Calendar Application
More than 15,000 new uses for one feature
5000x Engagement Boost: Redesigning the Reminder Feature in the BadeSaba Calendar App
From 3 clicks/month to over 15,000 — a UX-driven success story
🧭 Introduction
In the BadeSaba Azan Calendar app — one of the most popular religious calendar apps in Iran with over 20 million installs and 12 million active users — there was a useful but nearly invisible feature: the daily reminder tool.
Through user research, UX analysis, and a lightweight redesign, we increased its interaction rate from 3 clicks/month to over 15,000 in just one month.
📱 About the App
Badesaba is a multifunctional calendar and prayer time application trusted by millions of Iranians. It combines Shamsi, Hijri, and Gregorian calendars, religious tools, alarms, reminders, and real-time azan notifications.
🔍 The Problem
Despite being useful, the “Reminder” feature in the calendar view was barely used. Data showed only 3 interactions in a full month across 12 million+ active users—essentially zero.
UX review revealed:
- The reminder icon was visually insignificant.
- It lacked a label or hint to introduce its function.
- The icon’s placement made it easy to overlook in the daily view.
🧪 Research & User Insights
We conducted:
- A user journey audit
- 6 quick usability sessions with everyday users
- Heuristic evaluations
Findings:
- Most users didn’t notice the icon.
- Those who saw it didn’t recognize its purpose.
- Many didn’t know the app even supported daily reminders.
🛠️ The Redesign Solution
We reimagined the feature’s visibility and usability without altering the core functionality.
Key design decisions:
- Moved the icon to a more prominent spot near the date
- Added a “Reminder” label (first-time only)
- Used a highlight color and light animation to draw attention
- Maintained minimalism while improving visibility
📸 (Insert before/after screens here)
📊 Results
Following the release of the redesign:
| Period | Reminder Clicks | Engagement Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Before | 3/month | ~0.0025% |
| After | 15,234/month | ~0.12% |
🔹 Average session duration on calendar view increased by 23%
🔹 Reminders created by users increased 64x in the following 30 days
💡 Lessons Learned
- Features without visibility or context are easily ignored — no matter how useful.
- UX research is key to uncovering blind spots in usage.
- Small visual improvements can create massive engagement growth.
