App Showcase: Slowdive

What it does

Slowdive is a mobile app designed for meditation and mindfulness. It guides users through a personalized onboarding process to identify goals like stress reduction or improved sleep, then creates a tailored program with content such as guided meditations, sound healing, and mantras.

Where it shines

The app's strength lies in its thoughtful onboarding. The process feels less like a setup and more like a consultation. A key moment is the dynamic goal-setting slider at 01:14. As the user chooses their daily meditation time, the app projects tangible benefits like "Stress level decreased by 74%," turning a simple choice into a powerful visualization of value. This commitment-to-benefit loop is a core part of its persuasive design.

UX highlights

• The onboarding quiz (starting at 00:20) effectively gathers user data to create a sense of a bespoke experience from the very first session.
• Permission requests are masterfully handled with warmup screens (00:49 for Health data, 01:09 for notifications) that provide clear context and user benefits.
• The visual design is consistent and calming, using a dark, serene color palette and smooth animations (e.g., the welcome screen reveal at 00:12) to reinforce the app's purpose.
• The choice architecture for user goals (00:36) is clear, using icons and simple text to make selection easy.
• After the onboarding quiz, the app presents a summary screen (00:41) confirming it will build a "special program," which reinforces the value of the information provided.

Monetization & growth

Monetization is handled via a hard paywall presented after the complete onboarding flow (01:37). The app offers three subscription tiers: monthly, annual, and a lifetime access plan. By placing the paywall after the user has invested time in personalization and seen the value proposition, the app likely increases conversion. The "full refund" promise acts as a risk-reversal tactic to build trust. A free trial is not offered in this flow.

Who it’s for

The app seems targeted at individuals new to meditation or those looking for a structured way to improve specific areas of their mental well-being, such as stress, sleep, or focus. The guided nature of the onboarding and the "Beginner's Guide" (01:34) suggest a focus on users who may feel overwhelmed by less structured mindfulness apps.

Notes & opportunities

The onboarding is quite long, which could lead to some user drop-off. While each step adds personalization, streamlining the quiz could improve completion rates. The transition from a calming onboarding experience to a paywall (01:37) is also a bit abrupt. A softer transition or a brief free-access period to explore the main screen could potentially improve the user's first impression of the core product.