Stage 1: Problem Statement & Brainstorming

Through a series of collaborative brainstorming sessions with product managers and key business stakeholders, we identified an opportunity to improve user engagement within the Circles.Life app.

While the app had been providing satisfactory core telco functionalities, it lacked a personal touch. Something that could strengthen user connection, loyalty and retention.

I proposed a new “You” feature: a dedicated space, where users could share their basic preferences (such as hobbies and interests), so that Circles.Life could roll-out personalized rewards for the users' loyalty to the brand. These rewards could be telco-related or lifestyle perks, tailored to each user's profile.

The aim of the feature was to make the experience in the Circles.Life app feel more human, while also enabling the brand to build a deeper connection with users.

Stage 2: Design Approach & Inspiration

Rather than launching a generic, one-time survey to collect user information, I wanted the experience to feel more personal; something users could own and revisit. The idea was to create a dedicated space where users could share details about themselves and their preferences in a way that felt natural and expressive.

I drew inspiration from dating apps, particularly their onboarding flows, where users build a profile not just for the sake of it, but to introduce themselves meaningfully. This led to the design concept of a lightweight, profile-based experience within the app, which feels more conversational rather than transactional.

Given the project’s tight timeline, I opted to begin with high-fidelity prototypes to facilitate faster alignment with the product managers, accelerating the design process.

Stage 3: User Testing & Feedback

The initial high-fidelity prototypes were well-received internally by the product team, validating the overall direction. The next step was to test the concept with existing users to understand their reactions and identify any usability challenges.

Using the Maze platform, I conducted several remote user testing sessions with existing Circles.Life users. These sessions helped us gauge users' perceptions of the “You” feature, particularly its value and discoverability within the app.

One key insight emerged: while users responded positively to the idea and content of the feature, many took quite a while to find the entry point.

In response, I refined the prototype by introducing an additional, more prominent entry point to improve discoverability of the feature. Following this adjustment, users navigated to the feature more easily, and overall attitudes remained positive.