Lumosity: Brain Training

What it does

Lumosity is a brain training app designed to improve cognitive functions like memory, attention, speed, and problem-solving. It offers a library of scientifically-designed games that form personalized daily workouts. The app tracks user performance over time, providing insights into their cognitive strengths and weaknesses compared to others in their age group.

Where it shines

Lumosity's greatest strength is its onboarding, which it cleverly disguises as a "Fit Test" (00:51). Instead of a boring tutorial, new users are immediately engaged in a series of games that assess their baseline skills. This provides instant value and a clear reason to continue. After completing the test, the app presents a clear paywall (10:47) for a free trial to unlock the full experience. The main dashboard (11:15) is well-organized, offering various workout modes beyond the classic tailored plan, such as sessions focused specifically on Math or Language.

UX highlights

Interactive Onboarding: The app uses a mandatory three-part test as its onboarding, which feels more like a diagnostic tool than a tutorial. This is highly effective at engaging users.
Clear Goal Setting: The onboarding explicitly states the three goals for the first session (00:51), which manages user expectations perfectly.
Scientific Credibility: Before each game, a brief screen explains the cognitive skill being tested, like "response inhibition" for the Color Match game (01:09). This reinforces the app's scientific basis.
Gamified Insights: Deeper performance analytics are locked until the user plays a certain number of games (14:08). This turns data into a reward and creates a compelling engagement loop.
Organized Game Library: The full library of games is neatly categorized by cognitive skill (13:44), making it easy for users to find and practice specific areas.
Multiple Workout Modes: The dashboard offers tailored workout modes like "Classic," "Math," "Language," and "Favorites" (11:15), catering to different user moods and goals.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is introduced after the user has invested significant time and effort into the initial Fit Test. At 10:47, the app presents a paywall offering a 14-day free trial. The screen highlights a "Most Popular" yearly plan, breaking down the cost to a monthly equivalent to make it seem more affordable. The user selects a plan and subscribes through the standard App Store flow (11:01), after which a simple confirmation appears (11:11). The strategy is to prove value first, then ask for the conversion.

Who it’s for

Lumosity is for individuals interested in maintaining or improving their cognitive health through regular mental exercise. This includes students looking to sharpen their focus, professionals aiming to boost problem-solving skills, and older adults wanting to keep their minds active. The structured, game-based approach makes it accessible to anyone who enjoys puzzles and wants a guided way to track their mental fitness.

Notes & opportunities

While the Fit Test onboarding is excellent, it is quite long. Some users might drop off before completing all three games. The user interface, particularly in the game results (03:08) and dashboard (11:15), feels clean but slightly dated compared to more modern apps. There's an opportunity to introduce more dynamic visualizations and social features, like challenges or leaderboards, to further boost long-term retention beyond the core gameplay.