Unifying internet management to boost engagement with Lumen’s Quantum Fiber app.

Replaced fragmented third-party tools with a unified app — letting families set controls, prioritize devices, and troubleshoot easily while boosting adoption and reducing support costs.

Context

Lumen’s B2C customers relied on multiple third-party apps alongside Lumen’s own tools to manage internet usage, troubleshoot issues, and set controls. This fragmented experience caused user confusion and higher operational costs. Meanwhile, the Quantum Fiber app had low engagement (4% DAU) and poor ratings, limiting its ability to support new features. Leadership set a 2023 mandate to increase traction and engagement with user-first solutions.

Problem 

Customers lacked a simple way to manage or secure their internet—parents wanted content filters, businesses needed productivity controls, and users sought easier troubleshooting. Reliance on third-party apps caused frustration and high support costs. Our goal was to unify these needs into a single, user-friendly solution that gave families confidence, supported productivity, and empowered self-service

Process

As Lead UX Designer, I defined strategy, ran research, synthesized insights, and led ideation and usability testing. Partnering with PMs, engineers, and developers, I shaped an ambiguous ask into a clear product vision and delivered the first feature in four months.

Impact 

Introducing the internet profiles  boosted ratings from 3.3 to 4.1, doubled daily active usage, and cut device-related support calls by 27%, making it the trusted hub for internet management.

Timeline: Mar’24 - Jul’24 (5 months)

Research & Findings

Analyzing app and web analytics revealed that 34% of users navigating device settings ended up on customer service pages, and the top searches were “management” and “parent account roles”, showing unmet needs for visibility and control.

To understand why, I reviewed six months of customer service calls, tagging recurring requests, conducted scenario-building exercises with support teams, and ran user interviews to uncover motivations behind behaviors.

Findings

53% of calls were from parents requesting content filtering or screen time limits → clear need for parental controls.

26% of calls involved troubleshooting or monitoring connectivity → users wanted visibility into device-level internet usage.

42% of users expressed frustration with managing multiple devices individually → opportunity to simplify with grouped device controls.

30% of users requested the ability to schedule internet access at different times → informing the need for internet schedules.

18% of users wanted to prioritize certain devices during peak hours → highlighting device prioritization as a key feature.

Analysing 6 months of customer call recordings

Thematic analysis of data collected

Translating insights into concepts

Research revealed opportunities in simplifying device control, parental controls, internet schedules, device prioritization, and preset configurations. I mapped journeys for parents, small businesses, and multi-device users, then ideated concepts including device-level and profile-based management. Early feedback from PMs and developers helped refine feasibility and prioritize features for launch.

User journey for parent

Initial concepts and validation with the team

User testing 

After internal refinements, I tested concepts with customers via usertesting.com. Device-level management was cumbersome, confirming profiles were needed. Users valued schedules, presets, and device prioritization, and highlighted the need for guidance during profile creation. These findings shaped high-fidelity designs that were intuitive, easy to adopt, and aligned with user needs.

Quick user testing for different sub-features using usertesting.com

Final design - Mobile experience

The final profile-based design was tested with users through unmoderated sessions on usertesting.com. Users were able to create profiles, assign devices, apply preset schedules, and block content with minimal errors. Feedback showed that inline guidance and preloaded settings reduced confusion and setup time. Device prioritization and internet schedules were well-received, particularly by parents and work-from-home users. Overall, testing confirmed that the design was intuitive, met core user needs, and addressed pain points identified during research.

1. Profile design 

We’re introducing profile creation within the app for the first time, establishing multiple entry points for users to create profiles. To guide users through this process, we’re incorporating explanatory banners detailing the functionalities available with profiles. While creating profiles, users will be presented with the main features, such as Internet schedules and content management, which they have the option to skip if desired.

Value for users

Profile creation empowers users to efficiently regulate online behavior, enabling a responsible approach to internet usage while customizing access levels and restrictions.

• For parents → safeguards like content filtering and screen time limits to protect their children from Inappropriate data.
• For small businesses → Allocating specific internet privileges to departments enhances productivity by keeping employees focused on work-related tasks.

 Value for Lumen

1. Reduces operational costs through targeted services and removing the need for third-party applications
2. Enhancing user retention with personalized experiences, boosting user satisfaction, and leading to increased customer loyalty and retention.
3. Preemptively addressing user frustrations to cut down on customer care inquiries
4. Boosting app engagement by tailoring offerings based on user preferences

2. Internet Schedules

Internet Schedules allows users to create multiple schedules, e.g., Bedtime Schedules, Study time, and work times. This allows users to access the internet during these times and also allows users to pause their schedules. We tried leveraging the IOS patterns to set up timings.

Value for users

Internet access schedules ensure internet usage at a particular set time and restrict internet access outside the setup time.

• For Parents → To maintain Controlled Screen Time, Establishing Routines and Promoting Family Time.
• For Businesses → To schedule internet access by department or task to prevent peak-hour congestion and reduce costs by limiting internet access during non-working hours.

Value for Lumen

1. Internet access schedules help Lumen optimize bandwidth, reducing operational costs during peak hours and enhancing overall cost efficiency.
2. Creating personalized experiences improves user retention rates, customer loyalty, and app engagement.

3. Block content 

Blocking content helps users to limit distractions and create a safe environment for their kids. Based on the usability test insights, we created categories that help users block both websites and applications.

Value for users

• For Parents → This helps parents control their kids’ content, limit distractions and safe browsing, and mainly provides peace of mind.
• For Business → Blocking content or apps helps to enhance focus Productivity and security

Value for Lumen

Enabling customers to block unwanted content independently reduces the need for customer care inquiries, empowering users to address concerns themselves, thereby decreasing support needs. This is one of Lumen’s long-term goals of making users self-sufficient

4. Prioritising devices

Prioritizing devices enables users to give first priority to specific devices in case of slow or problematic internet connections. Even with limited internet availability, efforts are made to allocate additional bandwidth to prioritized devices from the shared internet resources.

Value for users

Helps small businesses to improve their work efficiency by prioritizing work-related devices, ensuring consistent and reliable internet access for essential tasks and services. 

Value for Lumen

Prioritizing devices ensures uninterrupted network access, reducing customer calls amid lower household internet availability. This boosts retention and loyalty by enhancing customer satisfaction.

Impact 

140K

New profile creations

Within 3 months of the launch, we recorded 18% of users created profiles.

11%

Daily active users

Increase of DAU from 90K to 330K.

3.9

Quantum fiber app ratings

Within span of 3 months, QF App ratings in App Store increased from 3.3 to 3.9.

Learning & Next steps

Framing ambiguous business asks into clear opportunity areas through research proved essential for aligning product vision with user needs.

Simplicity and guided controls (profiles, presets) drove adoption more than complex feature depth, reinforcing the value of progressive disclosure.

Early validation with developers ensured feasibility and faster delivery, a practice to scale for future initiatives

Moving forward, opportunities lie in expanding personalization (e.g., custom content filters), introducing contextual recommendations, and integrating with smart home ecosystems to further strengthen retention and engagement.

Wish to speak with me

Reach me at haasinisai01@gmail.com