App Analysis
- Outdated branding
- Low hierarchy and unclear relationship between tools
- Custom icons slows down process on creating new icons
- Toolbar layout restricts new feature additions
- Not best utilizing Apple components
before redesign
Nitro PDF Pro - iPad & iPhone is a PDF editing mobile application. We redesigned the app to establish brand consistency across Nitro’s product offering, improve overall ease-of-use, align to new UX standards including Apple’s component system, and set up app infrastructure for future feature development.
I was responsible for the UX design from start to finish. I worked closely with Product Management, Engineering, QA, and Research Operations to complete this project.
key collaborators
angel vu, francisco cantu, oleh sulya, mona brahmbhatt
before redesign
We conducted a survey with our existing Mac and iOS users to understand their app needs. We also conducted simple competitive research, looking at applications providing similar value. Results and takeaways were documented for the team’s use for the redesign as well as for future product development.
Snapshot of survey results board
I explored many ideas trying both small and big changes. This opened up conversations on how UI choices impacted the user's journey. I continued to iterate until the team was in agreement that we were supporting the best user experience, allowing users to accomplish their tasks efficiently, as well as representing the Nitro brand authentically and being achievable to develop in the time frame given.
I created a simple prototype to display how the app will feel once built, especially showcasing movement. This prototype was shared to stakeholders to gain confidence in the redesign and to receive any high level concerns with the direction and progress of the project.
I created a component system to help with design consistency and speed up the process for building more complex views. I utilized an atomic approach, starting with small elements and identifying larger patterns to componentize.
Snapshot of components
Each major workflow in the app was detailed in a step-by-step view for both iPad and iPhone layouts. This created clear documentation for development and was referenced during QA.
We had a dedicated QA team as well as internal beta testers to ensure the quality of the product. We utilized TestFlight for beta testing and pulled testers from various orgs in the company including: Product & Engineering, Marketing, Customer Success, and Finance. Feedback, bugs, and requests were logged into JIRA and then prioritized and actioned for the initial release. Transparency and access to the product before release ensured confidence in the project outcome.
The app was released with positive sentiment. We received agreement from the larger team that we delivered on aligning to brand identity and common design language across apps. The release saw a 96% adoption rate. In addition, there was little to no negative feedback received by our Customer Success team regarding the redesign.
