2025

sona ai

Reducing decision friction in AI-powered content creation from idea to video in under 5 minutes

Product

Mobile app

Industry

AI Service

My role

Product Designer

Scope of work

UX Research

User Flows

Design System

UX/UI Design

AI generations

Overview
Content Factory is a Telegram Mini App that allows you to create photos and videos for social media using AI, without needing any editing, design or video production skills.
Users upload text, images or their own AI avatar and receive a ready-to-post vertical video clip.
Challenges
Users have to use several different services to create content: video generators, editors, trend-tracking tools and publishing platforms.

Challenge #1

How can a complex AI process be 
explained in the simplest possible terms?

Challenge #2

How can you guide a user through their first generation in under 5 minutes?

Challenge #2

How can you design the loading animation so that the user doesn’t think the app 
has frozen?

Design Process
Analysed five competitors (Captions, InVideo, TrendTok, Trendpop) to understand best practices in the market.
Created a User Journey Map for key scenarios, which helped identify the main issues with the current interface and generate ideas for new features.
Generated the necessary images and photographs for the app using AI.
I created a design system comprising over 50 token-based components and reduced time to market by 30%
At each stage of prototype refinement (from wireframes to interactive mock-ups), usability tests and additional interviews were conducted to identify weaknesses and refine design solutions.
Insights

The problem^

Creating short videos requires 
a wide range of tools and skills:

•  to increase the volume of content produced;
•  to encourage the switch to paid subscriptions;
•  to improve user retention through regular posts.

For most entrepreneurs, experts and bloggers, this process is too complex and expensive.

User research has identified 3 key pain points:

1. Time-consuming content productionPreparing a single Reel takes between 1 and 4 hours.

2. Lack of expertiseUsers do not know how to use video editors and AI tools.

3. Irregular postingMost content plans fall through due to the labour-intensive nature of production.

Business objectives:

•  to increase the volume of content produced;
•  to encourage the switch to paid subscriptions;
•  to improve user retention through regular posts.

User objectives:

•  to create their first video in under 5 minutes; •  not to have to learn how to use complex tools;
•  to post content on a schedule.

Hypotheses
1. Templates instead of manual configuration

One of the problems was the large number of generation parameters.Instead of complex settings, I used 
a system of templates.

The user creates a template once and then starts the generation process with just a few clicks.

Expected result:

• less cognitive load;
• faster repetition of actions;
• easier to scale the product.

2. Progressive Disclosure

Whilst testing user scenarios, I noticed that most of the additional settings were rarely used.

Therefore, the advanced settings were hidden within the ‘Advanced’ section.

Expected result:

• the user sees only what is necessary to start the generation process..

3. Reducing anxiety whilst waiting

Video generation can take several minutes. The user may not wait for it to finish and may exit the app

To avoid the feeling that the app has frozen, a separate status screen was designed.

The user can always see:

• the current processing stage;
• the estimated waiting time;
• the option to leave the screen without losing the result.

1. Templates instead of manual configuration

The problem of a lack of ideas proved to be no less important than the content generation itself.

Therefore, the Trends module became a separate product feature.

Users can:

•  explore popular formats;
•  understand the reasons behind their rise;
• immediately apply a trend to the content generator.

Main Flow
Accelerating Time-to-First-Value in AI Content Creation

Designed a key user journey for AI video creation that helps users progress from their first interaction with the product to receiving finished content in under 5 minutes.

Key features:

•  step-by-step onboarding with a quick introduction to the platform’s capabilities;
•  creation and customisation of a personal AI avatar;
•  flexible customisation of the avatar’s appearance, movements and behaviour;
•  uploading or generating voice-over;
•  a transparent content creation process and delivery of the finished result in just a few clicks;
•  a built-in process for evaluating and regenerating content.

Value for the users:

a lower barrier to entry for AI tools, quick delivery of initial results, and the ability to create content without any editing or video production skills

Value for businesses:

increased activation rate, reduced time-to-first-value, a higher proportion of users completing their first content generation, and increased conversion to paid subscriptions thanks to users quickly deriving value from the product

Trends
Turning Trends into Ready-to-Use Content Ideas

Designed an AI trend analysis module that helps users find viral content, understand the reasons behind its popularity, and quickly turn trends into their own videos without having to analyse the market themselves.

Key features:

• personalised recommendations based on the user’s niche and social media accounts;
• a quick transition from trend analysis to creating your own content based on the identified pattern;
• automatic search and selection of popular videos on a given topic;
• AI analysis of the structure and mechanics of viral content;
• automatic extraction of scripts and key ideas from videos.

Value for the users:

saving time searching for content ideas, understanding why viral videos are 
popular, and the ability to create relevant content based on current trends

Value for businesses:

increased user engagement, higher frequency of content creation, improved retention through constant updates on trends, and an increase in the number of successful posts through the use of proven content mechanics

Autoposting
Closing the Loop from Content Creation to Publication

An auto-posting system that allows users to publish AI-generated content on Instagram and TikTok without using third-party services or manually managing posts.

Key features:

•  display of publication statuses and monitoring of content placement success;
•  publishing content immediately after generation is complete;
•  creating and editing descriptions prior to publication;
•  management of scheduled and published content;
•  a single calendar for the content plan.

Value for the users:

the ability to manage the entire content creation cycle within a single app, saving time on manually scheduling posts and maintaining a regular content schedule without the need for additional tools

Value for businesses:

an increase in the publish conversion rate; improved user retention through the development of regular content-publishing habits; enhanced subscription value; and an increase in the volume of content created and published within the product’s ecosystem

Profile
Managing Subscription, Support, and User Retention

Unified Account Management Center that allows users to manage their subscription, access support, take part in the referral program, and control service settings all from a single interface.

Key features:

• managing your profile and personal settings;
•  activating, renewing and changing subscriptions;
•  a built-in support chat with an AI assistant and live operators;
•  a flexible system of pricing plans for different usage scenarios;
•  participation in the referral program and earning bonuses for referred users.

Value for the users:

quick access to service settings, transparent subscription management, the ability to resolve issues promptly via built-in support, and the chance to gain additional benefits through the referral program

Value for businesses:

increased conversion to paid plans, reduced user churn thanks to accessible support, and higher LTV through the subscription system and incentives

Key Results
After developing the app, user tests were carried out with real users, and here are the results I achieved

Task Success Rate:

90%

Sistem Usability Score:

80+

Average Time on Generation Flow:

<2min

Next Steps
What else could I improve?

•  Growth strategies to boost subscription conversions;
•  Analytics on the performance of published videos;
•  AI-powered content publishing scheduling;
•  Personalised content recommendations;
•  A/B testing of onboarding;