Riverside is a leading recording and content creation platform used by creators, businesses, and media teams worldwide. Through research and experimentation, we identified two major growth opportunities: improving homepage relevance through use-case personalization and reducing friction in the transcription onboarding flow. By helping users better understand the product's value and guiding them through key moments of the journey, we improved conversion performance across both acquisition and activation experiences.

Visit the live page →

Published:

Jun 2024

Industry:

Media Production SaaS

Project Type:

Product Design

My Role:

Product Designer

Scale:

100M+ recordings created

Business Impact:

+64% Sign up rate on Transcription

Book 15 minutes call

Hypothesis №1

Increase transcription adoption through clearer guidance and expectation management.

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Transcription Completion

Low Completion

Many users don't reach the moment where the transcript becomes available.

Workflow Guidance

Limited

Users struggle to understand the current processing stage and what happens next.

User Insights

"I wasn't sure if anything was happening."

User Interview, Podcast Creator

"I expected the transcript much sooner."

User Interview, First-time User

"I didn't know how much longer I had to wait."

User Interview, Video Creator

"I wasn't sure what would happen after uploading my file."

User Interview, Marketing Manager

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenges

Jan-Mar 2024

Users upload a file expecting a transcript within minutes. Between upload and the final result, they go through several waiting steps where uncertainty grows and the perceived product value is delayed.

Delayed Value

Users had to wait before experiencing the core benefit.

Limited Visibility

Progress and processing status were not always clear.

Weak Guidance

The workflow provided little context during waiting periods.

Drop-off Opportunity

Analytics showed users leaving before reaching the completed transcript.

Client Request

"We believe some of our most valuable features aren't reaching their full potential. We'd like to better understand where users drop off and how we can improve adoption."

drop off

Optimization Strategy

We redesigned the transcription journey to reduce uncertainty before users experienced the product's core value. By improving guidance, progress visibility, and expectation management, we transformed waiting time into an opportunity to educate users, build confidence, and increase activation.

Visibility

Make progress easy to understand.

Guidance

Explain each step before and during processing.

Confidence

Reduce uncertainty with clear status updates and feedback.

Activation

Highlight product benefits while users wait for results.

Concept Exploration

Several concepts explored ways to better communicate how AI transcription works while reducing uncertainty during processing. The focus was on improving product explanations, setting clear expectations, and making the workflow feel more transparent.

Understanding the User Journey

Mapped the end-to-end transcription journey to understand how users discover the feature, upload recordings, evaluate transcription quality, and decide to continue using the product. This helped identify opportunities to reduce friction, build trust, and increase activation and conversion.

Mapping the User Journey

1

Upload Recording

Curious

Users are unsure how accurate the transcription will be.

The upload experience should feel fast and effortless.

Encourage users to start their first transcription.

2

Understand Value

Engaged

Users don't always know which language or settings to choose.

Smart defaults reduce decision-making.

Help users begin transcription with confidence.

3

Processing Recording

Waiting

Waiting without feedback creates uncertainty.

Progress updates reassure users that work is happening.

Keep users engaged while transcription is processing.

4

Review Transcript

Impressed

Users immediately evaluate transcript quality.

The first result determines whether users trust the product.

Demonstrate speed and transcription accuracy.

5

Unlock Full Experience

Considering

Users need a compelling reason to upgrade.

Showing additional AI capabilities increases perceived value.

Convert satisfied users into paying customers.

6

Continue Creating

Relieved

Users need motivation to keep using the product.

A successful first experience builds long-term retention.

Encourage repeat usage and subscription.

Color System

Riverside combines neutral grayscale foundations with purple as the primary brand color, supported by blue and green accents for interactive elements and system feedback. The palette helps organize complex workflows while keeping the interface approachable.

#9671FF

Primary Brand Color

Used for primary actions, key highlights, and brand recognition throughout the experience.

#FFFFFF

Content Foundation

Provides clarity, readability, and breathing space across content-heavy sections.

#000102

Core Contrast

Used for typography, navigation, and structure to create strong visual hierarchy.

#DFFF84

Success Accent

Highlights positive outcomes, AI-powered capabilities, and key product benefits.

Typography

The product uses a scalable typography system with clear distinctions between headings, labels, and supporting text. Consistent spacing and readable type sizes make long workflows easier to navigate and understand.

Inter Bold

16 px

20 px

24 px

32 px

40 px

48 px

64 px

Design

The final experience introduced clearer benefit messaging, real-time processing feedback, richer visual states, and a more intuitive interface. Together, these improvements helped users better understand the product and stay engaged throughout the transcription process.

Final Solution

The redesigned transcription experience focused on reducing uncertainty and helping users reach value faster. Clear progress indicators, improved guidance, and better expectation management made the workflow easier to follow and more predictable. By increasing transparency throughout the journey, users were more likely to stay engaged and complete the transcription process.

Results

Aug-Sep 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Unclear Value

Limited Visibility

Weak Guidance

Drop-off Opportunity

CvR (A)

Version B

Transcription → Sign-up

+64% CvR

Sign-up → Activation

+18% CvR

Total Riverside Sign-ups

+6%

+64%Sign-ups

Hypothesis №2

Improve homepage relevance through personalized use-case communication.

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Plan Comparison

Low

Visitors struggle to identify whether Riverside is built for their specific workflow.

Use Case Clarity

Limited

Many visitors leave without understanding when and why they should use Riverside.

User Insights

"I'm not sure if Riverside is built for someone like me."

User Interview, Freelancer

"I couldn't immediately tell what makes Riverside different."

User Interview, New Visitor

"I wasn't sure when I would actually use Riverside."

User Interview, Agency Owner

"I wanted to know if Riverside would fit my workflow before committing."

User Interview, Content Creator

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Chalange

Jan-Mar 2024

Generic Messaging

Research showed that users struggled to identify how Riverside fit their specific workflow.

Broad Audience

The product served multiple audiences, but the experience communicated them in a generic way.

Unclear Use Cases

User interviews revealed uncertainty around when and why to use Riverside.

Low Relevance

Analytics suggested many visitors left before exploring features relevant to their needs.

Optimization Strategy

We focused on helping visitors quickly recognize themselves within the product experience. The strategy centered around clearer audience segmentation, stronger use-case communication, and more relevant product storytelling. By connecting features to real-world workflows, we aimed to make Riverside feel more relevant from the very first interaction.

Relevance

Connect users with their use case.

Clarity

Simplify product communication.

Context

Show real-world workflows.

Segmentation

Address different audience needs.

Concept Exploration

Multiple concepts explored how personalized hero content could instantly communicate the value of each Riverside product. Different visual directions focused on matching every selected use case with a dedicated illustration and supporting messaging.

Design

The final design combined contextual illustrations with clearer headlines and supporting copy, making each product's value immediately understandable. The improved visual hierarchy created a more engaging and personalized first impression.

Final Solution

The redesigned homepage helped visitors quickly recognize their use case and understand how Riverside could support their workflow. By combining audience-specific messaging, clearer product positioning, and stronger visual storytelling, the experience became more relevant and easier to navigate. This created a more personalized acquisition journey and improved homepage conversion performance.

Results

Jun-Jul 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Generic Messaging

Broad Audience

Unclear Use Cases

Low Relevance

CvR (A)

Version B

Homepage → CTA Click

+7% CvR

Product Exploration → Sign-up

+7% CvR

Homepage → Transaction

+6% CvR

CvR +6%

CleanMyMac is a well-known Mac optimization tool by MacPaw. My goal was to improve the landing experience and increase conversions by making the value clearer and the page easier to trust. The product was strong. The communication was not strong enough.

"This project reinforced that improving clarity, guidance, and trust across key user journeys can unlock significant business impact without changing the core product."

impact

Let’s Discuss

your Project!

Schedule a Consult

© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

Riverside is a leading recording and content creation platform used by creators, businesses, and media teams worldwide. Through research and experimentation, we identified two major growth opportunities: improving homepage relevance through use-case personalization and reducing friction in the transcription onboarding flow. By helping users better understand the product's value and guiding them through key moments of the journey, we improved conversion performance across both acquisition and activation experiences.

Visit the live page →

Book 15 minutes call

Published:

Jun 2024

Industry:

Media Production SaaS

Project Type:

Product Design

My Role:

Product Designer

Scale:

100M+ recordings created

Business Impact:

+64% Sign up rate on Transcription

Hypothesis №1

Increase transcription adoption through clearer guidance and expectation management.

Client Request

"We believe some of our most valuable features aren't reaching their full potential. We'd like to better understand where users drop off and how we can improve adoption."

drop off

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Transcription Completion

Low Completion

Many users don't reach the moment where the transcript becomes available.

Workflow Guidance

Limited

Users struggle to understand the current processing stage and what happens next.

User Insights

"I wasn't sure if anything was happening."

User Interview, Podcast Creator

"I expected the transcript much sooner."

User Interview, First-time User

"I didn't know how much longer I had to wait."

User Interview, Video Creator

"I wasn't sure what would happen after uploading my file."

User Interview, Marketing Manager

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenges

Jan-Mar 2024

Users upload a file expecting a transcript within minutes. Between upload and the final result, they go through several waiting steps where uncertainty grows and the perceived product value is delayed.

Delayed Value

Users had to wait before experiencing the core benefit.

Limited Visibility

Progress and processing status were not always clear.

Weak Guidance

The workflow provided little context during waiting periods.

Drop-off Opportunity

Analytics showed users leaving before reaching the completed transcript.

OptimizationStrategy

Visibility

Guidance

Confidence

Activation

Make progress easy to understand.

Explain each step before and during processing.

Reduce uncertainty with clear status updates and feedback.

Highlight product benefits while users wait for results.

We redesigned the transcription journey to reduce uncertainty before users experienced the product's core value. By improving guidance, progress visibility, and expectation management, we transformed waiting time into an opportunity to educate users, build confidence, and increase activation.

Concept Exploration

Several concepts explored ways to better communicate how AI transcription works while reducing uncertainty during processing. The focus was on improving product explanations, setting clear expectations, and making the workflow feel more transparent.

Understanding the User Journey

Mapped the end-to-end transcription journey to understand how users discover the feature, upload recordings, evaluate transcription quality, and decide to continue using the product. This helped identify opportunities to reduce friction, build trust, and increase activation and conversion.

Mapping the User Journey

1

Upload Recording

Curious

Pain

Users are unsure how accurate the transcription will be.

Insight

The upload experience should feel fast and effortless.

Goal

Encourage users to start their first transcription.

2

Understand Value

Engaged

Pain

Users don't always know which language or settings to choose.

Insight

Smart defaults reduce decision-making.

Goal

Help users begin transcription with confidence.

3

Processing Recording

Waiting

Pain

Waiting without feedback creates uncertainty.

Insight

Progress updates reassure users that work is happening.

Goal

Keep users engaged while transcription is processing.

4

Review Transcript

Impressed

Pain

Users immediately evaluate transcript quality.

Insight

The first result determines whether users trust the product.

Goal

Demonstrate speed and transcription accuracy.

5

Unlock Full Experience

Considering

Pain

Users need a compelling reason to upgrade.

Insight

Showing additional AI capabilities increases perceived value.

Goal

Convert satisfied users into paying customers.

6

Continue Creating

Relieved

Pain

Users need motivation to keep using the product.

Insight

A successful first experience builds long-term retention.

Goal

Encourage repeat usage and subscription.

#FFFFFF

Content Foundation

Provides clarity, readability, and breathing space across content-heavy sections.

#000102

Core Contrast

Used for typography, navigation, and structure to create strong visual hierarchy.

#DFFF84

Success Accent

Highlights positive outcomes, AI-powered capabilities, and key product benefits.

#9671FF

Primary Brand Color

Used for primary actions, key highlights, and brand recognition throughout the experience.

Typography

The product uses a scalable typography system with clear distinctions between headings, labels, and supporting text. Consistent spacing and readable type sizes make long workflows easier to navigate and understand.

Inter Bold

Color System

Riverside combines neutral grayscale foundations with purple as the primary brand color, supported by blue and green accents for interactive elements and system feedback. The palette helps organize complex workflows while keeping the interface approachable.

16 px

20 px

24 px

32 px

40 px

48 px

64 px

Design

The final experience introduced clearer benefit messaging, real-time processing feedback, richer visual states, and a more intuitive interface. Together, these improvements helped users better understand the product and stay engaged throughout the transcription process.

Final Solution

The redesigned transcription experience focused on reducing uncertainty and helping users reach value faster. Clear progress indicators, improved guidance, and better expectation management made the workflow easier to follow and more predictable. By increasing transparency throughout the journey, users were more likely to stay engaged and complete the transcription process.

Results

Aug-Sep 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Unclear Value

Limited Visibility

Weak Guidance

Drop-off Opportunity

CvR (A)

Version B

Transcription → Sign-up

+64% CvR

Sign-up → Activation

+18% CvR

Total Riverside Sign-ups

+6%

+64%Sign-ups

Hypothesis №2

Improve homepage relevance through personalized use-case communication.

Client Request

"We know Riverside creates value for many different audiences. The challenge is helping users quickly recognize where that value applies to them."

challenge

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Plan Comparison

Low

Visitors struggle to identify whether Riverside is built for their specific workflow.

Use Case Clarity

Limited

Many visitors leave without understanding when and why they should use Riverside.

User Insights

"I'm not sure if Riverside is built for someone like me."

User Interview, Freelancer

"I couldn't immediately tell what makes Riverside different."

User Interview, New Visitor

"I wasn't sure when I would actually use Riverside."

User Interview, Agency Owner

"I wanted to know if Riverside would fit my workflow before committing."

User Interview, Content Creator

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Chalange

Jan-Mar 2024

Generic Messaging

Research showed that users struggled to identify how Riverside fit their specific workflow.

Broad Audience

The product served multiple audiences, but the experience communicated them in a generic way.

Unclear Use Cases

User interviews revealed uncertainty around when and why to use Riverside.

Low Relevance

Analytics suggested many visitors left before exploring features relevant to their needs.

OptimizationStrategy

Relevance

Clarity

Context

Segmentation

Connect users with their use case.

Simplify product communication.

Show real-world workflows.

Address different audience needs.

We focused on helping visitors quickly recognize themselves within the product experience. The strategy centered around clearer audience segmentation, stronger use-case communication, and more relevant product storytelling. By connecting features to real-world workflows, we aimed to make Riverside feel more relevant from the very first interaction.

Concept Exploration

Multiple concepts explored how personalized hero content could instantly communicate the value of each Riverside product. Different visual directions focused on matching every selected use case with a dedicated illustration and supporting messaging.

Design

The final design combined contextual illustrations with clearer headlines and supporting copy, making each product's value immediately understandable. The improved visual hierarchy created a more engaging and personalized first impression.

Final Solution

The redesigned homepage helped visitors quickly recognize their use case and understand how Riverside could support their workflow. By combining audience-specific messaging, clearer product positioning, and stronger visual storytelling, the experience became more relevant and easier to navigate. This created a more personalized acquisition journey and improved homepage conversion performance.

Results

Jun-Jul 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Generic Messaging

Broad Audience

Unclear Use Cases

Low Relevance

CvR (A)

Version B

Homepage → CTA Click

+7% CvR

Product Exploration → Sign-up

+7% CvR

Homepage → Transaction

+6% CvR

CvR +6%

"This project reinforced that improving clarity, guidance, and trust across key user journeys can unlock significant business impact without changing the core product."

impact

This project demonstrated how small improvements throughout a critical user journey can create measurable business impact. By reducing uncertainty, improving guidance, and helping users reach value faster, the redesigned experience increased activation while maintaining a simple and intuitive workflow.

Let’s Discuss your Project!

Schedule a Consult

© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

Kyrylo Buriak

Riverside is a leading recording and content creation platform used by creators, businesses, and media teams worldwide. Through research and experimentation, we identified two major growth opportunities: improving homepage relevance through use-case personalization and reducing friction in the transcription onboarding flow. By helping users better understand the product's value and guiding them through key moments of the journey, we improved conversion performance across both acquisition and activation experiences.

Visit the live page →

Published:

Jun 2024

Industry:

Media Production SaaS

Project Type:

Product Design

My Role:

Product Designer

Scale:

100M+ recordings created

Business Impact:

+64% Sign up rate on Transcription

Book 15 minutes call

Hypothesis №1

Increase transcription adoption through clearer guidance and expectation management.

Client Request

"We believe some of our most valuable features aren't reaching their full potential. We'd like to better understand where users drop off and how we can improve adoption."

drop off

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Transcription Completion

Low Completion

Many users don't reach the moment where the transcript becomes available.

Workflow Guidance

Limited

Users struggle to understand the current processing stage and what happens next.

User Insights

"I wasn't sure if anything was happening."

User Interview, Podcast Creator

"I expected the transcript much sooner."

User Interview, First-time User

"I didn't know how much longer I had to wait."

User Interview, Video Creator

"I wasn't sure what would happen after uploading my file."

User Interview, Marketing Manager

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenges

Jan-Mar 2024

Users upload a file expecting a transcript within minutes. Between upload and the final result, they go through several waiting steps where uncertainty grows and the perceived product value is delayed.

Delayed Value

Users had to wait before experiencing the core benefit.

Limited Visibility

Progress and processing status were not always clear.

Weak Guidance

The workflow provided little context during waiting periods.

Drop-off Opportunity

Analytics showed users leaving before reaching the completed transcript.

OptimizationStrategy

Visibility

Guidance

Confidence

Activation

Make progress easy to understand.

Explain each step before and during processing.

Reduce uncertainty with clear status updates and feedback.

Highlight product benefits while users wait for results.

We redesigned the transcription journey to reduce uncertainty before users experienced the product's core value. By improving guidance, progress visibility, and expectation management, we transformed waiting time into an opportunity to educate users, build confidence, and increase activation.

Concept Exploration

Several concepts explored ways to better communicate how AI transcription works while reducing uncertainty during processing. The focus was on improving product explanations, setting clear expectations, and making the workflow feel more transparent.

Understanding the User Journey

Mapped the end-to-end transcription journey to understand how users discover the feature, upload recordings, evaluate transcription quality, and decide to continue using the product. This helped identify opportunities to reduce friction, build trust, and increase activation and conversion.

Mapping the User Journey

1

Upload Recording

Curious

Pain

Users are unsure how accurate the transcription will be.

Insight

The upload experience should feel fast and effortless.

Goal

Encourage users to start their first transcription.

2

Understand Value

Engaged

Pain

Users don't always know which language or settings to choose.

Insight

Smart defaults reduce decision-making.

Goal

Help users begin transcription with confidence.

3

Processing Recording

Waiting

Pain

Waiting without feedback creates uncertainty.

Insight

Progress updates reassure users that work is happening.

Goal

Keep users engaged while transcription is processing.

4

Review Transcript

Impressed

Pain

Users immediately evaluate transcript quality.

Insight

The first result determines whether users trust the product.

Goal

Demonstrate speed and transcription accuracy.

5

Unlock Full Experience

Considering

Pain

Users need a compelling reason to upgrade.

Insight

Showing additional AI capabilities increases perceived value.

Goal

Convert satisfied users into paying customers.

6

Continue Creating

Relieved

Pain

Users need motivation to keep using the product.

Insight

A successful first experience builds long-term retention.

Goal

Encourage repeat usage and subscription.

#FFFFFF

Content Foundation

Provides clarity, readability, and breathing space across content-heavy sections.

#000102

Core Contrast

Used for typography, navigation, and structure to create strong visual hierarchy.

#DFFF84

Success Accent

Highlights positive outcomes, AI-powered capabilities, and key product benefits.

#9671FF

Primary Brand Color

Used for primary actions, key highlights, and brand recognition throughout the experience.

Typography

The product uses a scalable typography system with clear distinctions between headings, labels, and supporting text. Consistent spacing and readable type sizes make long workflows easier to navigate and understand.

Inter Bold

Color System

Riverside combines neutral grayscale foundations with purple as the primary brand color, supported by blue and green accents for interactive elements and system feedback. The palette helps organize complex workflows while keeping the interface approachable.

16 px

20 px

24 px

32 px

40 px

48 px

64 px

Design

The final experience introduced clearer benefit messaging, real-time processing feedback, richer visual states, and a more intuitive interface. Together, these improvements helped users better understand the product and stay engaged throughout the transcription process.

Final Solution

The redesigned transcription experience focused on reducing uncertainty and helping users reach value faster. Clear progress indicators, improved guidance, and better expectation management made the workflow easier to follow and more predictable. By increasing transparency throughout the journey, users were more likely to stay engaged and complete the transcription process.

Results

Aug-Sep 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Unclear Value

Limited Visibility

Weak Guidance

Drop-off Opportunity

CvR (A)

Version B

Transcription → Sign-up

+64% CvR

Sign-up → Activation

+18% CvR

Total Riverside Sign-ups

+6%

+64%Sign-ups

Hypothesis №2

Improve homepage relevance through personalized use-case communication.

Client Request

"We know Riverside creates value for many different audiences. The challenge is helping users quickly recognize where that value applies to them."

challenge

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Plan Comparison

Low

Visitors struggle to identify whether Riverside is built for their specific workflow.

Use Case Clarity

Limited

Many visitors leave without understanding when and why they should use Riverside.

User Insights

"I'm not sure if Riverside is built for someone like me."

User Interview, Freelancer

"I couldn't immediately tell what makes Riverside different."

User Interview, New Visitor

"I wasn't sure when I would actually use Riverside."

User Interview, Agency Owner

"I wanted to know if Riverside would fit my workflow before committing."

User Interview, Content Creator

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Chalange

Jan-Mar 2024

Generic Messaging

Research showed that users struggled to identify how Riverside fit their specific workflow.

Broad Audience

The product served multiple audiences, but the experience communicated them in a generic way.

Unclear Use Cases

User interviews revealed uncertainty around when and why to use Riverside.

Low Relevance

Analytics suggested many visitors left before exploring features relevant to their needs.

OptimizationStrategy

Relevance

Clarity

Context

Segmentation

Connect users with their use case.

Simplify product communication.

Show real-world workflows.

Address different audience needs.

We focused on helping visitors quickly recognize themselves within the product experience. The strategy centered around clearer audience segmentation, stronger use-case communication, and more relevant product storytelling. By connecting features to real-world workflows, we aimed to make Riverside feel more relevant from the very first interaction.

Concept Exploration

Multiple concepts explored how personalized hero content could instantly communicate the value of each Riverside product. Different visual directions focused on matching every selected use case with a dedicated illustration and supporting messaging.

Design

The final design combined contextual illustrations with clearer headlines and supporting copy, making each product's value immediately understandable. The improved visual hierarchy created a more engaging and personalized first impression.

Final Solution

The redesigned homepage helped visitors quickly recognize their use case and understand how Riverside could support their workflow. By combining audience-specific messaging, clearer product positioning, and stronger visual storytelling, the experience became more relevant and easier to navigate. This created a more personalized acquisition journey and improved homepage conversion performance.

Results

Jun-Jul 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Generic Messaging

Broad Audience

Unclear Use Cases

Low Relevance

CvR (A)

Version B

Homepage → CTA Click

+7% CvR

Product Exploration → Sign-up

+7% CvR

Homepage → Transaction

+6% CvR

CvR +6%

"This project reinforced that improving clarity, guidance, and trust across key user journeys can unlock significant business impact without changing the core product."

impact

This project demonstrated how small improvements throughout a critical user journey can create measurable business impact. By reducing uncertainty, improving guidance, and helping users reach value faster, the redesigned experience increased activation while maintaining a simple and intuitive workflow.

Let’s Discuss your Project!

Schedule a Consult

© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

Kyrylo Buriak

Riverside is a leading recording and content creation platform used by creators, businesses, and media teams worldwide. Through research and experimentation, we identified two major growth opportunities: improving homepage relevance through use-case personalization and reducing friction in the transcription onboarding flow. By helping users better understand the product's value and guiding them through key moments of the journey, we improved conversion performance across both acquisition and activation experiences.

Visit the live page →

Published:

Jun 2024

Industry:

Media Production SaaS

Project Type:

Product Design

My Role:

Product Designer

Scale:

100M+ recordings created

Business Impact:

+64% Sign up rate on Transcription

Book 15 minutes call

Hypothesis №1

Increase transcription adoption through clearer guidance and expectation management.

Client Request

"We believe some of our most valuable features aren't reaching their full potential. We'd like to better understand where users drop off and how we can improve adoption."

drop off

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Transcription Completion

Low Completion

Many users don't reach the moment where the transcript becomes available.

Workflow Guidance

Limited

Users struggle to understand the current processing stage and what happens next.

User Insights

"I wasn't sure if anything was happening."

User Interview, Podcast Creator

"I expected the transcript much sooner."

User Interview, First-time User

"I didn't know how much longer I had to wait."

User Interview, Video Creator

"I wasn't sure what would happen after uploading my file."

User Interview, Marketing Manager

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenges

Jan-Mar 2024

Users upload a file expecting a transcript within minutes. Between upload and the final result, they go through several waiting steps where uncertainty grows and the perceived product value is delayed.

Delayed Value

Users had to wait before experiencing the core benefit.

Limited Visibility

Progress and processing status were not always clear.

Weak Guidance

The workflow provided little context during waiting periods.

Drop-off Opportunity

Analytics showed users leaving before reaching the completed transcript.

OptimizationStrategy

Visibility

Guidance

Confidence

Activation

Show real-time progress throughout the transcription process.

Explain each step before and during processing.

Reduce uncertainty with clear status updates and feedback.

Highlight product benefits while users wait for results.

We redesigned the transcription journey to reduce uncertainty before users experienced the product's core value. By improving guidance, progress visibility, and expectation management, we transformed waiting time into an opportunity to educate users, build confidence, and increase activation.

Concept Exploration

Several concepts explored ways to better communicate how AI transcription works while reducing uncertainty during processing. The focus was on improving product explanations, setting clear expectations, and making the workflow feel more transparent.

Understanding the User Journey

Mapped the end-to-end transcription journey to understand how users discover the feature, upload recordings, evaluate transcription quality, and decide to continue using the product. This helped identify opportunities to reduce friction, build trust, and increase activation and conversion.

Mapping the User Journey

1

Upload Recording

Curious

Pain

Users are unsure how accurate the transcription will be.

Insight

The upload experience should feel fast and effortless.

Goal

Encourage users to start their first transcription.

2

Understand Value

Engaged

Pain

Users don't always know which language or settings to choose.

Insight

Smart defaults reduce decision-making.

Goal

Help users begin transcription with confidence.

3

Processing Recording

Waiting

Pain

Waiting without feedback creates uncertainty.

Insight

Progress updates reassure users that work is happening.

Goal

Keep users engaged while transcription is processing.

4

Review Transcript

Impressed

Pain

Users immediately evaluate transcript quality.

Insight

The first result determines whether users trust the product.

Goal

Demonstrate speed and transcription accuracy.

5

Unlock Full Experience

Considering

Pain

Users need a compelling reason to upgrade.

Insight

Showing additional AI capabilities increases perceived value.

Goal

Convert satisfied users into paying customers.

6

Continue Creating

Relieved

Pain

Users need motivation to keep using the product.

Insight

A successful first experience builds long-term retention.

Goal

Encourage repeat usage and subscription.

#FFFFFF

Content Foundation

Provides clarity, readability, and breathing space across content-heavy sections.

#000102

Core Contrast

Used for typography, navigation, and structure to create strong visual hierarchy.

#DFFF84

Success Accent

Highlights positive outcomes, AI-powered capabilities, and key product benefits.

#9671FF

Primary Brand Color

Used for primary actions, key highlights, and brand recognition throughout the experience.

Typography

The product uses a scalable typography system with clear distinctions between headings, labels, and supporting text. Consistent spacing and readable type sizes make long workflows easier to navigate and understand.

Inter Bold

Color System

Riverside combines neutral grayscale foundations with purple as the primary brand color, supported by blue and green accents for interactive elements and system feedback. The palette helps organize complex workflows while keeping the interface approachable.

16 px

20 px

24 px

32 px

40 px

48 px

64 px

Design

The final experience introduced clearer benefit messaging, real-time processing feedback, richer visual states, and a more intuitive interface. Together, these improvements helped users better understand the product and stay engaged throughout the transcription process.

Final Solution

The redesigned transcription experience focused on reducing uncertainty and helping users reach value faster. Clear progress indicators, improved guidance, and better expectation management made the workflow easier to follow and more predictable. By increasing transparency throughout the journey, users were more likely to stay engaged and complete the transcription process.

Results

Aug-Sep 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Unclear Value

Limited Visibility

Weak Guidance

Drop-off Opportunity

CvR (A)

Version B

Transcription → Sign-up

+64% CvR

Sign-up → Activation

+18% CvR

Total Riverside Sign-ups

+6%

+64%Sign-ups

Hypothesis №2

Improve homepage relevance through personalized use-case communication.

Client Request

"We know Riverside creates value for many different audiences. The challenge is helping users quickly recognize where that value applies to them."

challenge

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Plan Comparison

Low

Visitors struggle to identify whether Riverside is built for their specific workflow.

Use Case Clarity

Limited

Many visitors leave without understanding when and why they should use Riverside.

User Insights

"I'm not sure if Riverside is built for someone like me."

User Interview, Freelancer

"I couldn't immediately tell what makes Riverside different."

User Interview, New Visitor

"I wasn't sure when I would actually use Riverside."

User Interview, Agency Owner

"I wanted to know if Riverside would fit my workflow before committing."

User Interview, Content Creator

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenge

Jan-Mar 2024

Generic Messaging

Research showed that users struggled to identify how Riverside fit their specific workflow.

Broad Audience

The product served multiple audiences, but the experience communicated them in a generic way.

Unclear Use Cases

User interviews revealed uncertainty around when and why to use Riverside.

Low Relevance

Analytics suggested many visitors left before exploring features relevant to their needs.

OptimizationStrategy

Relevance

Clarity

Context

Segmentation

Connect users with their use case.

Simplify product communication.

Show real-world workflows.

Address different audience needs.

We focused on helping visitors quickly recognize themselves within the product experience. The strategy centered around clearer audience segmentation, stronger use-case communication, and more relevant product storytelling. By connecting features to real-world workflows, we aimed to make Riverside feel more relevant from the very first interaction.

Concept Exploration

Multiple concepts explored how personalized hero content could instantly communicate the value of each Riverside product. Different visual directions focused on matching every selected use case with a dedicated illustration and supporting messaging.

Design

The final design combined contextual illustrations with clearer headlines and supporting copy, making each product's value immediately understandable. The improved visual hierarchy created a more engaging and personalized first impression.

Final Solution

The redesigned homepage helped visitors quickly recognize their use case and understand how Riverside could support their workflow. By combining audience-specific messaging, clearer product positioning, and stronger visual storytelling, the experience became more relevant and easier to navigate. This created a more personalized acquisition journey and improved homepage conversion performance.

Results

Jun-Jul 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Generic Messaging

Broad Audience

Unclear Use Cases

Low Relevance

CvR (A)

Version B

Homepage → CTA Click

+7% CvR

Product Exploration → Sign-up

+7% CvR

Homepage → Transaction

+6% CvR

CvR +6%

"This project reinforced that improving clarity, guidance, and trust across key user journeys can unlock significant business impact without changing the core product."

impact

This project demonstrated how small improvements throughout a critical user journey can create measurable business impact. By reducing uncertainty, improving guidance, and helping users reach value faster, the redesigned experience increased activation while maintaining a simple and intuitive workflow.

Let’s Discuss your Project!

Schedule a Consult

© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

Kyrylo Buriak

Riverside is a leading recording and content creation platform used by creators, businesses, and media teams worldwide. Through research and experimentation, we identified two major growth opportunities: improving homepage relevance through use-case personalization and reducing friction in the transcription onboarding flow. By helping users better understand the product's value and guiding them through key moments of the journey, we improved conversion performance across both acquisition and activation experiences.

Visit the live page →

Published:

Jun 2024

Industry:

Media Production SaaS

Project Type:

Product Design

My Role:

Product Designer

Scale:

100M+ recordings created

Business Impact:

+6% Transcription Activation Rate

Book 15 minutes call

Hypothesis №1

Increase transcription adoption through clearer guidance and expectation management.

Client Request

"We believe some of our most valuable features aren't reaching their full potential. We'd like to better understand where users drop off and how we can improve adoption."

drop off

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Transcription Completion

Low Completion

Many users don't reach the moment where the transcript becomes available.

Workflow Guidance

Limited

Users struggle to understand the current processing stage and what happens next.

User Insights

"I wasn't sure if anything was happening."

User Interview, Podcast Creator

"I expected the transcript much sooner."

User Interview, First-time User

"I didn't know how much longer I had to wait."

User Interview, Video Creator

"I wasn't sure what would happen after uploading my file."

User Interview, Marketing Manager

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenges

Jan-Mar 2024

Users upload a file expecting a transcript within minutes. Between upload and the final result, they go through several waiting steps where uncertainty grows and the perceived product value is delayed.

Delayed Value

Users had to wait before experiencing the core benefit.

Limited Visibility

Progress and processing status were not always clear.

Weak Guidance

The workflow provided little context during waiting periods.

Drop-off Opportunity

Analytics showed users leaving before reaching the completed transcript.

OptimizationStrategy

Visibility

Guidance

Confidence

Activation

Make progress easy to understand.

Explain each step before and during processing.

Reduce uncertainty with clear status updates and feedback.

Highlight product benefits while users wait for results.

We redesigned the transcription journey to reduce uncertainty before users experienced the product's core value. By improving guidance, progress visibility, and expectation management, we transformed waiting time into an opportunity to educate users, build confidence, and increase activation.

Concept Exploration

Several concepts explored ways to better communicate how AI transcription works while reducing uncertainty during processing. The focus was on improving product explanations, setting clear expectations, and making the workflow feel more transparent.

Understanding the User Journey

Mapped the end-to-end transcription journey to understand how users discover the feature, upload recordings, evaluate transcription quality, and decide to continue using the product. This helped identify opportunities to reduce friction, build trust, and increase activation and conversion.

Mapping the User Journey

1

Upload Recording

Curious

Pain

Users are unsure how accurate the transcription will be.

Insight

The upload experience should feel fast and effortless.

Goal

Encourage users to start their first transcription.

2

Understand Value

Engaged

Pain

Users don't always know which language or settings to choose.

Insight

Smart defaults reduce decision-making.

Goal

Help users begin transcription with confidence.

3

Processing Recording

Waiting

Pain

Waiting without feedback creates uncertainty.

Insight

Progress updates reassure users that work is happening.

Goal

Keep users engaged while transcription is processing.

4

Review Transcript

Impressed

Pain

Users immediately evaluate transcript quality.

Insight

The first result determines whether users trust the product.

Goal

Demonstrate speed and transcription accuracy.

5

Unlock Full Experience

Considering

Pain

Users need a compelling reason to upgrade.

Insight

Showing additional AI capabilities increases perceived value.

Goal

Convert satisfied users into paying customers.

6

Continue Creating

Relieved

Pain

Users need motivation to keep using the product.

Insight

A successful first experience builds long-term retention.

Goal

Encourage repeat usage and subscription.

#FFFFFF

Content Foundation

Provides clarity, readability, and breathing space across content-heavy sections.

#000102

Core Contrast

Used for typography, navigation, and structure to create strong visual hierarchy.

#DFFF84

Success Accent

Highlights positive outcomes, AI-powered capabilities, and key product benefits.

#9671FF

Primary Brand Color

Used for primary actions, key highlights, and brand recognition throughout the experience.

Typography

The product uses a scalable typography system with clear distinctions between headings, labels, and supporting text. Consistent spacing and readable type sizes make long workflows easier to navigate and understand.

Inter Bold

Color System

Riverside combines neutral grayscale foundations with purple as the primary brand color, supported by blue and green accents for interactive elements and system feedback. The palette helps organize complex workflows while keeping the interface approachable.

16 px

20 px

24 px

32 px

40 px

48 px

64 px

Design

The final experience introduced clearer benefit messaging, real-time processing feedback, richer visual states, and a more intuitive interface. Together, these improvements helped users better understand the product and stay engaged throughout the transcription process.

Final Solution

The redesigned transcription experience focused on reducing uncertainty and helping users reach value faster. Clear progress indicators, improved guidance, and better expectation management made the workflow easier to follow and more predictable. By increasing transparency throughout the journey, users were more likely to stay engaged and complete the transcription process.

Results

Aug-Sep 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Unclear Value

Limited Visibility

Weak Guidance

Drop-off Opportunity

CvR (A)

Version B

Transcription → Sign-up

+64% CvR

Sign-up → Activation

+18% CvR

Total Riverside Sign-ups

+6%

+64%Sign-ups

Hypothesis №2

Improve homepage relevance through personalized use-case communication.

Client Request

"We know Riverside creates value for many different audiences. The challenge is helping users quickly recognize where that value applies to them."

challenge

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Plan Comparison

Low

Visitors struggle to identify whether Riverside is built for their specific workflow.

Use Case Clarity

Limited

Many visitors leave without understanding when and why they should use Riverside.

User Insights

"I'm not sure if Riverside is built for someone like me."

User Interview, Freelancer

"I couldn't immediately tell what makes Riverside different."

User Interview, New Visitor

"I wasn't sure when I would actually use Riverside."

User Interview, Agency Owner

"I wanted to know if Riverside would fit my workflow before committing."

User Interview, Content Creator

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Chalange

Jan-Mar 2024

Generic Messaging

Research showed that users struggled to identify how Riverside fit their specific workflow.

Broad Audience

The product served multiple audiences, but the experience communicated them in a generic way.

Unclear Use Cases

User interviews revealed uncertainty around when and why to use Riverside.

Low Relevance

Analytics suggested many visitors left before exploring features relevant to their needs.

OptimizationStrategy

Relevance

Clarity

Context

Segmentation

Connect users with their use case.

Simplify product communication.

Show real-world workflows.

Address different audience needs.

We focused on helping visitors quickly recognize themselves within the product experience. The strategy centered around clearer audience segmentation, stronger use-case communication, and more relevant product storytelling. By connecting features to real-world workflows, we aimed to make Riverside feel more relevant from the very first interaction.

Concept Exploration

Multiple concepts explored how personalized hero content could instantly communicate the value of each Riverside product. Different visual directions focused on matching every selected use case with a dedicated illustration and supporting messaging.

Design

The final design combined contextual illustrations with clearer headlines and supporting copy, making each product's value immediately understandable. The improved visual hierarchy created a more engaging and personalized first impression.

Final Solution

The redesigned homepage helped visitors quickly recognize their use case and understand how Riverside could support their workflow. By combining audience-specific messaging, clearer product positioning, and stronger visual storytelling, the experience became more relevant and easier to navigate. This created a more personalized acquisition journey and improved homepage conversion performance.

Results

Jun-Jul 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Generic Messaging

Broad Audience

Unclear Use Cases

Low Relevance

CvR (A)

Version B

Homepage → CTA Click

+7% CvR

Product Exploration → Sign-up

+7% CvR

Homepage → Transaction

+6% CvR

CvR +6%

"This project reinforced that improving clarity, guidance, and trust across key user journeys can unlock significant business impact without changing the core product."

impact

This project demonstrated how small improvements throughout a critical user journey can create measurable business impact. By reducing uncertainty, improving guidance, and helping users reach value faster, the redesigned experience increased activation while maintaining a simple and intuitive workflow.

Let’s Discuss your Project!

Schedule a Consult

© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

Kyrylo Buriak

Riverside is a leading recording and content creation platform used by creators, businesses, and media teams worldwide. Through research and experimentation, we identified two major growth opportunities: improving homepage relevance through use-case personalization and reducing friction in the transcription onboarding flow. By helping users better understand the product's value and guiding them through key moments of the journey, we improved conversion performance across both acquisition and activation experiences.

Visit the live page →

Published:

Jun 2024

Industry:

Media Production SaaS

Project Type:

Product Design

My Role:

Product Designer

Scale:

100M+ recordings created

Business Impact:

+64% Sign up rate on Transcription

Book 15 minutes call

Hypothesis №1

Increase transcription adoption through clearer guidance and expectation management.

Client Request

"We believe some of our most valuable features aren't reaching their full potential. We'd like to better understand where users drop off and how we can improve adoption."

drop off

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Transcription Completion

Low Completion

Many users don't reach the moment where the transcript becomes available.

Workflow Guidance

Limited

Users struggle to understand the current processing stage and what happens next.

User Insights

"I wasn't sure if anything was happening."

User Interview, Podcast Creator

"I expected the transcript much sooner."

User Interview, First-time User

"I didn't know how much longer I had to wait."

User Interview, Video Creator

"I wasn't sure what would happen after uploading my file."

User Interview, Marketing Manager

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Challenges

Jan-Mar 2024

Users upload a file expecting a transcript within minutes. Between upload and the final result, they go through several waiting steps where uncertainty grows and the perceived product value is delayed.

Delayed Value

Users had to wait before experiencing the core benefit.

Limited Visibility

Progress and processing status were not always clear.

Weak Guidance

The workflow provided little context during waiting periods.

Drop-off Opportunity

Analytics showed users leaving before reaching the completed transcript.

OptimizationStrategy

Visibility

Guidance

Confidence

Activation

Make progress easy to understand.

Explain each step before and during processing.

Reduce uncertainty with clear status updates and feedback.

Highlight product benefits while users wait for results.

We redesigned the transcription journey to reduce uncertainty before users experienced the product's core value. By improving guidance, progress visibility, and expectation management, we transformed waiting time into an opportunity to educate users, build confidence, and increase activation.

Concept Exploration

Several concepts explored ways to better communicate how AI transcription works while reducing uncertainty during processing. The focus was on improving product explanations, setting clear expectations, and making the workflow feel more transparent.

Understanding the User Journey

Mapped the end-to-end transcription journey to understand how users discover the feature, upload recordings, evaluate transcription quality, and decide to continue using the product. This helped identify opportunities to reduce friction, build trust, and increase activation and conversion.

Mapping the User Journey

1

Upload Recording

Curious

Pain

Users are unsure how accurate the transcription will be.

Insight

The upload experience should feel fast and effortless.

Goal

Encourage users to start their first transcription.

2

Understand Value

Engaged

Pain

Users don't always know which language or settings to choose.

Insight

Smart defaults reduce decision-making.

Goal

Help users begin transcription with confidence.

3

Processing Recording

Waiting

Pain

Waiting without feedback creates uncertainty.

Insight

Progress updates reassure users that work is happening.

Goal

Keep users engaged while transcription is processing.

4

Review Transcript

Impressed

Pain

Users immediately evaluate transcript quality.

Insight

The first result determines whether users trust the product.

Goal

Demonstrate speed and transcription accuracy.

5

Unlock Full Experience

Considering

Pain

Users need a compelling reason to upgrade.

Insight

Showing additional AI capabilities increases perceived value.

Goal

Convert satisfied users into paying customers.

6

Continue Creating

Relieved

Pain

Users need motivation to keep using the product.

Insight

A successful first experience builds long-term retention.

Goal

Encourage repeat usage and subscription.

#FFFFFF

Content Foundation

Provides clarity, readability, and breathing space across content-heavy sections.

#000102

Core Contrast

Used for typography, navigation, and structure to create strong visual hierarchy.

#DFFF84

Success Accent

Highlights positive outcomes, AI-powered capabilities, and key product benefits.

#9671FF

Primary Brand Color

Used for primary actions, key highlights, and brand recognition throughout the experience.

Typography

The product uses a scalable typography system with clear distinctions between headings, labels, and supporting text. Consistent spacing and readable type sizes make long workflows easier to navigate and understand.

Inter Bold

Color System

Riverside combines neutral grayscale foundations with purple as the primary brand color, supported by blue and green accents for interactive elements and system feedback. The palette helps organize complex workflows while keeping the interface approachable.

16 px

20 px

24 px

32 px

40 px

48 px

64 px

Design

The final experience introduced clearer benefit messaging, real-time processing feedback, richer visual states, and a more intuitive interface. Together, these improvements helped users better understand the product and stay engaged throughout the transcription process.

Final Solution

The redesigned transcription experience focused on reducing uncertainty and helping users reach value faster. Clear progress indicators, improved guidance, and better expectation management made the workflow easier to follow and more predictable. By increasing transparency throughout the journey, users were more likely to stay engaged and complete the transcription process.

Results

Aug-Sep 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Unclear Value

Limited Visibility

Weak Guidance

Drop-off Opportunity

CvR (A)

Version B

Transcription → Sign-up

+64% CvR

Sign-up → Activation

+18% CvR

Total Riverside Sign-ups

+6%

+64%Sign-ups

Hypothesis №2

Improve homepage relevance through personalized use-case communication.

Client Request

"We know Riverside creates value for many different audiences. The challenge is helping users quickly recognize where that value applies to them."

challenge

Research Insights

Data Highlights

Plan Comparison

Low

Visitors struggle to identify whether Riverside is built for their specific workflow.

Use Case Clarity

Limited

Many visitors leave without understanding when and why they should use Riverside.

User Insights

"I'm not sure if Riverside is built for someone like me."

User Interview, Freelancer

"I couldn't immediately tell what makes Riverside different."

User Interview, New Visitor

"I wasn't sure when I would actually use Riverside."

User Interview, Agency Owner

"I wanted to know if Riverside would fit my workflow before committing."

User Interview, Content Creator

ⓘ Charts illustrate relative user behavior trends rather than actual product metrics.

Existing version A

Chalange

Jan-Mar 2024

Generic Messaging

Research showed that users struggled to identify how Riverside fit their specific workflow.

Broad Audience

The product served multiple audiences, but the experience communicated them in a generic way.

Unclear Use Cases

User interviews revealed uncertainty around when and why to use Riverside.

Low Relevance

Analytics suggested many visitors left before exploring features relevant to their needs.

OptimizationStrategy

Relevance

Clarity

Context

Segmentation

Connect users with their use case.

Simplify product communication.

Show real-world workflows.

Address different audience needs.

We focused on helping visitors quickly recognize themselves within the product experience. The strategy centered around clearer audience segmentation, stronger use-case communication, and more relevant product storytelling. By connecting features to real-world workflows, we aimed to make Riverside feel more relevant from the very first interaction.

Concept Exploration

Multiple concepts explored how personalized hero content could instantly communicate the value of each Riverside product. Different visual directions focused on matching every selected use case with a dedicated illustration and supporting messaging.

Design

The final design combined contextual illustrations with clearer headlines and supporting copy, making each product's value immediately understandable. The improved visual hierarchy created a more engaging and personalized first impression.

Final Solution

The redesigned homepage helped visitors quickly recognize their use case and understand how Riverside could support their workflow. By combining audience-specific messaging, clearer product positioning, and stronger visual storytelling, the experience became more relevant and easier to navigate. This created a more personalized acquisition journey and improved homepage conversion performance.

Results

Jun-Jul 2024

Version A

Challenges:

Generic Messaging

Broad Audience

Unclear Use Cases

Low Relevance

CvR (A)

Version B

Homepage → CTA Click

+7% CvR

Product Exploration → Sign-up

+7% CvR

Homepage → Transaction

+6% CvR

CvR +6%

"This project reinforced that improving clarity, guidance, and trust across key user journeys can unlock significant business impact without changing the core product."

impact

This project demonstrated how small improvements throughout a critical user journey can create measurable business impact. By reducing uncertainty, improving guidance, and helping users reach value faster, the redesigned experience increased activation while maintaining a simple and intuitive workflow.

Let’s Discuss your Project!

Schedule a Consult

© Copyright 2022, All Rights Reserved

Kyrylo Buriak