Designing a Soft
Paywall Strategy
UX - UI Design | Product Strategy | Monetisation
Note: Some interface elements and product information have been omitted or simplified due to confidentiality and proprietary restrictions.
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summary
summary
Role: UX Strategy & Product Design
Product: Snapfix
Platform: Mobile & Web
Scope: Subscription tiers, feature access communication, upgrade flow
My contribution: UX strategy, competitor analysis, paywall UX and UI design
Outcome: Introduced a soft paywall strategy that communicates plan limits and encourages upgrades without interrupting user workflows
As Snapfix introduced tiered plans, I designed a soft paywall that communicates feature limits and plan value without interrupting workflows, helping users understand when and why to upgrade.
1. OPPORTUNITY
As Snapfix expanded, the product wanted to divide its subscription into several plans: Basic, Team, Pro, and Enterprise.
However, users had no visibility into what their plan included or when they reached its limits. This could easily confuse users and make it difficult for customers to understand the value of upgrading.
This presented an opportunity to introduce a clear and user-friendly monetisation experience within the product.
2. RESEARCH & DISCOVERY
To understand how organisations manage compliance, I interviewed several customers and industry professionals and analysed existing workflows.
Key findings
Key findings
Successful products introduce soft limits before hard restrictions
Users respond better when value is communicated before blocking actions
Paywalls that interrupt workflows create frustration and poor adoption
Clear plan comparison helps users understand the benefits of upgrading
These insights helped define the core areas where Snapfix could provide value.
3. DEFINING THE STRATEGY
Instead of immediately blocking users when they reached their plan limits, the goal was to introduce a soft paywall.
This approach allows users to:
• understand what their current plan includes
• discover other available features and plans
• see what limits they are approaching or already exceeded
• continue working while considering an upgrade.
This strategy ensures the product remains usable while communicating the value of higher-tier plans.
4. DESIGNING THE PAYWALL
The paywall was designed to integrate naturally into the Snapfix product experience.
Key elements included:
PLAN VISIBILITY
PLAN VISIBILITY
Users can clearly see what features and limits are included in their current subscription.
UPGRADE OPPORTUNITIES
UPGRADE OPPORTUNITIES
Upgrade prompts highlight the benefits of higher-tier plans without interrupting ongoing workflows.
USAGE AWARENESS
USAGE AWARENESS
Visual indicators show when users are approaching feature limits, helping them anticipate restrictions before they occur.
5. KEY DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Several design and psychology principles guided the design:
TRANSPARENCY
Users should clearly understand what their plan includes.
NON-DISRUPTIVE MONETISATION
Upgrade prompts should not interrupt core workflows.
VALUE COMMUNICATION
Users should see the benefits of upgrading before encountering restrictions.
CONSISTENCY WITH EXISTING UX
The paywall interface follows existing product patterns and mental models.
7. Outcome & impact
7. Outcome & impact
The new paywall introduced a clear monetisation layer within Snapfix.
• Clear visibility of subscription plan limits
• Improved communication of feature value
• Prevented user frustration caused by sudden feature restrictions
• A scalable foundation for Snapfix’s subscription model
8. REFLECTION
Designing the paywall highlighted the importance of balancing business goals with user experience.
Key learnings:
• monetisation UX should support the product experience, not interrupt it
• communicating value is more effective than enforcing restrictions
• soft limits provide a smoother path toward product upgrades
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