iStock has long been a go-to platform for high-quality stock imagery, but as competition increased, we needed to rethink how we introduced new users to our service. We launched a project to redesign the customer acquisition flow, introducing a free trial as a way to reduce barriers to entry and drive long-term subscriptions.
Our existing UX was highly transactional and placed significant cognitive load on users. Prospective customers were expected to understand pricing tiers, image credits, and usage terms before even interacting with the product. This complexity deterred many potential subscribers, resulting in drop-offs early in the process.
Additionally, users lacked the opportunity to experience the value of iStock before committing financially, making it difficult to convert casual browsers into loyal subscribers.
We redesigned the onboarding experience around a free trial, making the process intuitive, engaging, and emotionally compelling:
The introduction of the free trial was a resounding success:
By tackling cognitive load and reimagining the customer journey, we didn’t just add a new feature—we transformed iStock’s acquisition model, setting a new standard for how we engage and convert users.
