1
Project overview
In-house
Project type
Role
Tools
Burner
2025
Product design
Professional
UX Research
Mobile UI
UX/UI
Feature Launch
Interaction Design
Maze
FIGMA
Adobe Suite
Braze
Amplitude
Turning a one-time utility into a long-term privacy platform
The context.
Burner is a
privacy-first communication app that gives users one - or
multiple - second phone line(s) on demand. It’s widely used for
temporary needs , dating, online marketplaces,
and side hustles.
The problem.
Despite strong satisfaction (91% CSAT) and clear brand
identity, Burner had a major churn issue. Most users signed up
for a one-time purpose and dropped off. In fact,
2 out of 3 users had joined within the last 12 months, reflecting a revolving door of new but non-retaining
users.
The goal.
Expand the
product offering to support a
longer user lifecycle. We aimed to introduce a
subscription-worthy feature , sticky enough to improve
retention, upgrades to premium & registration from VPN
marketing.
Much, much more in the desktop.
You’re missing out! For detailed case study & more, visit harshitdesigner.com from a desktop browser =)
2
Quick links
3
Empathize
The world is on fire, but we got your back.
In this section
Initial research
Key insights
Initial research
Methodology
12+ 1:1 interviews (active,
churned, power users)
In-app survey n = 334
Persona
refresh
Competitor mapping
Objectives
Explore how existing & past users perceive Burner, its role
in protecting their privacy, and uncover what they know about VPN
& whether or not they think they would benefit from such a tool.
Key
insights
VPN tops the wishlist
31% of respondents ranked VPN as the #1 premium add-on, double the next feature request.
All-in-one privacy
Users loved Burner (91 % CSAT) but bailed once the “job” was done + they didn’t want to juggle multiple privacy apps.
VPN = trust upgrade
Burner’s NPS sat at -57; interviews showed VPN made the brand feel “legit” instead of “sketchy.”
4
Ideate & craft
Your privacy is your business, and ours.
In this section
Design execution
Other deliverables
Outcomes & reflections
Design
execution
Other
deliverables
Outcomes & reflections
VPN forced us to think platform-first, not feature-first. It showed how design can shift both user behaviour and brand perception.
Conversion
increased
VPN variants performed significantly better in paywall tests, with conversion rates improving across iOS and Android (benchmarks exceeded).
Retention
improved
Users who activated VPN had 30% higher day 30 retention compared to those who didn’t.
LTV
doubled
Premium VPN users generated 2x the lifetime value, validating the feature’s long-term potential.
