Redesigning an AI-powered landscaping mobile tool for seamless customization, first-time trust, and feature discovery.
Neighborbrite is an AI-powered landscaping platform that helps users transform their outdoor spaces with personalized design support. Its mobile-first approach lets people visualize and plan landscaping projects straight from their phone, making home improvement more accessible, engaging, and efficient.
Ran user interviews and usability tests to identify friction in onboarding, login, and customization, then translated findings into a redesigned mobile flow.
The redesign cut early drop-offs, surfaced premium AI features, and onboarded hundreds of thousands of new mobile users.
…and a steep early drop-off before they ever reached the AI tools that make Neighborbrite valuable.
5 of 8 hit a login wall before they understood what the tool did.
8 of 8 overlooked the Customize button. "Reimagine" took all the visual weight.
6 of 8 first-time users didn't know how to start. No walkthrough, no demo.
Three targeted design moves: delay the login, give every core feature equal visual weight, and onboard with a clear demo before asking users to commit.
Login moved deeper into the flow so users can explore before committing.
Equal weight for Customize and Reimagine. No more buried AI value.
A "Watch Demo" experience that teaches before the user has to try.
A one-on-one with the founder to identify where the customization flow was leaking users.
The founder framed the engagement around three questions about the AI customization tool — these became the anchors for the rest of the research.
Are users facing friction when generating landscape inspiration with the AI tools?
What additional customization features do users expect or want from the experience?
How do users perceive the value of premium tools and what shifts them from free to paid?
A qualitative research plan to dig into the friction the stakeholder briefing surfaced.
Three goals shaped every interview question and task scenario.
Identify friction in the AI inspiration & customization journey.
Uncover blockers to free vs. premium feature engagement.
Evaluate trust signals and onboarding gaps for first-time users.
A single 45-minute session per participant weaving setup, participants, and tasks together — moderated 1:1 interviews on Zoom, scenario-based exploration, and a post-test debrief.
Practitioners who design and execute landscaping work for clients. Tested the AI tools against real client-facing workflows.
First-time DIY landscapers exploring options for their own yard. Tested onboarding, trust, and the path to a finished design.
"Imagine you just moved into a new home with a large yard and you're looking for inspiration." Five tasks walked each participant through the full flow.
Open the app, get to the upload screen, and submit a photo of the yard.
Pick a style, run the AI, and explore the generated landscape designs.
Explore the Customize feature as a free user. What can you change?
Navigate to a plant detail page and review species, care, and growth notes.
Try the Customize experience as a premium user — does the upgrade feel worth it?
Eight sessions surfaced three things the platform already does well — and three places it leaks users.
Strengths to protect in the redesign. The visual identity, AI speed, and plant database all landed.
7 of 8 praised the modern, clean interface.
"The design feels really polished — it's the kind of app I'd trust with my home."
6 of 8 loved how quickly the AI generated landscape ideas.
"I loved how fast the AI created my garden ideas. It saved me a lot of time."
5 of 8 valued the quick access to species info, care tips, and growth details.
"I really liked the plant info — it had everything I needed in one spot."
Three patterns repeated across every session, and they all disrupted the mobile experience.
5 of 8 were blocked by a login prompt before they understood what the tool offered.
"Why do I have to sign in before I even know what this does?"
8 of 8 overlooked Customize. The "Reimagine" button took all the attention.
"I thought 'Reimagine' was the only option — I didn't even see Customize."
6 of 8 wanted a guided walkthrough or demo. Without it, the AI felt unclear.
"I'm in… now what?"
Three recommendations to streamline the journey, build trust early, and surface the AI features that make Neighborbrite worth coming back to.
Users encountered a login wall before exploring the product. The friction killed momentum and inflated early drop-offs.
The signup screen blocked Step 2. Users had to commit before they knew what the tool did.
Move login deeper into the journey so users can upload, generate, and customize before committing. Lift the trust ceiling before the ask.
Customization was overshadowed by the dominant Reimagine button. 8 of 8 users walked past the AI tool entirely.
Reimagine was the large, contrasted CTA. Customize was a small, low-weight link below it.
Stack Customize and Reimagine vertically with the same visual weight. Both AI tools earn an equal chance to be discovered.
First-time users dropped in with no context. 6 of 8 said the AI tool felt unclear from the start.
Users landed in a static "How it works" screen with no walkthrough. The first interaction was "figure it out yourself."
A "Watch Demo" entry point teaches the AI flow before the user has to try. Trust-building happens before commitment.
By delaying login, balancing the button hierarchy, and onboarding with a demo, I built a mobile flow that earns trust before asking for it — and lets Neighborbrite's AI tools do the talking.
Login moved from Step 1 to Step 4 — users explore before committing.
Customize and Reimagine share the spotlight. AI value is no longer hidden.
A "Watch Demo" path teaches the AI flow before first use.
The redesign made our AI tool feel so much more accessible. Users are finally discovering features we worked hard to build.
Luis · Founder & CEO, Neighborbrite
Designing for an AI-powered product taught me that small decisions early in the journey have outsized impact. Delaying a login. Equalizing two buttons. Adding a demo. Each one tiny on its own — together they unlocked the engagement the platform had been missing.
I also learned to let the product speak before asking the user to commit. When the AI got a chance to demonstrate value first, users opted in willingly. That's a pattern I'll carry into every AI-first product I touch.
Good design for AI isn't about hiding the machinery, it's about making the machinery feel inviting from the very first tap.
