Lead Designer Team of 5 Shipped in 7 months

Turning Direct into a
mobile-first tool for SMBs

We redesigned the app into a simple, scalable tool that enables small businesses to launch and manage campaigns directly from a phone.

01 · Context

Mobile became the channel
for scaling SMBs.

In 2024, mobile became a key channel for scaling SMB advertisers in Direct. The goal was to improve activation, retention, and LTV.

The existing app could not support growth.

02 · Problem

In 2024, mobile became a key channel for scaling SMB advertisers in Direct. The goal was to improve activation, retention, and LTV.

Old · Campaigns
Old · Summary
Old · Stats
03 · Approach

Rebuild from scratch, mobile-first.

Direction

We rebuilt the app from scratch, focusing on making mobile a simple entry point for SMB users.

Approach diagram · entry → activation → retention → LTV
FIG 03 A simple lifecycle map guiding scope decisions.
04 · MVP scope

Six core activation scenarios.

01 · Registration & login
MVP · 01Get in fast.
02 · Easy Start campaign
MVP · 02Launch in minutes.
03 · Campaign list
MVP · 03All campaigns at a glance.
04 · Wallet & top-up
MVP · 04Money flow.
05 · Unified dashboard
MVP · 05One place for results.
06 · Profile settings
MVP · 06Account & access.
05 · Process

No PM. I led the product direction.

Team

There was no product manager. I led the product direction and aligned the team — 2 designers, an architect, and engineering.

Team diagram · roles & rituals
FIG 04 How we worked, week to week.
06 · Key decision

Campaign creation, step by step.

Shift

We redesigned campaign creation from a single-page desktop flow into a step-by-step mobile experience — one action per screen, reduced cognitive load.

Step 01 · Goal
CC · 01Pick what success looks like.
Step 02 · Audience
CC · 02Who you’re reaching.
Step 03 · Creative
CC · 03Headline, image, link.
Step 04 · Budget
CC · 04Cap and pace.
Full creation flow · overview
CC · 05The whole flow, end to end.
07 · Key decision

A modular, unified dashboard.

Why

One dashboard for all campaign types — consistent structure, flexible blocks, reduced complexity.

Dashboard · hero state
UD · 01Hero view — modules in default arrangement.
Module · Performance
UD · 02Same shape, every campaign type.
Module · Audience
UD · 03Same shape, every campaign type.
Module · Spend
UD · 04Block-level detail.
Module · Status
UD · 05Block-level detail.
Module · Alerts
UD · 06Block-level detail.
08 · UX research

Tested, listened, tightened.

Worked · 7/7 key tasks
UXR · 01All 7 testers completed core tasks; navigation read as intuitive.
Issues · copy & patterns
UXR · 02Confusing copy and a few inconsistent interaction patterns.
Actions · refined components
UXR · 03Rewrote copy, refined components, retested.
Annotated screens · before / after
UXR · 04Notes from testing rounds, side-by-side.
09 · Results

Four months after launch.

120K
Monthly active users.
4.5+
App-store rating · iOS & Android combined.
23%
SMBs using the app daily.
7mo
From kickoff to public launch.
Next case
Unified ad creation in Yandex Business