App Showcase: Liven

What it does

Liven is a mental wellness and self-discovery companion. The app provides users with a personalized plan of lessons, exercises, and tools to manage stress, anxiety, and low energy. It combines principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with features like a mood tracker, guided journaling, an AI chatbot, and a library of relaxing sounds to support users on their mental health journey.

Where it shines

Liven's strength lies in its deeply personalized and empathetic onboarding. The initial quiz (starting at 00:17) goes beyond simple questions, using interactive animated sliders (00:41) to help users articulate their feelings visually. This makes the data collection process feel more like a supportive conversation than a form. Another standout moment is the "commitment contract" at 02:29, where users sign with their finger to pledge to their well-being, a powerful psychological nudge that builds investment before any payment is requested.

UX highlights

• Interactive Quizzes: The app uses animated illustrations that change as a user moves a slider, providing instant, empathetic feedback (00:44, 01:25).
• Layered Onboarding: The flow is broken into small, digestible steps, with reinforcement screens (00:56) and social proof to maintain momentum.
• Mood Tracker Visualization: The mood tracker (07:25) uses a beautiful, morphing geometric shape that changes color and form based on the selected mood, turning a simple log into a delightful interaction.
• Clear Personalization Path: The app explicitly shows a "Personalizing your experience" loader (02:14), connecting the user's quiz answers directly to the value they will receive.
• Gamified Progress: The app introduces streaks (05:27) and a "Level Up" screen (05:23) after the first lesson, encouraging consistent engagement.
• Integrated AI Companion: The AI chatbot "Livie" (11:28) offers a space to vent or brainstorm, with smart prompts to start the conversation and a simple feedback mechanism.

Monetization & growth

The app uses a free trial model, presenting its paywall at 02:42 after the extensive personalization quiz. The paywall offers three plans: Weekly, Yearly, and a Lifetime option. A key tactic is the post-subscription upsell at 03:36, where the app offers discounted psychology workbooks. If the user tries to dismiss this offer, a pop-up appears with an even better discount (03:48), a clever way to maximize conversions from highly motivated users.

Who it’s for

Liven appears to be for individuals feeling emotionally drained, stressed, or anxious who are looking for a structured, self-guided tool for personal growth. The language and framing suggest a target audience that is new to or curious about mental wellness practices like CBT but may not be ready for traditional therapy. The focus on building healthy habits and self-discovery makes it suitable for anyone seeking to improve their emotional literacy and resilience.

Notes & opportunities

The onboarding process is quite long. While engaging, its length could be a point of friction for users with less patience. The app could potentially test offering a glimpse of the main dashboard or a sample lesson earlier in the flow to demonstrate value sooner. Additionally, while the AI chat is a nice feature, its initial prompts could be more contextually tied to the user's recent quiz answers to make the first interaction feel even more personalized.