Case Study · Spectrum Mobile

Simplifying upgrade & add-a-line journeys to reduce friction and improve conversion

As the end-to-end product designer on a platform migration from Contentful to Magnolia, I redesigned the two most critical mobile buyflow paths — upgrading an existing line and adding a new one — shipping a unified, mobile-first experience aligned with Spectrum's new design system.

+22%

Upgrade & add-a-line completion

2026

Year shipped

E2E

Mobile-first, end-to-end

Scope areas: migration, buyflow, design system

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Background

A platform migration as an opportunity to fix what was broken

As part of a platform migration from Contentful to Magnolia and a design system redesign, I led improvements to Spectrum's existing customer mobile buyflow — specifically focusing on two critical paths: upgrading an existing line and adding a new line. The goal was not only to reskin the experience, but to address deeper usability and structural issues within the journey while aligning with a new scalable platform.

Business Objectives

01Increase adoption of upgrades and additional lines
02Reduce drop-offs across the buyflow
03Minimize call center escalations by improving self-service

User Needs

01Provide clear, confident decision-making between upgrade vs. add a line
02Reduce unnecessary steps and friction
03Surface eligibility earlier to avoid late-stage surprises

Before

After — redesigned

Challenge & Goals

A flow built around system constraints, not user decision-making

The existing flow created confusion between adding a new line and upgrading an existing one, often forcing users to make decisions without enough context. Key information such as eligibility and pricing appeared too late in the journey, leading to frustration and drop-offs. Inconsistencies in layout, CTAs, and interaction patterns created a fragmented experience that did not align with Spectrum's design system.

The flow was structured around system constraints rather than user decision-making, forcing users to navigate complexity instead of guiding them through the flow.

Simplify the decision between Upgrade vs. Add a Line

Reduce drop-off by improving clarity and flow structure

Introduce a more seamless signed-in experience on .com

Align the experience with Spectrum's design system

Current Flow & Pain Points

Audit findings: four critical friction points

Through journey mapping and heuristic evaluation, four key friction points emerged that were structurally embedded in the flow — not surface-level UI problems.

Forced early decision Regardless of entry point, customers were required to choose between adding a new line or upgrading — before they had enough context to decide.

Late eligibility messaging Eligibility surfaced too late, causing rework and frustration when users discovered ineligibility after investing time in the flow.

Decisions hidden in modals Critical customer decisions were buried in modals — too late in the flow, and presented as after-the-fact disclosures rather than upfront guidance.

.net login dependency The flow depended on a .net login experience, limiting flexibility and creating friction on .com — especially for customers already signed in.

Design Iterations

Three highest-impact changes that reduced friction

Of the dozens of refinements made across the flow, three structural changes drove the majority of the conversion lift. Each replaced a system-led pattern with a user-led one — surfacing context earlier, eliminating dead-ends, and restoring forward momentum.

Iteration 01

Clear entry split with contextual information

The old page showed two identical buttons with no context. The redesign adds a device summary and shows how many lines are available for upgrade.

Faster decision-making

Before

Two generic buttons. No information about how many lines exist on the account or what selecting either option leads to.

After

Context restored. Device summary card, "4 lines" indicator, and selected line previewed inline with a "Change" affordance.

Iteration 02

Pre-filtered eligibility replaces an endless scroll

The old flow showed every device on the account in a long list with inline errors. The redesign shows only eligible lines in a focused selector.

Reduced cognitive load

Before

Mixed eligibility. Five+ devices shown regardless of state, with inline warnings sitting next to selectable items. Users couldn't tell what was available at a glance.

After

Filtered to eligible only. Three lines shown — Sarah, Mom, Dad — with a clear selection state and a single CTA. Zero ambiguity.

Iteration 03

Replaced modal dead-end with an inline progressive flow

Users were dumped into a payoff modal instead of continuing to cart. The redesign keeps payoff selection inline within the page flow.

Highest drop-off fix

Before

Modal dead-end. Forced a payoff decision with no context about what comes next — users couldn't progress to cart.

After

Inline progression. Payoff, confirmation, and error states all live in-page. Users never leave the flow — progressive disclosure keeps them moving forward.

Strategy

Balancing short-term wins with long-term vision

Due to platform constraints and migration timelines, I approached this work in two parallel tracks — delivering immediate improvements while defining a more scalable future experience.

Phase 01

High-impact improvements

Focused on optimizing clarity and usability within the existing structure:

Clear CTAs: "Add a New Line" vs. "Upgrade This Line"
Stepper component to improve journey clarity
Surfaced eligibility earlier with simplified messaging
Consistent layout aligned with the design system

Phase 02

Defining the future state

In parallel, I reimagined the upgrade journey to better align with user decision-making:

Re-architecting the flow around user decision points
Fully integrating eligibility earlier in the experience
Creating a more unified, guided journey across entry points
Supporting a seamless .com signed-in experience

Results

Measurable improvements with a foundation for continued iteration

Phase one shipped clarifications and structural improvements; phase two laid the groundwork for a fully re-architected upgrade experience aligned with Spectrum's design system.

Phase 01 — Impact

Clarified the upgrade vs. add-a-line decision
Reduced friction with earlier eligibility messaging
Improved consistency across CTAs, modals, and layout
Increased confidence through clearer flow structure

Broader impact

Supported platform migration with scalable patterns
Reduced reliance on support through better self-service
Established foundation for future journey improvements

Reflection

What I learned

This project taught me how to balance fast-moving delivery needs with longer-term journey thinking. Rather than treating migration as a simple reskin, I used it as an opportunity to identify deeper usability issues and propose a more strategic path forward.

One of the biggest lessons was that even when only part of a broader vision ships, it is still valuable to define the full experience direction — both to improve current decisions and to create alignment for future phases.