PhotoTune case study: How to increase iOS app efficiency by 40% with UX/UI changes

PhotoTune is an application for editing faces and bodies in photos to suit any user's needs. Previously operating under a different brand name, the design of the iOS app was outdated, the icons were unintuitive to users, and the benefits were unclear.

For a young, urban audience, the app looked unappealing and was ineffective.

Turum-burum Studio was tasked with designing a new UX/UI to make the app as effective as possible.

Turum-burum has already worked on similar projects in this area. For example, the UX/UI for the RetouchMe app, which is in the TOP 100 App Store apps in the Photo and Video category and has more than 15 million users. Despite the fact that these projects are very alike, they have a lot of differences. So, it was crucial not only to consider the photo editor niche, but also to highlight the PhotoTune’s advantages and differentiate it from the competition.

PhotoTune app features and peculiarities

1. Unlike applications that automatically retouch photos, PhotoTune's interface is staffed by professional retouchers. That's why the photos look so natural.
2. Not only can users order the suggested retouching effects, but they can also order any custom photo enhancements they want. Custom effects are individually priced.
3. When ordering a photo, users can return it up to 3 times for retouching if they are unsatisfied with the result.
4. The speed of photo processing is one of the main advantages that was not clear to users previously. So, now, users can see how many minutes a photo is processed in real-time, and it takes an average of 7 to 15 minutes to retouch a photo.

PhotoTune's key UX/UI design solutions

The Turum-burum team completely redesigned the navigation and screen logic. We created a new modern style with every detail considered: from the main messages to the interface tips. PhotoTune was created as a native application for iOS, so the main elements were designed to drop from the bottom.

1. Focus on key benefits

• Naturally looking photo processed by a professional retoucher;
• Retouching speed;
• Free retouching quality test option.

Each benefit is a kind of onboarding and introduction to the app, so they are placed on separate screens and are the first thing the user sees when opening the app.

2. Icon retouching options

After the user selects a photo for retouching from their gallery, they see the "Face", "Body", and "Other" tabs and can choose one or more of the retouching options visualized as icons.

The new design of the iOS app includes an icon for each of the 50 retouching services so that the user can quickly find the one they need. Next to each icon is the cost of the service in coins. For example, to make a nose smaller in a photo costs 3 coins, while 10 coins can be purchased for just $0.99.

In addition, custom retouching allows users to express their own wishes for photo editing, as it will be done by a professional retoucher, not an automatic service.

3. Handy coin-based payment system

The coin-based payment system has been made as easy as possible so that users can quickly fund their accounts anytime without leaving the screen with the selected service.

The user goes through a simple authorization via phone and replenishes the account via Apple Pay in seconds. Then he just needs to click on the "Submit" button, and the order is placed.

4. Order processing time tracking

Once a user places an order, they can live-track the order status.

To brighten up the waiting time, we designed an animation with a bagel that disappears before the user's eyes.

Speed and clear deadlines for order completion are the key advantages that are now clearly visible in the new interface.

5. Retouching results and evaluation

The user can always find out what services they ordered, how much they cost, and evaluate the work of the retoucher and the application.

All retouched photos are stored for three months. A warning is displayed in the interface to remind users to download the photos to their phones.

We have also designed a feedback system where users can leave a comment with a rating of 3 stars or less.

6. User-friendly personal account

The user account keeps all the important info:

• The account balance;
• Customer support;
• Settings like notifications when retouching is ready, etc.

We kept it simple and to the point, without cluttering the interface with unnecessary information.

PhotoTune redesign results

The design of the iOS application PhotoTune was released as a second version, leaving the old application in the App Store. However, the difference in their performance was so significant that there was no need for the old version soon after.

As a result of the redesign, the app's performance improved by 40%.

If you want to see the full design version, you can check it out on our Behance.

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