Understanding Their Challenge

The Bhagavad Gita team came to us with an interesting challenge. They already had the top app in their category, but success brought new hurdles. Users were downloading the app, but they weren’t staying engaged. 

We dug into some competitive research, analyzing other spiritual apps to figure out what kept users coming back. The pattern was clear: apps with note-taking and bookmarking features had higher retention. 

We also discovered that sharing custom imagery was becoming a key differentiator and people loved sharing their favorite verses in beautiful formats.

Creating Visual Identity

The app worked well but felt outdated. Our challenge was to modernize it while staying true to its spiritual roots. We experimented with Indian elements and floral designs to keep it authentic, but not overwhelming. 

We also explored the ‘dark mode’ with glass-morphism, which felt sleek and modern. However, after client feedback, we switched back to the ‘light mode’ for better accessibility. 

The light theme made the app feel more welcoming while still maintaining visual appeal.

Improving Content Navigation

The biggest UX challenge was the endless scrolling to find specific verses. Each Bhagavad Gita chapter had 20 to 70 verses, which made navigation frustrating. Our fix was range-based navigation. 

Users could quickly jump to a set range of verses, drastically cutting navigation time. For advanced users, we introduced tap-and-hold quick navigation to jump between verse ranges effortlessly. 

The entire navigation bar got redesigned, making it simple to switch chapters with just a left or right arrow. It was an intuitive solution that saved users a lot of time.

Building Engagement Features

At this stage, the focus was on increasing user stickiness by making the app more engaging. We added swipe-able cards that let users: 

• Bookmark verses with a right swipe, 

• Mark these verses as “Read” with a left swipe 

Tapping a verse would automatically mark it read, but manual control was there too. Users could also save verses, organize them by chapter or date, and easily revisit favorites in a dedicated section. 

The note-taking feature we created further stood out, letting users highlight passages in different colors and add notes to capture their thoughts.

Adding AI-Powered Features

Our most ambitious feature was Gita GPT, an AI assistant trained on Bhagavad Gita content.

Users could ask questions like: "What’s the key message in chapter 17?" and get meaningful replies. 

It worked like ChatGPT but focused purely on spiritual teachings. We added preset prompts to help new users get started quickly. Voice-to-text made it more accessible, letting users speak their questions on the go. 

We included daily AI usage limits not to restrict but to add value for premium users while keeping the app’s core open to all.

Enhancing Reading Experience

We knew the reading experience needed subtle but important tweaks. So, we added accessibility options for adjusting font size, line spacing, and font family to suit different readers.

Theme switching between light and dark modes catered to various preferences. We also built a tap-to-view footnote system to provide explanations without breaking flow. 

Multi-language support grew too, with translations and scholarly commentary choices, giving readers deeper insight in English and other languages.

Comprehensive Search Functionality

With 700 verses, content discovery needed a rethink. We introduced an explore section featuring popular and trending verses so users could find new insights. 

Search expanded to include guided meditations, videos, and spiritual music, turning the app into a full learning platform. 

A wallpaper section with verse graphics allowed users to download and share inspirational images, fostering a sense of community.

Adding Subscription Flow 

Going from free to freemium required a careful balance. We design an announcement system for offers & updates, while respecting the app’s spiritual tone. 

The subscription flow was about highlighting value, not pushing sales.

Locked content states were designed thoughtfully – while free users enjoyed essential content, premium gave access to AI tools, advanced notes, and exclusive features.

Designing for Edge Cases

Great apps handle edge cases gracefully. We designed empty states for new users across all features. When someone opens the saved verses section for the first time, they see helpful guidance instead of blank screens.

Error states got special attention. If the AI chat fails or connectivity drops, users see encouraging messages that maintain the spiritual tone. Technical problems don't break the meditative experience.

We also created comprehensive loading states that maintained the app's peaceful ambiance, in a way that even waiting felt intentional and calming.

The development team received detailed specifications covering every interaction state. We also created both light and dark mode versions for every screen.

We also created a bunch of app store assets for iOS and Android for the client.

Conclusion

The result was a modernized spiritual app that honored ancient wisdom while embracing contemporary user expectations. 

The comprehensive redesign increased engagement while maintaining the authentic spiritual experience that made the app number one in its category.