Project Overview

Project Overview

Project Overview

Have you ever been surprised by an unexpected bank withdrawal, only to realize you forgot to cancel a subscription? Notiva promises to solve this by automatically tracking subscriptions and deadlines.

Project Overview

Have you ever been surprised by an unexpected bank withdrawal, only to realize you forgot to cancel a subscription? Notiva promises to solve this by automatically tracking subscriptions and deadlines.

Challenge

Challenge

Challenge

Users couldn't identify the core value proposition

Users couldn't identify the core value proposition

Impact

Impact

Impact

Increased sign-up conversion by 50 % by clarifying the value proposition

Increased conversion by 40 % by improving value prop clarity

Increased conversion by 50 % by improving value prop clarity

Increased conversion by 40 % by improving value prop clarity

Team

Team

Team

Founder & Developer (Client)
UX Designer (Me🙋🏽‍♂️)

Hikmat Imanov

-> Founder & Developer

Me 🙋🏽‍♂️

-> UI UX Design

Research

"Not sure what this does"

"Not sure what
this does"

The founder had built a landing page for Notiva, an AI assistant that automatically tracks subscriptions and deadlines. With a 2% sign-up conversion rate and initial testing with 5 users revealing confusion, it was clear the page wasn't communicating the product's value.

The founder had created a landing page with a 2 % sign-up conversion rate. Initial testing with 5 users revealed confusion.

"Not sure what this does"

"Not sure what this does"

"Seems like Finanzguru (German competitor)"

"Seems like Finanzguru (German competitor)"

"Too many options"

"Too many options"

My role

Identify root causes of confusion and redesign the hero section to communicate Notiva's unique AI automation.

Identify root causes of confusion and redesign the hero section to communicate Notiva's unique AI automation.

UX Audit

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues and diagnose why the value proposition wasn't landing.

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues.

UX Audit

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues and diagnose why the value proposition wasn't landing.

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues.

UX Audit

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues and diagnose why the value proposition wasn't landing.

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues.

UX Audit

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues and diagnose why the value proposition wasn't landing.

I conducted a heuristic evaluation to identify specific usability issues.

Competitive Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Competitive Analysis

Competitive Analysis

The audit identified violations, but users also said Notiva "seems like Finanzguru," signaling a differentiation problem. To understand how successful competitors differentiate, I analyzed their hero sections.


The audit identified violations, but users also said Notiva "seems like Finanzguru" — signaling a differentiation problem. To understand how successful competitors differentiate, I analyzed their hero sections.

Criteria

Finanzguru

Rocket Money

Unsubby

Notiva

Navigation Links

4

3

4

7

Number of CTAs

1

2

1, (main CTA below the fold)

3

CTA height

50 px

56 px

74 px

40 px

Hero Complexity
(amount of elements)

5

5

6

9

Value Proposition

Indirect (video)
Below the fold

“Works for you”
Benefit focused

Control your subscriptions+ Benefit focused

Technical terms, vague, feature focused

Differentiatior

Celebrity & Mascot

“Money app”

motion + trust signal

Not clear

Criteria

Finanzguru

Rocket Money

Unsubby

Notiva

Navigation Links

4

3

4

7

Number of CTAs

1

2

1, (main CTA below the fold)

3

CTA height

50 px

56 px

74 px

40 px

Hero Complexity
(amount of elements)

5

5

6

9

Value Proposition

Indirect (video)
Below the fold

“Works for you”
Benefit focused

Control your subscriptions+ Benefit focused

Technical terms, vague, feature focused

Differentiatior

Celebrity & Mascot

“Money app”

motion + trust signal

Not clear

"Not sure what this does"

"Seems like Finanzguru"

"Too many options"

"Not sure what this does"

"Seems like Finanzguru"

"Too many options"

My role

Identify root causes of confusion and redesign hero to communicate Notiva's unique AI automation.

Not sure what this does

"Not sure what this does"

"Not sure what this does"

The founder had created a landing page with a 2 % sign-up conversion rate.
Initial testing with 5 users revealed confusion.

The founder had created a landing page with a 2 % sign-up conversion rate.
Initial testing with 5 users revealed confusion.

Research

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Industry Standard: 4-5 nav items

CTA height: 50-74px

Benefit-focused language

Single, prominent CTA in hero

Clean layout: up to 5 elements

Mascots -> memorable

Iteration & Validation

The birth of Novi

The birth of Novi

The birth of Novi

Drawing from cognitive load principles and competitive insights, I shared with the founder that the current design made users feel like they had to do work but users want their mental load removed, not increased.

This sparked Novi as an idea in the founder: an AI assistant character built around the idea of removing mental burden. It aligned with the finding that Finanzguru's mascot creates memorable differentiation.

Wireframing

Wireframing

Wireframing

I restructured the hero section around Novi, applying 4 principles drawn from the UX audit, competitive benchmarking, and initial user feedback.

1

Remove visual clutter
-> Fewer nav items and hero elements reduce

cognitive load, keeping user attention on the

primary CTA.

2

Visual hierarchy & accessibility
-> A single, accessible CTA reduces decision

friction and gives users one clear next step,

which directly supports sign-up conversion.

3

Clear, benefit focused copy
-> Users who immediately understand the value

proposition are more likely to sign up. Clarity at

first impression reduces drop-off before any

interaction.

4

Make Notiva memorable

-> A distinctive character helps differentiate

Notiva in a crowded market, which supports

brand recall and long-term word-of-mouth

growth.

I delivered wireframes with content recommendations. The founder implemented a variation with his preferred copy and CTA styling.

Faryan.Portfolio
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Faryan.Portfolio

Validation Testing

Validation Testing

Validation Testing

To validate whether the redesign actually resolved the confusion, I conducted 5 moderated remote usability sessions focused on first impression, comprehension, and recall of the hero section.

5

Usability Tests

Methodology

Duration: 15 -20 min moderated remote sessions

Scope: Hero section: First impression, comprehension, recall

Method: Open-ended questions, Think-aloud, behavioral observation

My role: Test protocol development, moderation, synthesis

30

Days

Performance Tracking

The founder tracked sign-up data for 30 days post-launch to measure conversion after the redesign.

Live Data Monitoring

Results

Results

Signup Conversion Rate

Sign-up conversion rate increased following the redesign.

BEFORE

2 %

+ 50 %

AFTER

3 %

Memorability

Memorability

BEFORE

0/5

AFTER

5/5

Users remembered distinctive element ("Novi")

Value Proposition Clarity

Value Proposition Clarity

BEFORE

2/5

2/5

AFTER

5/5

Users clearly understood the core value offered

Areas for Improvement

Areas for Improvement

Areas for Improvement

Subline length: Copy too long, shorter recommended

Memorability: Character below fold -> users don't scroll until after forming first impression

"Connected accounts": 2/5 users confused by term → Suggest "Link your email/bank"

Button consistency: 3 different button styles across mockups need design system

Opportunity: Bring Novi into the hero as a visual centerpiece

Iteration & Validation

The birth of Novi

Drawing from cognitive load principles and competitive insights, I shared with the founder that the current design made users feel like they had to do work but users want their mental load removed, not added to.

This sparked Novi as an idea in the founder: an AI assistant character built around the idea of removing mental burden. It aligned with the finding that Finanzguru's mascot creates memorable differentiation.

Wireframing

I restructured the hero section around Novi, applying 4 principles drawn from the UX audit, competitive benchmarking, and initial user feedback.

1

Remove visual clutter
-> Fewer nav items and hero elements reduce

cognitive load, keeping user attention on the

primary CTA.

2

Visual hierarchy & accessibility
-> A single, accessible CTA reduces decision

friction and gives users one clear next step,

which directly supports sign-up conversion.

3

Clear, benefit focused copy
-> Users who immediately understand the value

proposition are more likely to sign up. Clarity at

first impression reduces drop-off before any

interaction.

4

Make Notiva memorable

-> A distinctive character helps differentiate

Notiva in a crowded market, which supports

brand recall and long-term word-of-mouth

growth.

I delivered wireframes with content recommendations. The founder implemented a variation with his preferred copy and CTA styling.

Faryan.Portfolio
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
Faryan.Portfolio

Validation Testing

I needed to validate whether the changes actually solved the confusion users experienced. I conducted usability testing with 5 participants.

5

Usability Tests

Methodology

Duration: 15 -20 min moderated remote sessions

Scope: Hero section: First impression, comprehension, recall

Method: Open-ended questions, Think-aloud, behavioral observation

My role: Test protocol development, moderation, synthesis

30

Days

Performance Tracking

The founder tracked sign-up data for 30 days post-launch to measure conversion after the redesign.

Live Data Monitoring

Results

Signup Conversion Rate

Sign-up conversion rate increased following the redesign.

BEFORE

2 %

+ 50 %

AFTER

3 %

Memorability

BEFORE

0/5

AFTER

5/5

Users remembered distinctive element ("Novi")

Value Proposition Clarity

BEFORE

2/5

AFTER

5/5

Users clearly understood the core value offered

Areas for Improvement

Subline length
I recommend shorter copy

Memorability
Character below fold—users don't scroll until after forming first impression

"Connected accounts"
2/5 users confused by term → Suggest "Link your email/bank"

Button consistency
3 different button styles across mockups need design system

Opportunity
Bring Novi into the hero as a visual centerpiece.

Design

Design

Design Exploration

Design Exploration

Design Exploration

Testing showed only 2/5 remembered Novi, as the character appeared below the fold. I explored high-fidelity designs bringing Novi into the hero section.

Testing showed only 2/5 remembered Novi — the character appeared below the fold.
I explored high-fidelity designs bringing Novi into the hero section.

Design

Design Exploration

Testing showed only 2/5 remembered Novi, as the character appeared below the fold. I explored high-fidelity designs bringing Novi into the hero section.

1

1

1

Goals

Goals

1

Bring Novi above the fold
Testing showed only 2/5 remembered a distinctive element. Making Novi the visual centerpiece with the aim of increasing memorability.

Bring Novi above the fold
Testing showed only 2/5 remembered a distinctive element. Making Novi the visual centerpiece increases memorability.

2

Reduce cognitive load
Remove 'connected accounts' from hero, as users found it confusing. Apply progressive disclosure.

Reduce cognitive load
Remove 'connected accounts' from hero, as users found it confusing. Apply progressive disclosure.

3

Emotional over functional

"Never Worry About Deadlines" (emotional relief) "chosen over 'Never Miss a Deadline Again' to better reflect the mental load removal positioning.

Emotional over functional

"Never Worry About Deadlines" (emotional relief) outperforms "Never Miss a Deadline Again" (functional promise) for mental load removal positioning.

Emotional over functional

"Never Worry About Deadlines" (emotional relief) "chosen over 'Never Miss a Deadline Again' to better reflect the mental load removal positioning.

Novi as helpful companion, not just text description

Reflection

Reflection

What I learned

What I learned

What I learned

What I learned

Research reveals what feedback can't

User feedback said 'confusing,' but users couldn't explain why. The systematic audit identified specific issues (Hick's Law violations, unclear value proposition) that the 2% conversion rate reflected.

Collaboration sparks better ideas

The "mental load removal" insight emerged from synthesizing research with the founder. Neither of us would have arrived at Novi alone. It came from combining UX principles with the founder's product vision.

Quantitative validates qualitative

Usability testing showed improved comprehension (2/5 → 5/5). The 50% conversion lift confirmed these improvements translated to real user behavior.

Next steps

Next steps

Next steps

Next steps

The founder is currently restructuring Notiva's product offering, so these designs remain explorations. If implemented, I would:

The founder is currently restructuring Notiva's product offering, so these designs remain explorations. If implemented, I would:

A/B test Novi-in-hero design against current version

Measure whether improved memorability leads to higher return visit rates

Track conversion over 30 days for comparison