the challenge
95% of users were leaving the ecosystem
GoodRx Rewards was meant to deepen engagement, but 95% of users were redeeming points for gift cards to Starbucks and Nike instead of prescription discounts, pulling them away from our core health mission.
The disconnect: Rewards dollars flowed to other retailers instead of driving prescription fills.
To solve this, I needed to understand what was driving users toward gift cards and how to make prescription savings feel more valuable and accessible.
restructuring the information architecture
Putting prescriptions first
Based on user research, I restructured the information hierarchy to prioritize prescription savings while still offering gift card options.
Collaborating with Engineering and Content Design, I made critical IA changes to the Rewards tab. This work served a dual purpose: it improved the overall structure immediately, and it gave Engineering something concrete to build while I explored concepts for the full redesign.
exploring solutions
Two approaches
With the new IA in place, the next question was: how should the redemption flow itself work? I worked with another designer to explore two different directions:
Variant A: per-prescription (my focus)
Members specify which prescription to apply rewards to, addressing the desire for control identified in research.
Variant B: one-tap (design partner's focus)
One action applies rewards to the next prescription without any specification needed. Maximum simplicity.
the direction
Prioritizing user agency
When we presented both variants to leadership, they chose Variant A. They felt explicit control was more important than automation, especially for a first release.
I moved forward with detailed design work, preparing Variant A for engineering handoff while keeping Variant B as a future test.
the pivot
When constraints force better solutions
Then, about a month in, everything changed. A new engineering team inherited the project, and my design partner moved to another initiative. The new team discovered Variant A's technical complexity was far higher than estimated.
The choice: Miss our deadline with Variant A, or pivot to Variant B's simpler approach.
We pivoted. While this meant sacrificing some user control, it aligned better with our core goal: remove friction and make the value clear.
testing + refining
Validating the simpler approach
Now as the sole designer, I needed to make sure this simpler direction actually worked for users. I partnered closely with UX Research to validate the new direction. We collaborated on the testing guide and I attended all sessions to hear directly from users.
usability testing
What we've learned
01
Low awareness + understanding of Rewards
Users didn't know they were enrolled or how the program worked
02
Uncertainty post-redemption
Users weren't confident it worked at the pharmacy
03
Misleading language around savings
"Next purchase" felt like e-commerce, not prescriptions
04
Desire for more control
A subset wanted to choose which medication got the discount
the solution
What we shipped
Based on these insights, the redesigned experience launched with three key improvements:
PRESCRIPTION REWARDS FOCUSED
Restructured the Rewards tab to make prescription discounts the hero, with gift cards secondary.
ONE-TAP REDEMPTION
Users tap "Claim your reward" and their reward automatically applies to the next eligible prescription. No specification needed.
CLEAR CONFIRMATION
Post-redemption screen explains exactly what happens at pickup, removing uncertainty.
the impact
Keeping users in the ecosystem
After launch, we monitored how the redesigned flow influenced user behavior and engagement. Early results showed strong signs that our simplified approach was working.
145%
$226k
next steps
Future iterations
The MVP's success opened the door for even more improvements. I designed future enhancements to continue refining the experience:
Combined one-page redemption
Better feedback loops
Support user agency
reflections
Working together towards one goal
Align early, align often
One of the biggest lessons from this project was the importance of early alignment, especially around foundational elements like earning models and business logic. Late-stage misalignment slowed us down and forced a few last-minute pivots that could have been avoided with tighter upfront communication across cross-functional partners.
Technical understanding is product understanding
We partnered with a new Engineering team unfamiliar with parts of the existing Rewards infrastructure. This led to an early underestimation of the technical lift and required us to pivot quickly from our original design direction. In future work, getting engineers up to speed and pressure-testing feasibility early is essential.
Adaptability under pressure
Despite these challenges, the team remained adaptable. We moved quickly, made tough calls, and prioritized clarity in the user experience. The shift to a simpler MVP allowed us to meet deadlines without compromising on core goals.
Cross-functional collaboration was key
This project was a true team effort. Design and Product aligned closely on the strategy, while User Research provided clarity on user expectations and pain points. I collaborated early with Engineering to run our IA experiment, and we worked closely with Data and Business Insights to measure impact during and after launch. That level of cross-functional trust was instrumental in getting this off the ground. It also set the tone for future iterations.
