A Case Study on Redesigning the GUVI App | UX/UI + Product Strategy

Project Overview

The GUVI app redesign brought its outdated interface in line with the new 3.0 web design, added key features like rewards and referrals, and tackled a major roadblock: Play Store’s rigid pricing rules. By introducing a gamified Geekoins system, we enabled dynamic discounts, boosted engagement, and drove ₹70K in revenue and 100K+ new installs—all in just one month. A blend of sharp UX, smart strategy, and creative problem-solving made it happen.

Situation: A Style Mismatch and a Missing Wallet

GUVI’s website had received a much-needed facelift — say hello to GUVI 3.0! But the poor GUVI app? It was still stuck in GUVI 2.0 limbo — clunky, outdated, and quietly collecting digital dust. My product manager noticed this growing design disconnect and dropped the challenge:

“Let’s give the app the 3.0 glow-up, match the website, add all missing features and... figure out how to crack the code on discounted pricing — even with Play Store’s strict policies.”

Oh, and we had to increase installs, engagement, and revenue too. Easy? Not quite. But fun? Definitely.

Task: Redesign. Rethink. Revenue.

• Bring the app up to speed with GUVI 3.0’s design system

• Sync features between website and app (think: rewards, referral, Premium Pass)

• Boost app installs, reduce churn, and generate actual revenue

• Crack the most annoying issue: Google Play doesn’t let us offer dynamic, course-specific discounts for 500+ courses. We had to find a clever workaround — or go insane trying.

Action: From UX Audit to Gamified Genius

Step 1: Call in the UX detectives

We started with a deep UX audit — watching user session recordings on Clarity, jotting down frustrations, confusion points, and rage clicks.

Step 2: Competitive snooping (aka analysis)

We analyzed similar apps (Udemy, Coursera, etc.) and realized — they all stick to a flat price to dodge Play Store rules. But we wanted more flexibility. We didn’t want to become another Udemy clone.

Step 3: Strategic UX surgery

With user personas in mind, we redesigned:

Onboarding flow — clearer, cleaner, and 3x more engaging

Explore screen — spotlighted our hero product, the Premium Pass, right in the navbar

Course player — added smarter affordance so users naturally proceed to activities

Referral + Rewards — gamified engagement to drive installs

And the big one… The Shop.

Step 4: We played the system (like a game dev would)

The core challenge? Google Play blocks flexible discounts. The lightbulb moment? One dev asked:

“Wait… what if we use Geekoins to buy courses instead of showing rupees?”

Cue confetti. 🎉 We designed a shop where users buy Geekoins (like mobile games do) — and then use those coins to purchase courses. Result? We bypassed price-lock restrictions, maintained flexible discounts, and kept Google happy.

We placed this feature smartly:

• In onboarding (to set expectations)
• In nav and home (to boost discoverability)
• In course checkout (for seamless conversion)

Result: Numbers That Made Us Dance

One month post-launch:

💰 Revenue generated: ₹70,000 (Primarily via Premium Pass)

📈 Premium Pass CTR (navbar): 23.4%

📲 App Installs: +100K 📈

📉 Churn Rate: -5%

⏱️ Avg. engagement in course player: 28 mins

👀 App views per user: 10+

Bonus Round: What’s Next?

While we cracked the monetization code and polished the design, we still have places to level up:

• Fix bugs in the Assignments section
• Integrate CodeKata, WebKata, Debugging, and IDEs from the website into the app
• Design a AI personalized dashboard with streaks, progress tracking, and study reminders

Final Words

We didn’t just redesign an app. We reimagined it. We didn’t just play by the rules. We learned how to play around the rules — ethically, creatively, and strategically.

At the end of the day, I’m not just pushing pixels. I make pixels sell.