REALLY

Privacy-first onboarding for a mobile carrier

REALLY is a mobile carrier built around privacy and security — removing ads, trackers, and data brokers from the user experience. I led the redesign of the onboarding flow to reflect those values, helping users trust the product from day one. This included simplifying plan activation, guiding secure account setup, and reinforcing the brand’s credibility throughout.
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I worked closely with the Head of Design, engineering, and PMs to define product requirements, navigate system limitations, and ship experiences that balanced technical constraints with clear, secure, and scalable user flows.

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

TOOLS

Figma, Adobe Suite, Figjam, Miro, Fullstory, Webflow, Vscode, GPT, Claude

problem discovery & validation

The onboarding experience didn't deliver on the brand's promise.

Users came in with high expectations — not just for security, but for clarity and ease. But technical complexity and a lack of guidance left too much room for doubt. I worked closely with CX to surface common support pain points, and partnered with PMs and engineering to map out where system limitations created friction in the journey. Digging into behavioral data, user feedback, and survey insights revealed the real issue wasn’t just onboarding—it was a broader misalignment between user intent and product clarity.

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

.... yeah REALLY was realllyyy struggling, here's some key insights ↓

🤝 Trust Gap During Initial Setup

Despite being marketed as a privacy-first product, users weren’t immediately convinced that their data was truly safe. The onboarding flow didn’t reinforce or explain security measures in a way that matched their expectations for transparency and control.

👓 Users Needed Clarity, Not Complexity

The core user base valued privacy — even willing to pay a premium for it — but didn’t want to deal with a technically demanding setup. What they needed was clear language, simplified decisions, and confirmation that they were in the right hands.

📖 Friction from Technical Complexity

Many users struggled to activate their phones due to device limitations (e.g. lack of eSIM support) or confusion around platform-specific setup steps for iOS and Android. This caused a steep drop-off in the onboarding flow and overwhelmed customer support teams.

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

the design challenge

How might we reduce activation friction while building user trust in a privacy+security-first product?

the business challenge

How might we balance growth goals with the integrity of a trust-based brand promise?

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

additional notes + shifting priorities & organizational structure

...onboarding pain points turned into
whole audits of the whole ecosystem.
goal + team objectives changed.

I ran and co-ran a ton of design sprints. check out some here.
Gamification
Customer Journey
Business Problem, Onboarding Sprint
Paid Research Survey, Business Ops + Brand

marketing spending and rapid growth lead to our business goals.

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

the solution —

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

reflections

Lessons + Learnings

Designing in a fast-paced, systems-heavy environment pushed me to be more decisive and intentional with my craft.

As a junior designer, I had the opportunity to touch multiple parts of the product — from onboarding flows to app settings — which gave me a broader understanding of how design connects user needs, business goals, and tech constraints.
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While timelines were tight and research limited, those constraints taught me to be resourceful, ask sharper questions, and design with clarity even in ambiguity. It was a formative experience in learning how to balance speed with intention.

TEAM

Matthew Stephens - Head of Design

Firdavs Ubaydov - Senior FE Engineer

Manijeh Noori - Head of Business Ops

Sophie Molina - CX Associate

ROLE

Jr. Product Designer

I’m a product designer seasoned by the startup space —
experienced in delivering pixel-perfect + accessible products.

I believe in creating digital experiences that are both beautifully designed and genuinely user-focused. Lately, I've been curious how technology has shifted post-pandemic and what that means for human interaction. In 2021, I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin and attained my certificate in UX from Designlab in 2022. I have a niche interest in working at startups that want to change & push the envelope. I've freelanced in a variety of industries before landing at my current role at REALLY.