Boosted engagement by 58.7% with persuasive design and made Miles 10x More Valuable

In August 2019, I joined the founding team at Miles, playing a key role in enhancing the user experience, enabling scalability, and implementing numerous features that fueled significant app growth.

Overview:

I reimagined the value of miles for users of the Miles app by launching a premium subscription model that improved user engagement and monetization. With a 58.7% increase in app opens and a 20.5% uplift in ARPU, this initiative turned our most passive users into active daily commuters.

Overview of the Miles App

How did we achieve a 58.7% increase in app opens?

Miles+ Subscription

Our main goal was to launch a premium version of the app, introducing a new revenue stream. The feature allowing users to automatically claim trips was exclusively offered to premium users, resulting in a substantial boost in app opens for our regular users.

Problem Statement

Despite a growing user base, nearly 50% of users couldn’t redeem miles for anything meaningful due to value imbalance. We saw a need to:

  • Improve the redemption value of miles

  • Drive daily engagement

  • Introduce monetizable features without eroding trust

Business Objectives

  • Improve Daily Active Usage

  • Introduce Premium Subscriptions

  • Enhance Redemption Experience

  • Reduce AWS Geo Tracking Costs

So that the users can get better value for their miles

Design Approach

1. Discovery & Research

We defined core personas, focusing on "Joanne," a daily commuter who frequently used public transport and ride shares.

  • Quantitative Analysis: Demographics, trip frequency, redemption history

  • Qualitative Research: Focus groups (40 users), 1:1 interviews, user journey mapping

  • Key Insight: Users wanted better redemption options, but with minimal friction.

2. Design Strategy

We reframed the miles program with the goal to:

  • Let users claim trips actively (not passively)

  • Offer bonus miles for daily app opens

  • Introduce premium features (Miles+): faster redemptions, higher limits, ad-free experience

The User Journey Problem

Design Hypothesis

  • By issuing miles based on app activity, we can enhance the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), which can subsequently be transferred to users.

  • Travelers seek greater value for their miles and are willing to invest additional effort to earn them.

Concept Development & Testing

I explored three major interaction concepts:

Concept A: Local Data Collection with App-Open Sync

  • Instead of tracking trips in real time, this approach involves storing trip data locally on the device and syncing it only when the app is opened. While efficient, it introduces trade-offs in user experience.

    Benefits

    • Cost Efficiency: Reduces backend costs by eliminating constant geo-coordinate tracking in the background.

    • Transparency: Gives users clearer visibility into trip processing status upon app open.

    Challenges

    • Delayed Gratification: Users must open the app to receive their trip rewards, which may lead to frustration for those expecting seamless, passive earning.

    • Brand Misalignment: Undermines the core brand promise of effortless, always-on mileage tracking.

Concept B: Auto-Trip Detection with Manual Miles Claim

Instead of tracking trips in real time, this approach involves storing trip data locally on the device and syncing it only when the app is opened. While efficient, it introduces trade-offs in user experience.

  • Benefits

    • Cost Efficiency: Reduces backend costs by eliminating constant geo-coordinate tracking in the background.

    • Transparency: Gives users clearer visibility into trip processing status upon app open.

    Challenges

    • Delayed Gratification: Users must open the app to receive their trip rewards, which may lead to frustration for those expecting seamless, passive earning.

    • Brand

Concept C: Daily Bonus Claim via Promo Code Model

This approach introduces daily bonus miles as an incentive for users to open the app regularly, leveraging familiar behaviors from promo-code campaigns.

  • Benefits

    • Daily Engagement Hook: Encourages users to check in regularly by offering something new each day.

    • Familiar Format: Builds on existing user behavior from prior promo code and reward systems, easing adoption.

    • Gamified Incentive: Creates a low-effort reward loop that boosts short-term engagement.

    Challenges

    • Overexposure Risk: Users may already be desensitized due to past promo-code saturation, reducing the novelty factor.

    • Shallow Engagement: Bonuses not tied to meaningful actions (like trips) may lead to unsustainable engagement.

    • Strategic Misalignment: Rewards without context dilute the app's core value of rewarding real-world mobility.

Why Concept B?

  • 70% of users preferred it due to minimal disruption

  • Boosted app opens significantly

  • Aligned with airline rewards model

What did we ship?

Claim Trips Experience

Introduced a seamless UI for users to manually claim miles for trips—reframing how rewards are earned and encouraging daily interaction.

Product Communication Enhancements

Clear in-app onboarding flows, tooltips, and contextual education to explain changes and boost adoption of new features.

Premium Benefits (Miles+)

Paid subscribers unlocked 3x faster mile redemptions, higher limits, exclusive offers, and an ad-free experience.

Trip Boosts

Users could selectively double their miles on long trips, giving them control and incentive over high-value actions.

A/B Testing (5% MAU)

45% more app opens with the new version vs. 2.47% for the control

Execution & Design Leadership

As a Staff Designer, I:

  • Led the redesign end-to-end.

  • Established design principles: minimalism, reward transparency, sustainable UX actions

  • Drove cross-functional rituals: daily standups, async critiques, QA alignment

  • Ensured scalability across geographies with better UX writing & translation

Go-to-Market Strategy

Collaborated with Growth and Marketing for:

  • Trip Onboarding: Proactive user communication and onboarding to help them understand the new value proposition.

  • PN, Email, and In-App Communications

  • Upgrade Pop-ups & Trip Boost Education

  • Miles+ Feature Comparison Screens

Impact

Happy Users

58.7% increase in Total App Opens

39.08% increase in Avg Sessions / Active User

Value of miles improved by 10x

What’s Next? V2 Improvements

  • Removed hard trip limits

  • Enhanced Miles+ perks to justify the upgrade

  • Improved onboarding with personalized education flow

  • Built new triggers for bonus eligibility tied to sustainable actions

Reflection

This initiative exemplifies design-led growth, balancing user trust, business goals, and delightful interactions. As a Design Leader, my role was not just to design interfaces but to craft scalable systems, coach teams, and embed design deeply into product strategy.

Key Skills Demonstrated

  • DesignOps

  • Growth UX Strategy

  • Cross-functional Stakeholder Management

  • System Thinking in Subscription Models