Sber
Company
SberSpasibo
Product
Senior Product Designer
Role
Sep 2023 – Nov 2024
Years
Summary
As a part of the SberSpasibo team, Russia’s largest loyalty program, we received a task to integrate subscription activation in our product.
I created a concept that introduced context-aware entry points that offer personalised benefits for users.
Usability testing validated the approach:
85% understood the benefit
78% found timing relevant
42% expressed intent to subscribe
41.4 M
Sber app DAU
52%
Sber app DAU/MAU
94.2 M
SberSpasibo users
22.2 M
SberPrime subscribers
Team
Throughout the project, I collaborated with cross-functional teams, including Research, Analytics, Marketing, Management, Backend and Frontend Development, as well as other product teams, to ensure feature consistency across the app
Our core team for this project consisted of:
Throughout the project, I collaborated with cross-functional teams, including Research, Analytics, Marketing, Management, Backend and Frontend Development, as well as other product teams, to ensure feature consistency across the app
Our core team for this project consisted of:
Product Owner
Ilya Bryazgin
Customer Journey Expert
Tatiana Valova
Analyst
Anna Pogretskaya
Product Designer
Andrey Bogoslovskiy
Context & Challenge
📉
SberSpasibo is a loyalty program that is inherently unprofitable for the business, despite being critical for user retention
+
💸
SberPrime is a subscription service that generates direct revenue and provides significant client benefits
=
🤔
How to integrate a profitable subscription product into an unprofitable loyalty program without disrupting user experience?
Research
In the initial stage, the team conducted qualitative research which led to these insights:
1. Low Awareness: Most users had poor knowledge of the subscription priviliges and confused it with other Sber products.
2. Personal Benefit: User’s weren’t interested in generic product features. They wanted to see how it benefits their personal behaviour.
3. Content is Key: Users are open to hear about subscription only in certain scenarios. Overuse often leads to banner blindness.
Design Solution
Native over Intrusive
The initial business request was to implement the feature as quickly as possible. Some products used banners as an entry point to SberPrime because it was fast and cheap.
I advocated for a different approach: to integrate subscription offers into the natural app flow at moments when users understand the value.
This proposal faced resistance, but usability testing confirmed: users indeed react more positively to built-in offers than to highlighted advertising elements.
Three Entry Points
I proposed a structure with three entry points into the SberPrime subscription flow, each presented in the appropriate context and highlighting a special benefit
Main Screen
The main screen shows active categories.
Users without a subscription can access 3 categories, while SberPrime subscribers have access to 4.
We used the plus icon to indicate that users have the option to increase the number of active categories.
2. Cashback Categories Selection
On the active categories page, we display the cashback options available to the user. By switching to the SberPrime tab, users are offered additional categories with increased cashback. Selecting these initiates the subscription and category activation process.
3. Selected Categories Screen (Current Month)
On the active categories detail page, we display the bonus points limit. Users without a subscription have a limit of 2,000 bonus points, while SberPrime subscribers have their limit increased to 10,000 bonus points, along with the option to activate a promo cashback once a month
Data Foundation
To personalize the offers, we gained access to:
1. User transaction history: through integration with a separate team managing this section, we could see which categories users frequently spent money in
2. Current subscription status: knowing if users already had SberPrime or other subscriptions
3. Seasonal patterns: understanding which months and which categories are most relevant (e.g., fall increased spending on gas stations, pharmacies, transportation)
Iteration, Testing & Validation
We conducted qualitative interviews with users at various stages.
These metrics are significantly higher than average results for intrusive advertising elements
85%
Benefit Understanding
Users correctly identified the value the’d get
78%
Relevance Perception
Agreed the offer appeared at the right moment
From Concept to Production
The design went through numerous iterations.
Alignment with management: discussing how and when to offer the subscription, which metrics to track
Coordination with other products: SberSpasibo integrates with other app sections, ensuring our changes didn't conflict with them
Developer collaboration: clarifying technical feasibility
My Role & Achievements
🔬
Stage 1: Research and Strategy
Worked with CPO and CJE to understand the problem and formulate hypotheses
Engaged with other product teams within Sber to align on a unified user experience vision
The proposed "three entry points" architecture was accepted as the main approach, replacing a less effective banner-based strategy
🛠️
Stage 2: Design and Prototyping
Designed three screens with subscription integration, each with unique context
Involved in creation of a personalization system for subscription offers based on transaction data
Prototypes successfully passed usability testing, confirming the approach's effectiveness.
🤝
Stage 3: Alignment and Compromises
Defended the contextual design idea to leadership, which preferred more aggressive monetization methods
Found a compromise between the Nova design system and experimental components, allowing technical teams to work with the current platform
The project gained buy-in from all stakeholders and was initiated with clear vision and technical planning.
🚀
Stage 4: Implementation and Iterations
Initiated multiple testing rounds, refining flows and visual elements
Worked with developers to optimize performance of integrated functionality
The project was production-ready without major issues and with all necessary approvals.
Business Results & Impact
Based on fintech industry benchmarks and Sber's goals, the following KPIs were established:
~250M
Projected Annual Revenue
At 199 rub/month with 12-moth retention
+ 3-5%
Monthly Retention Boost
For users who activate the subscription
8-12%
Increased Transaction Value
Subscribers spending more in enhanced categories
Strategic Impact
Beyond direct subscription metrics, the project demonstrated:
Monetization model can be applied to other Sber sections (e.g., SberInvestments, SberInsurance)
We proved that integrating products through natural UX is more effective than explicit advertising
The project showed that the design system and technical stack needed updates to achieve ambitious goals
Conclusion
Summary
At the beginning of the project, I was concerned that promoting the subscription within the loyalty program might generate negative user reactions and reduce retention.
However, we successfully identified optimal points to integrate the subscription into the existing flows, highlighting additional benefits to users precisely where they expected to see them. This approach was validated by research data showing positive responses from participants, with 42% expressing interest in subscribing.
This project was a valuable lesson for me in aligning product vision with technical implementation, while keeping the user experience the highest priority.
Usability Testing
Benefit Understanding
85%
Action Intent
42%
Relevance Perception
78%
Business Results
Projected New Subscribers
1,19M +
Projected Annual Revenue, RUB
~250M
Monthly Retention Boost
+ 3-5%
Increased Transaction Value