USER EXPERIENCE
AUTOCAD 360 PAYWALL CHANGE
Company:
Autodesk
Product:
AutoCAD 360 Mobile
Year:
2016
My Roles:
User Experience, Interaction Design, Wireframing, Information Architecture, Microcopy
The Challenge:
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The entire company was moving to a SaaS subscription model. This meant we had the difficult job of communicating to our free customers that they will no longer be able to use the variety of tools that were available to them, and to our one-time paying customers that in order to keep using the tools they’re accustomed to, they will have to pay a monthly fee.
The app was mapped out for where UI or feature changes will occur
and what needed to be communicated to the user at each point
Process:
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Based on our familiarity with the users and their needs, we iterated on the product’s subscription-only feature list, and discussed what would make sense for our free users to keep, and what would be extremely difficult to take away. There was an adjustment period for each type of user, depending on their usage, so for example, a paying user would get 90 free days of subscription, in order not to disrupt their workflow and not to cause antagonism.
The aim was to strike a balance between making the value proposition of the subscription clear to the user, while not being too pushy or intrusive, and help users make the transition to one of the new plans with minimal negative emotions.
Default view of free tools only. "Sneak Peek" showed subscription only tools.
Subscription sneak peek
Users could see the extra tools but not use them, and revert to Basic mode to not be bothered.
Solution(s):
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Gently timed banners and notices - Notify of the change to the pricing and beginning of transition period / Notify of time left for transition period / Notify end of trial period
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Suitable adjustment periods for existing users (30 days free for new users, 90 days free for long-time users)
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Strategically placed notices to explain and demonstrate the benefits of a subscription for each feature.
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"Sneak Peek": Enticing potential paying users, by inviting them to see the “full” toolset and learning about subscription-only tools, while not disturbing regular use of the free tools or frustrating the user with numerous disabled tools.
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Compare: Explain the differences between the different pricing plans.
Plan comparison screen (designed by visual designers in the team)