Role
UI/UX Designer
Teams
UX, PM, Dev
Duration
12 Weeks
Platforms
Mobile, Tablet
New users rarely purchased the monthly premium pass in their first month, leaving a major revenue gap. I led the launch of the Welcome Pass, a short, lower-priced subscription that gave new users an achievable first win and guided them into premium content.
TL;DR
Only 0.6% of new users purchased the monthly premium pass in their first month.
This created a major revenue gap during onboarding. Data showed that while engaged users often purchased in their second month, the first month was a lost opportunity.
Welcome Pass, a 7-day subscription tailored for new users.
The Welcome Pass is a 7-day subscription designed for new users. It’s lower priced and easier to complete, and it’s offered alongside the monthly Garden Pass, giving users the choice to buy one, both, or neither.
The Welcome Pass doubled early conversion and grew new-user revenue by 5%.
Within three months, conversion rose from 0.6% to 1.2%, weekly active users increased by 3%, showing stronger early retention.
Garden Joy is a simulation mobile game where players design outdoor spaces using virtual decor, plants, and landscaping elements to complete themed challenges and earn rewards.
Garden Pass: a monthly battle-pass system that lets players earn in-game items by playing regularly.
The Garden Pass includes both a free reward track and a premium track available for purchase. By completing design Challenges, users progress along the pass and unlock rewards.
Only 0.6 % of new users purchased the Garden Pass in their first month.
Data and qualitative feedback showed that while highly engaged users would purchase the Garden Pass in their second month, the month they joined was a major revenue loss.
This low conversion indicated two issues:
We needed a solution that would capture early revenue and simplify the Garden Pass experience.
I explored several solutions, but none were without problematic trade-offs.
I first focused on pricing and progression solutions that could make the purchase feel worthwhile without undercutting revenue or disrupting the in-game economy. I explored three main solutions, but each came with problematic trade-offs.
Early wins boost engagement
Reduced reward in the following month
Protects in-game economy and revenue
Poor UX for users who joined late-month
Beginner-friendly value
Early joiners risk quick drop-off
Instead of adjusting the current Garden Pass, I had the idea of combining all the changes into a brand new offer for new users.
We introduced the Welcome Pass:
a 7-day, new-user-only subscription.
We built an MVP using the existing Garden Pass, which allowed us to test purchase intent. During testing, I identified some UI adjustments that could make the UX more streamlined.
UI needed to reduce friction and indicate progress more clearly.
The Welcome Pass turned a broken funnel into a high-performing growth driver.
Three months post-launch, we saw promising results from the Welcome Pass. The feature not only addressed the initial revenue gap but also strengthened early engagement and retention.
