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iOS VPN · Case Study

GreenVPN

I designed a calm, nature-themed VPN from scratch — one that a non-techie turns on without a second thought. Then I used the data to make “on” effortless.

Lead Product DesigneriOS · 20233-month build
VPN off
VPN on
Servers
My role
Lead Product Designer — research, UX, UI & design system
Team
1 PM · 2 iOS engineers
Timeline
3 months · shipped 2023
Platform
iOS · freemium · 3-day trial
0%
First-session activation
turned VPN on · from 64%
6.2%
Trial → paid
3-day free trial
+22%
Day-7 retention
vs prior build
4.5★
App Store rating
at launch

The challenge

A VPN that doesn’t look — or feel — like hacker software

Most VPNs are sold on fear and built for power users: shields, padlocks, protocol menus, “military-grade” jargon. For a mainstream audience that just wants to feel safe on public Wi-Fi, all of it reads as not for me — they install, get intimidated, and never actually turn it on.

My brief: a VPN with a calm, natural personality and a single, obvious gesture — so the moment that matters (actually switching it on) just happens.

The one gesture

Swipe up. You’re safe.

No menus, no setup — the entire product is one big switch you can’t misread.

Off
Off
→
One swipe
On

Discovery

Why mainstream users never switch it on

This looks too technical

Padlocks, protocols and jargon signalled “expert tool.” People bounced before the first connection.

Did it actually turn on?

Ambiguous toggle states left users unsure whether they were protected — so they didn’t trust it.

Is the free one any good?

Murky free-vs-paid made the trial feel like a trap rather than a fair try-before-you-buy.

From 8 interviews with non-technical users, usability tests on the connect flow, and a teardown of how 5 mainstream VPNs present “on / off.”

Key decisions

Designed from scratch, then tuned on the data

I shipped it, watched where people stalled, and redesigned those moments. Every call is mine — and each one moved a number.

Off
On
01 The core gesture

One unmistakable switch

What I designed
I made the whole home a single swipe-up switch with a giant ON / OFF state, a live “Connected” timer, and the current country right above it — zero menus to reach safety.
What the data showed
My first toggle was ambiguous — people couldn’t tell if they were protected, and first-session activation sat at 64%.
The result
A bold, unmissable switch with clear states lifted first-session activation to 88% — people actually turned it on.
Brand
02 Personality

Nature, not “military-grade”

What I designed
I leaned the whole brand into calm nature — a leaf mark, soft green gradients, mountains and forest — so protection feels friendly and approachable, not like security software.
What the data showed
The earlier “shield & padlock” direction tested as intimidating for the mainstream audience we were after.
The result
The calmer identity widened appeal, improved store sentiment, and made the app feel made for normal people.
Servers
Trial
03 Fair to upgrade

Free servers you can see, a trial you can trust

What I designed
I put free and premium servers in one honest list — free locations clearly labelled, premium marked with a simple crown — and framed the paywall as a real 3-day trial, not a wall.
What the data showed
Murky free-vs-paid made users suspicious of the trial; conversion stalled because the offer felt like a trap.
The result
Honest tiers and a fair trial framing lifted trial starts and trial→paid conversion to 6.2%.

The hardest part of a VPN isn’t the encryption. It’s getting someone to turn it on.

Impact

What shipped — and what it moved

88%
First-session activation
64% → 88%
6.2%
Trial → paid
3-day free trial
+22%
Day-7 retention
vs prior build
4.5★
App Store rating
at launch

Measured over the first 6 weeks via funnels and App Store Connect. The single-switch home was the biggest driver — the moment users could no longer miss how to turn it on.

Reflection

What I’d do differently

🌿

“Calm” can read as “not serious”

A few users questioned whether something this friendly was actually secure. I’d pair the calm look with quiet, concrete trust signals.

↕️

Swipe-to-connect needed a tap fallback

The gesture was delightful but a few people just tapped. I’d support both from day one rather than teaching the swipe.

🌍

Server choice mattered more than expected

People wanted speed/ping cues per location. I’d surface latency and load to make the free list genuinely useful.

Design system

Fresh, calm, alive

Palette

Lime
#C6F135
Green
#2ECC71
Forest
#134F30
Ink
#0E2A1A
Mist
#EEF6E6

Typography — Bricolage Grotesque display, JetBrains Mono labels

Display · 800
Green VPN
Heading · 700
Dedicated Servers Worldwide
Body · 500
Swipe up to activate. Pick any location in a few taps.
Mono · status
CONNECTED · 00:34:45

Key components

ON

Connect Switch

The whole product in one unmissable control.

Ukraine, KievFREE

Server Row

Flag, place and an honest free / premium tag.

Activate Now

Primary CTA

One bright green action, never a wall.