables continuous discovery through a single action grid and subtle update cues, keeping guidance and key features visible without disrupting focused study.
Feature Discovery Without Noise
All features live inside a single Quick Action Grid, giving each tool a predictable, dedicated entry point.
Updates surface contextually on the feature through subtle badges or tags, while truly urgent messages use a lightweight alert strip allowing discovery to scale without adding noise or interrupting focus.
All features live inside a single Quick Action Grid, giving each tool a predictable, dedicated entry point.
Updates surface contextually on the feature through subtle badges or tags, while truly urgent messages use a lightweight alert strip allowing discovery to scale without adding noise or interrupting focus.
Introducing What’s New Without Breaking Focus
Introducing What’s New Without Breaking Focus
Introducing What’s New Without Breaking Focus
New features are surfaced through a lightweight, top-down Home banner that expands to explain what’s new and why it matters, then collapses into a re-openable pill. It appears sparingly, respects scroll and study flow, and disappears once explored
New features are surfaced through a lightweight, top-down Home banner that expands to explain what’s new and why it matters, then collapses into a re-openable pill. It appears sparingly, respects scroll and study flow, and disappears once explored
Behind the scenes, teams could launch quickly using configurable templates or custom motion for marquee features, with controlled visibility windows, creating a scalable, non-intrusive way to ship and discover new capabilities.
Behind the scenes, teams could launch quickly using configurable templates or custom motion for marquee features, with controlled visibility windows, creating a scalable, non-intrusive way to ship and discover new capabilities.
Study: A Distraction-Free Focus Zone
Study: A Distraction-Free Focus Zone
Study designs by Sumit
Study designs by Sumit
Study mode strips away alerts, discovery, and guidance to create a single-purpose learning space. Content is accessed through a clear Subject → Topic → Sub-topic structure, supports all learning formats, and always resumes from where the student left off built purely for focused learning, revision, and mastery.
Study mode strips away alerts, discovery, and guidance to create a single-purpose learning space. Content is accessed through a clear Subject → Topic → Sub-topic structure, supports all learning formats, and always resumes from where the student left off built purely for focused learning, revision, and mastery.
Live & CCP
Live & CCP
Test Series & Recorded
Test Series & Recorded
Study Material Only
Study Material Only
Course Aware Home Variants
Course Aware Home Variants
The Home experience subtly adapts based on course type while preserving a consistent mental model. Live and CCP courses surface schedules and test announcements, test series and recorded courses balance actions with guidance, practice-only courses prioritize practice-first workflows, and study-material courses simplify Home into a single-page learning entry, ensuring relevance without fragmenting the experience.
The Home experience subtly adapts based on course type while preserving a consistent mental model. Live and CCP courses surface schedules and test announcements, test series and recorded courses balance actions with guidance, practice-only courses prioritize practice-first workflows, and study-material courses simplify Home into a single-page learning entry, ensuring relevance without fragmenting the experience.
Onboarding That Extends Beyond Day One (🌟 Proposed design)
Onboarding That Extends Beyond Day One (🌟 Proposed design)
Onboarding That Extends Beyond Day One (🌟 Proposed design)
Story-style onboarding and feature walkthroughs live at the top of Home and remain accessible even after Day 0. This keeps guidance available when students need it, enabling ongoing discovery without relying on one-time onboarding flows.
Story-style onboarding and feature walkthroughs live at the top of Home and remain accessible even after Day 0. This keeps guidance available when students need it, enabling ongoing discovery without relying on one-time onboarding flows.
What We Shipped 🚢
While the full Day-0 system was aligned on, development constraints required a lighter approach. We shipped a lightweight onboarding experience using existing components, introducing “How to use Allen” as story-style content to ensure new users still received essential guidance at launch.
While the full Day-0 system was aligned on, development constraints required a lighter approach. We shipped a lightweight onboarding experience using existing components, introducing “How to use Allen” as story-style content to ensure new users still received essential guidance at launch.
We designed desktop and tablet versions of the Home screen as well, available in light and dark mode for a consistent cross-device experience
We designed desktop and tablet versions of the Home screen as well, available in light and dark mode for a consistent cross-device experience
Results.
Core Product Impact
Average content access time
Avg content access time
15 min → 3 min
15 min → 3 min
15 min → 3 min
↓ 60%
Feature Adoption
~35% → ~85%
~35% → ~85%
~35% → ~85%
↑ 50%
New feature adoption
15% → 42%
15% → 34%
15% → 42%
↑ 3x
Student satisfaction (NPS)
NPS on discovery
2.8/5 → 4.3/5
2.8/5 → 4.3/5
2.8/5 → 4.3/5
↑ 1.5
Quick Actions CTR
~22-27%
~22-27%
~22-27%
DAU
Operational and Behavioural Outcomes
Reduced operational cost
Reduced operational cost
We built smart notifications and an in-app discovery loop for feature promotion.
That meant fewer manual nudges (WhatsApp, SMS, mentor reminders), reducing dependency on external communications and saving ~$25K–$30K annually in operational cost.
We built smart notifications and an in-app discovery loop for feature promotion.
That meant fewer manual nudges (WhatsApp, SMS, mentor reminders), reducing dependency on external communications and saving ~$25K–$30K annually in operational cost.
Increased time-on-task
Increased time-on-task
Students stayed focused longer - time-on-task per active session increased 2.3×, indicating stronger engagement and better deep-work behaviour.
Students stayed focused longer - time-on-task per active session increased 2.3×, indicating stronger engagement and better deep-work behaviour.
Student Feedback from Play Store
Learnings.
Intent-based navigation reduces cognitive load
Intent-based navigation reduces cognitive load
Students come with different intent. Splitting Home (guidance + actions) and Study (deep work only) reduced confusion and context-switching, and hence time-on-task increased.
Students come with different intent. Splitting Home (guidance + actions) and Study (deep work only) reduced confusion and context-switching, and hence time-on-task increased.
One flow cannot serve all, but one system can
One flow cannot serve all, but one system can
High performers want speed; others want structure. Different courses valued different features, but a clear, consistent system, anchored in predictable navigation and feedback, served all groups and solved key product challenges like feature launches, updates, and governance.
High performers want speed; others want structure. Different courses valued different features, but a clear, consistent system, anchored in predictable navigation and feedback, served all groups and solved key product challenges like feature launches, updates, and governance.
Trust is a UX feature
Trust is a UX feature
Inconsistent content instantly broke confidence and retention. Content quality needs the same rigor as product design.
Inconsistent content instantly broke confidence and retention. Content quality needs the same rigor as product design.
Impact over perfection
Impact over perfection
We couldn’t ship the full onboarding vision - but a leaner version still improved clarity on Day 0. Great design works within constraints and moves the needle before it polishes the edges.
We couldn’t ship the full onboarding vision - but a leaner version still improved clarity on Day 0. Great design works within constraints and moves the needle before it polishes the edges.
Open to new ideas, learnings and coffee chats.
+91 9667319653
saraswathyp.design@gmail.com
Made with love on Framer
© SARASWATHY 2025
Open to new ideas, learnings and coffee chats.
+91 9667319653
saraswathyp.design@gmail.com
Made with love on Framer
© SARASWATHY 2025
Open to new ideas, learnings and coffee chats.
+91 9667319653
saraswathyp.design@gmail.com
Made with love on Framer
© SARASWATHY 2025