Presets for Lightroom: Filters

What it does

Presets is a mobile app that provides a vast library of photo filters, known as presets, for the Adobe Lightroom mobile app. It serves as a marketplace for users to discover, preview, and export professional-looking styles to apply to their own photos. The core function is to simplify photo editing by offering one-tap transformations for various aesthetics, from moody travel shots to clean, professional portraits.

Where it shines

The app excels in its presentation and organization of content. The main dashboard (00:55) is clean and highly visual, with well-curated collection covers that immediately convey the aesthetic of the presets within. The interaction for previewing a specific preset collection is smooth, allowing users to swipe through examples effortlessly (01:18). A particularly nice touch is the 'long press to show a preset' feature, which gives a quick glimpse without committing to a full screen change, making browsing faster and more fluid.

UX highlights

Clear Categorization: The main screen organizes presets into logical categories like 'Popular,' 'Beach,' and 'Black,' which helps users quickly find styles relevant to their needs (00:55).
Visual Previews: Each collection and individual preset is demonstrated with high-quality example photos, giving users a clear idea of the end result before they commit.
Favorite System: A simple star icon (01:05) allows users to save collections they like, creating a personalized 'My presets' library (03:21) for easy access later.
Mandatory Education: To prevent user confusion, the app includes a mandatory 'How to use' tutorial (01:33) that explains the required workflow with Adobe Lightroom. This adds friction but likely improves long-term satisfaction.
Direct Manipulation: Users can easily swipe left and right to navigate between presets in a collection (01:20), a familiar and intuitive interaction pattern.

Monetization & growth

The app's monetization strategy is front and center. After a very brief onboarding flow, the user is met with a hard paywall (00:24) that gates access to the entire app. The offer is a single plan: a 3-day free trial that converts to a weekly subscription. The paywall screen itself is simple, emphasizing 'Unlimited Access' and using a dynamic background of example photos to reinforce the app's value. The app also employs a multi-layered rating prompt during onboarding (00:12 - 00:20) to encourage positive App Store reviews.

Who it’s for

This app is primarily for amateur photographers, social media influencers, and content creators who use Adobe Lightroom Mobile. It targets users who want to achieve a professional or stylized look for their photos quickly without mastering complex editing tools. The focus on popular aesthetics like 'Bali' (02:45) and 'Caramel Dubai' (01:12) suggests a user base that is active on platforms like Instagram and values trendy visual styles.

Notes & opportunities

The reliance on a mandatory tutorial (01:33) is a double-edged sword. While it educates users, it also creates a significant hurdle before they can experience the app's core value. An alternative could be an optional, context-aware tutorial that appears only when a user seems stuck. Additionally, the main dashboard's loading state (00:52) uses a shimmering placeholder, which is nice, but the actual image loading feels a bit slow, which could be improved for a snappier first impression.