Bumble

Context
What was designed to drive growth was doing the opposite. A major promo surface was interrupting users at the worst possible moment—causing frustration, drop-offs, and missed opportunities.

The issue wasn’t just the design. It was the timing, the tone, and the total lack of context.

The problem

We noticed something concerning: a significant portion of users were exiting the app the moment a certain promo appeared.

The experience felt intrusive. The visuals were outdated. The interaction came too early in the session, before users even had a chance to engage with the core product.

What should’ve been a conversion moment became a churn moment.

How we framed it

Could we reduce friction and exits without hurting conversion?

The goal was to reimagine how promotions are delivered—making them feel timely, relevant, and part of the experience rather than a blocker to it.

We weren’t just redesigning the UI. We were reframing the entire approach to promotional content.

What we did

I kicked things off by bringing together a cross-functional team for a structured workshop. We mapped out pain points, studied the best examples from other products, and aligned on a new direction.

Our working principles:

• Don’t interrupt—integrate

• Don’t shout—guide

• Don’t assume—adapt

From there, we explored a system of lightweight promo formats that could adapt to different moments and user states. Instead of defaulting to full-screen takeovers, we introduced smaller, modular surfaces—banners, cards, drawers—that respected the user's intent.

Design explorations

We built out a flexible promo framework that balanced visibility with subtlety.
Some of the design shifts included:

• Smarter entry points (not at app start)

• Lighter, more contextual UI

• Clearer visuals and copy

• Smooth transitions in and out of promo states

We also added small moments of delight—animations, microinteractions, and visual cues that made the experience feel more intentional.

What changed

With the new system in place, we saw:

• Fewer drop-offs at key moments

• Higher engagement with promos

• Improved sentiment around the experience