About

Carb Manager is the #1 low carb and keto app in the Google Play, App Store, and web. Our mission is to make the low carb lifestyle easy, fun, and delicious, and empower our millions of members to achieve their wellness goals.

As the lead product designer, I collaborated closely with Carb Manager’s founder to revamp their outdated online presence, executing a comprehensive UI redesign. Beyond updating the brand’s look, I focused on improving the home page to effectively communicate the product’s value. Additionally, I added new pages like the food/recipe directory and revamped the blog/article section, ensuring easier content discovery. Crucially, I ensured the site’s responsiveness on both web and mobile platforms, resulting in a modern, competitive, and user-friendly online experience.

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Role
  • Lead Product Designer
Services
  • Market Research
  • User Experience Design
  • UI Design
  • Branding, Design System, & Figma Component Library
  • Dev Support & Collaboration
Status

Launched

Platforms
  • Website
  • Mobile Responsive

Project Goals

Project Goal

Carb Manager had just went through a massive 2 year visual redesign of their entire IOS and Android app. My goal was to maintain that same design consistency for the web. With redesign I also had the chance to implement completely new features on the website such as the food/recipe directory, a fully working blog/article and a lightweight front-end macro tracker.

User Goal

Carb Manager is an influential app offering a range of valuable dieting tools that extend beyond just Keto Diets. My primary objective was to enhance the visibility of these features and effectively communicate to prospective users the value and benefits of Carb Manager. Additionally, I prioritized improving the overall trustworthiness of the website by creating a modern and clean design.

Business Goal

Increase in web search visibility by allowing for a better usage of SEO. The addition of the food/recipe directory and custom blog/article pages also created opportunities for the company to use additional monetization channels without having to solely rely on adsense.

Landing Page Analysis & Research

Due to time constraints, I conducted a heuristic evaluation to pinpoint areas for improvement. I also delved into competitor research to understand the market and identify where Carb Manager needed to stand out. Simultaneously, I worked on emphasizing key features on the homepage to effectively communicate the product’s value and effectiveness through social proof.

1
The current header is too vague and does not convey what Carb Manager offers. The header is the single most important section of a landing page and it’s the first thing that visitors focus on, this means that we have to effectively communicate what the product offers and most importantly it has to be short & sweet. Using real product mockups is a bonus.
2
Navigational sections are “Out of Site & Out of Mind” as they say. They are too minimal and difficult to quickly find. Additionally, visitors have to scan the page to find these navigational links which increases cognitive load.
3
These sections are too busy and text hierarchy needs a lot of work, it’s difficult to digest all of the information given to you when it’s all in your face at once. Allowing for more white space and proper use of text heirarchy will allow to guide users to the important parts of the page without increasing cognition and allowing users to digest information more easily.
4
75% of users admit to making judgments about a company’s credibility based on their website design (Stanford Web Credibility Research). First impressions are 94% design-related, additionally good web design inspires trust and credibility to your users and conveys that you’re a leader in your market. Good design is not just about pretty pixels, it also has to be mobile responsive (mobile traffic accounts for 55% of all web traffic) so it’s crucial that the site looks just as good on mobile.

Interpreting the Sitemap

To gain a comprehensive overview of the website and identify areas for improvement and optimization, I developed an Information Architecture (IA) map. Through this analysis, it became evident that certain sections of the site lacked necessary information, leading to user confusion regarding the product and its benefits. Recognizing the need for effective communication, I worked on optimizing the navigation and search functionalities, ensuring users were able to easily locate recipes and relevant articles to gain valuable information about the product’s benefits. Additionally, I refined the overall message for a clear and concise delivery of the product’s value proposition.

Optimizing & Adding Value

Gaining a comprehensive understanding of the Information Architecture (IA) paved the way for substantial improvements across Carb Manager’s entire site. While focusing on revamping the features page, we addressed broader IA challenges by reorganizing the extensive recipe collection into intuitive culinary collections. Simultaneously, we enhanced the navigation and search functionalities in the articles section, making valuable information easily accessible. This holistic restructuring not only streamlined content access but also significantly improved the overall user experience. The result is an enriched website that effectively educates both new and existing users, contributing to a notable increase in conversion rates for premium subscriptions.

Finalized UI Comparison

After digging into the research, I moved on to creating wireframes and basic mockups for the landing page. Working closely with product managers, marketing directors, and the founder, we made sure to nail down all design requirements. This back-and-forth process allowed us to tweak and perfect the design, resulting in a final high-fidelity version that hit the mark and then some.

Improving Brand Approachability

In response to the founder’s goal of enhancing the brand’s approachability, I suggested the creation of an avocado mascot. This concept not only resonated with the founder but also gained widespread popularity within the organization. Initially featured prominently on the website, the charming mascot seamlessly integrated into the mobile app, injecting a sense of fun and personality. To amplify its impact, we crafted various mascot variations for versatile usage, enhancing the overall user experience. This initiative successfully fulfilled the founder’s vision, significantly boosting the brand’s appeal and making it more fun, enjoyable and relatable for users.

Redesign Outcome and Impact

3

Total conversion rate increase from 1.8% initially

38

Growth in total website traffic within the first month

12

Increase in new user registrations through the website

Homepage

Mobile Homepage

Features

Blog

Food/Recipe Directory

Cookbook Page

Navigation Examples

Misc Screens