Overview
Context
Problem
Source:
Forbes Tech Council (2024) on challenges of adopting subscription.
Harvard Business School (2023) on subscription and consumer alienation.
Outcome
Takeaways
Insight
Design Decision 1:
Design Decision 2:
Design Decision 3:
My team designed Kleenex Aroma, a new product line that helps Kleenex stay competitive after sector divestment in 2025. The plan includes industrial design, marketing strategy, and digital interface design. Our project received Distinction from Harvard GSD and endorsement from IDEO, Nike, and Coca-Cola leadership.
Under this proposal, I designed a web-based, 3-step AutoReplenish subscription system to drive recurring revenue and customer loyalty, reducing subscription anxiety while encouraging continuous purchases.
At this moment, I can’t disclose our full brand strategy and will only show the subscription prototype I designed. Please reach out with other questions!
My Role:
UX Designer
Project Lead
Timeline:
14 weeks, Fall 2025
Tools:
Figma, Nanobanana AI
Collaborators:
Market Research: Lingxia Lu, Haolei Zhang
Pitch: Victoria Bartoszewicz, Xiluva Mbungela
Industrial Design: Alex Limber, Robyn Wang, Jerry Zhang
UX Design: Chloe Ni
2D & 3D Visuals: Leah Bian, Anyang Zu
Leveraging Kleenex’s 100-year legacy, our new product proposal “Kleenex Aroma” (developed around 3 user mindsets) transforms tissues from sick-day necessity to daily wellness ritual.
To support our strategy, I decided to create an online sales platform to expand our product presence beyond physical shelves. Doing so would help drive recurring revenue and strengthen customer loyalty.
While online subscription opens new profiting methods, they often fail because they feel transactional and unfamiliar to consumers.
Companies face challenges like retention, balancing customization with scalability, and evaluating pricing & bundle costs.
Consumers are reluctant due to subscription fatigue, complex cancellation process, and hidden costs.
I conducted secondary research from Forbes, Harvard Business School, and McKinsey & Co. to understand company needs and customer pain points around subscription models. Next, I synthesized the findings into tension and opportunities on 3 levels.
Manage Subscription: Flexibility & Engagement
I designed 4 wireframes for the “cancel subscription“ feature, and finalized on the 2 clearest and shortest flows, easiest for users to navigate.
Decision:
Develop from Prototype B, clarify questions & actions
Add a “Pause Subscription“ option for retention
Incentivizing Subscription via Value
Adding exclusive perks to online subscription will convince users of its value, thus securing loyalty. We explored 3 options and landed on product customization.
Decision:
Implement customization for strongest customer emotional value
create distinction only online subscribers can access.
Simplifying Subscription Steps
Users often abandon a subscription process because of its complexity and length, even though the steps help a company gather data.
To reduce abandonment rate and avoid overwhelming users, I aim to create a booking flow with only the most essential steps.
Decision:
condense into 3-step booking, include related features on the same page
Final Solution
Final Solution
Core Features
A 3-step, web-based booking flow converting one-time buyers into recurring subscribers via customization and flexibility.
Case Customization: own your routine, choose from 10 exclusive patterns only online subscribers can access.
Cancellation Flexibility: cancel your subscription through your homepage.
Pause Subscription: take a break for 30-90 days, not a breakup.
Projected unit economics: $76 annual value per subscriber.
Awarded rare “Distinction“ out of 4 groups by Harvard faculty.
Received endorsement from design industry leaders, including CEO of IDEO and senior strategist at Nike.
“I really like this project, it elevates Kleenex from a sick-day product into a premium experience. You should actually make this product.”
Question alternatives, not just effectiveness
When stuck, I learned to ask "What other options exist?" instead of "Is this right or wrong?" Iteration unlocked better solutions than defending initial choices.
Balancing is just as important as solving
Balancing user autonomy with business retention taught me to design for both parties simultaneously. Friction and strategic pauses (confirmations, alternatives) protect users from impulsive decisions while preserving company goals.
Leadership means creating space, not directing
Being Project Lead of an 11-person team taught me good collaboration begins with understanding teammates' perspectives and motivations. Trust unlocks innovation—my role was amplifying diverse expertise, not dictating solutions.