InjuApp updates are a part and parcel of an app lifecycle. What I have struggled with personally in my career is how to make the new update exciting enough for the user. I recently came across this interesting banner on the Fastned App. It’s an EV Charging App from the Netherlands. I opened the new app and saw this huge, almost full-screen intro card.
I love the bright yellow card surrounded by the black border. It stands out, and the artwork is pretty neat and not overly done. Enough space is given between the hero text and the middle animation and the bottom CTA. Very neat and clean design. The way they addressed the user is also personal and elevating (sort of giving the user a higher seat).
In the context of a new feature build, I think the CTA could’ve been changed. Let’s think this through from a user’s perspective. There are two groups of users. The power user actively engages with the product, and the second group of users uses it to fulfil the core functionality the product offers.
A power user would be excited to explore the new set of features or the new look. I am not a power user, but I didn’t see any tour of the new features once I clicked on Let’s Go either. I would’ve liked an in-app tour informing me where the features have been shifted to, if they’ve been shifted within the app. Even if you ignore the in-app feature tour, you can list down key changes to give them a glimpse of the experience.
Coming back to the CTA- I would’ve written it as “Explore the new Fastned experience“. A phrase like Fastned Experience has multiple benefits. One, it sticks to the users’ minds and improves brand recall. Indicates that something exciting is awaiting inside. And it’s easy to reference in a social media post when they write about it. It caters to both new users and returning users. When you follow this up with a feature tour, it’s a kickass experience of introducing your new features to the user.
A few questions come to my mind on why certain elements were left out. For example:
Why isn’t there a cross/close button to close the banner? I think there is no point. Because the user would expect to land on the homepage if they click on cross/close button, and the CTA’s purpose is the same. No user would force close the app and run away when they see an app update banner.
Why didn’t they list any new features they launched as part of the redesign? I think it’s a missed opportunity. If you’re grabbing users’ attention, you should bring up a brief note on new features added as part of this release or the last few releases. Helps build awareness about the new feature and improve DAU and WAU of the feature. This is even more important if they’re revenue-driving features.
Small changes in copy, onboarding, and UX flows can have a significant impact on how users perceive an update. Fastned’s bold visual direction is inspiring, but there’s still an opportunity to go further and make new features feel like an experience.
If you’ve read it this far, then I hope I made it worthwhile. This post is an attempt at improving my product and design sense. I am targeting to pick up various apps (primarily in the EV space) and discuss my thoughts on the experiences built into the app.
Thanks