Project overview
Burner 2025
0→1 Feature
System Design
Professional
UX Research
Mobile UI Design
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.
Empathize
The world is on fire, but we got your back.
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.”
Ideate & craft
Your privacy is your business, and ours.
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.