The rise of meditation apps has made mindfulness more accessible than ever, yet their onboarding experiences often create anxiety rather than calm. How might we design an onboarding experience for meditation apps that truly serves user needs while building trust?

Current market leaders Headspace and Calm present multiple friction points during user onboarding, creating stress and decision fatigue – the very things their products aim to reduce.

This case study explores how to transform a business-driven onboarding sequence into a mindful user journey

Conducted a comprehensive UX analysis of both apps’ onboarding journeys, examining user touchpoints, friction areas, and business strategies. This revealed key opportunities for optimizing the user experience while maintaining essential business metrics, leading to recommendations for a more aligned onboarding approach.