New camera.
New app features.
New and returning users. 

TL;DR

At GoPro I worked on the product and marketing teams to help launch new features for our mobile and desktop apps.

I crafted end-to-end user experiences and targeted content for both returning users and new users.
I wrote all sorts of UI text, educational modals, in-app promos, upsells for premium membership, error messages…just about anything. I explored different approaches to the content and UX, prototyped in Figma, discussed with many XFN partners, shaped UXR, and leveraged insights to persuade XFN and inform design decisions. I was also the bridge between the product and marketing teams, often bringing alignment when partners wanted different things, and ensuring consistency across all teams.

Partnerships

My work involved daily partnerships with product designers, product managers, UX researchers, engineers, scientists, and multiple stakeholders on the marketing team. Our collaboration started as thought partners at the beginning of a project where we think through the problem and possible approaches. We continued that collaboration through the exploration and design phases of the work as we iterated to develop user experiences that were not only clear and easy to navigate, but also delighted our customers and underscored the uniqueness of our brand. 

Highlights

In my time at GoPro, I helped design the top-performing first time use (FTU) onboarding flow in our mobile and desktop apps.

I also developed and documented content standards for UX writing and integrated them into the existing GoPro style guidelines.

Some of the most challenging and rewarding projects came up when we released new features with more advanced technology, like editing 360 video footage, or premium membership features that offered greater customization. So we needed to craft content that educated and excited our users, boosting discoverability and engagement, and we designed simple and intuitive flows that retained our users. The brainstorms, explorations, strategic approach to user testing, iterations, and eureka moments all came together to produce high-quality UX flows that set up our users for success. 

Testimonials

“Working with Katya at GoPro was a fantastic experience. Her ability to take what I wanted to say about our product, and craft it into a message that not only nails the technical elements, but also stays on-brand, is uncanny. Any company looking to hire Katya should know that they will, of course, be getting a great writer. But, they’ll also be getting one who is not afraid to push for what she knows is right.”

– Chris Frost, Senior Product Manager

“One of the things I really appreciate about Katya is that she’s always pushing to make things better on all fronts (especially copy and process). A standard bug fix note? Nope. “Crashing is for the waves.” Hitches in workflow? Not when Katya’s involved. Though not a project manager, she takes initiative to corral team members and get the job done on-time. Katya also volunteers to take on more and asks great questions to get the info she needs to craft solid copy. She brings a lot to the team. I’d happily work with her again.”

– Nicole McFadden, Copy Manager

Work Samples

I wrote everything in and about GoPro’s mobile and desktop apps and maintained consistent standards and product narratives across multiple platforms and touch points, while strategically tailoring content to different subgroups of our users. I also worked on marketing projects including marketing copy decks, product naming, 2020 copy direction, and promo flyers. Central to every project was understanding the customer problem and mindset.

Below are just a few samples of my work, with more available if interested! (Best viewed on desktop.)

In-App Promos: GoPro camera owners (HERO8 + MAX)

The Challenge: Promote the launch of a novel technology and new editing tool named, “horizon leveling.” Convey a complex concept in a quick and engaging way.

The Result: We designed a pithy in-app promotional interstitial that leveraged animated visuals and copy to communicate key information without overloading the user. We strategically showed this promo at the right point in the user experience when they are most receptive to seeing this and trying out the new tool.

The Details:

Who: Most users who see this ad would be returning users. This promo was specifically shown to GoPro HERO8 and MAX camera owners because the horizon leveling tool is not available in earlier models, or to anyone who does not own a GoPro camera. 

How: The team needed a pithy way to…
1) Inform users of the new tool
2) Give quick education about what is this tool is and where to find it

We used a catchy interstitial ad. The animation visually demonstrates what horizon leveling does (corrects the horizon line in your footage), and the brief copy elaborates on this to solidify user understanding with minimal cognitive load. The copy complemented the animation by educating users about 1) the name of the tool, 2) what it generally does, and 3) where to find it in the app.

We took a more creative approach with the copy as this is a promotion, not a functional dialog. The goal is to peak the user’s curiosity and get them to understand the tool just enough to want to tap the CTA and try it out. And the animation instantly demonstrates what the tool does, so cognitive load is minimal.

We chose to show the promo right as users open playback mode in the app because:
– This tool lives in playback mode, so entering this mode is the most relevant moment for informing users of something new here
– We don’t want to interrupt users during a task, so we show this promo before they begin any task here

The CTA takes users to the horizon leveling tool so they can try it and learn it, with little interruption to their experience.

Partners: Product designers, product management, engineering, UXR, scientists, marketing manager, UX director

First Time User (FTU) Onboarding: “Reframe” Editing Mode

The Challenge: This was a massive undertaking by the Product Team during my time at GoPro. We had just launched a highly complex editing mode in our app, in sync with the launch of our 360 camera, “MAX.” So we needed to make sure users instantly understood how to use this technology and take advantage of all the 360 camera has to offer.

The Result: This is now the gold standard for onboarding flows at GoPro.

The Details: The team introduced cutting-edge technology that was unfamiliar to our users. Without proper onboarding few users would understand the new mode or how it allows them to make advanced edits to their 360 footage. So what’s the best way to onboard? What’s the bare minimum we need to show and explain to equip users to take advantage of this novel technology? How much info is too much? 

Explorations for ways to explain the “Reframe” editing mode and its most important steps to users.

Working with UX designers, researchers, and product management, we were able to conclusively test copy, design, and functionality to iterate and land on an optimal solution. This FTU walkthrough is now considered a best example of user onboarding at GoPro, and the team uses it as a model for future onboarding/educational initiatives.

Testing greatly drove our iterations on copy. I’m happy to discuss details!

Check out the full Reframe FTU here, snapshot below:

Screenshot of Step 1 in the FTU flow (an  educational tutorial for first time users of a new, complex mode in the GoPro mobile app).

In-App Promotions/NUX for “Reframe”

The Challenge: How might we raise awareness and user excitement about the new MAX camera and its associated features in the GoPro app?

The Result: In-app promo that generated high discoverability and feature use

The Details: In-app promotional interstitials work really well to educate and excite our users, when done right. Here we design a short and sweet 2-slide interstitial about the MAX 360 camera and its new editing mode available in the app.

In this particular case, there was a lot of overlap between the product team and the marketing teams, their different standards, expectations, and their product and brand messaging. I worked closely with partners from both teams to align on a middle ground, and ensured continuity across the different experiences (marketing content, product content, and UX content in user experiences).

App Store Product Stories + Release Notes

“Get into trouble, not troubleshooting.”

“Crashing is for the waves, not your apps.”

Those are a couple of my favorite blurbs I’ve written for the app store. Before my time the app updates would simply state “Bug fixes + performance enhancements,” but wouldn’t it be more powerful to talk about these improvements in a way that delights, is memorable, and on-brand?

Below are just some snapshots of the many feature updates I wrote for the app stores. Updates occurred every 2 weeks, but before I joined the team there was no process for these recurring release. So I made sure to wrangle together our cross-functional partners and developed a process and schedule to bust these puppies out, get them localized, and get them submitted to the Apple store on time.

PLUS Subscription Churn Reduction

The team designed a new FTU experience for new PLUS subscribers that:

1) Builds enthusiasm about their new subscription
2) Reminds them of all the benefits they get to make sure they take advantage
3) Keeps users feeling that they get great value each month with their subscription—and that keeping their subscription is a no brainer

[PLUS churn reduction – Screen 1 (WIP mockups)]

[PLUS churn reduction – Screen 2 (WIP mockups)]

[PLUS churn reduction – Screen 3 (WIP mockups)]

In-App Promos: Existing users; mix of GoPro owners + non-owners

App update reminder (mockup). Alternate line for A/B testing: “Get the latest improvements to the GoPro App and give your footage an edge.” The team was interested in seeing which message would resonate more with our customers.

In-App Promos: Migrating Quik users to GoPro; Non-GoPro owners

In-app promo for the migration of the Quik app to GoPro. This was phase 1 of our messaging to inform Quik users they should switch to the GoPro app (mockup).

In-app promo for the migration of the Quik app to GoPro (alternate). This was phase 1 of our messaging to inform Quik users they should switch to the GoPro app (mockup).