How Luzia moved all their usebase to their own app

Problem Context

Luzia, a Spanish-speaking conversational AI, became hugely popular on WhatsApp, where millions of users—especially students—relied on it for tasks like homework assistance. However, Luzia's reliance on WhatsApp meant limited control over its userbase and data. To secure its future, Luzia needed a standalone app that could provide a superior experience, encourage user adoption, and strengthen its relationship with users.

The Process

We aimed to help Luzia develop a compelling product vision and create an app that could surpass the WhatsApp experience while staying true to the unique characteristics users loved.

Audit and Vision Development

We began by analyzing the existing product and Luzia’s business needs. During this audit, it became clear that:

• Owning the user base through an app was crucial for business sustainability.

• Transitioning millions of users required creating a distinctly better experience than WhatsApp.

We proposed a mock vision to align stakeholders, outlining how an app could provide an enhanced, engaging, and controlled experience.

Design and Development Collaboration

We quickly moved into design ideation with the following priorities:

• Wireframes and Mockups: Created rapid wireframes to demonstrate the potential impact.

• Low-Fidelity Designs: Transitioned to low-fidelity designs to kickstart development.

• Team Hiring: Supported the hiring of developers and designers to build the app.

Gamification and Features

We designed the app with gamification at its core to strengthen the bond between Luzia and its users. This approach aimed to make the app more engaging than the WhatsApp experience. Key features included:

• Enhanced Chat Experience: Introduced elements that made conversations feel more interactive and enjoyable.

• AI Tools Integration: Added a dedicated space where users could access a variety of AI tools, ranked by popularity and usage.

• Personalized Engagement: Leveraged insights from user behavior to deepen the connection with Luzia.

Delivery and Execution

At the end of the project, we delivered:

• A detailed product roadmap.

• A comprehensive gamification design strategy.

• 360° design assets.

• Hiring support to build the development and design teams.

Conclusion and Learnings

This project underscored the complexity and rewards of transitioning users to a new platform while maintaining their trust and engagement. Key takeaways included:

The Power of Emotional Design

Understanding the emotional connection users had with Luzia shaped the app's persona and features, reinforcing the importance of empathy in design.

The Impact of Gamification

Gamification proved to be a pivotal strategy in creating an app experience that could outshine WhatsApp and retain user interest.

Collaboration Drives Success

Working closely with Luzia’s stakeholders, as well as supporting the hiring process, highlighted the value of strong, cross-functional teamwork in achieving a shared vision.