Your numbers are slipping and nobody can agree why?
Fix the Bottlenecks costing you Revenue and Customers
Your product has 2-3 critical friction points costing you money every day. We design a user-tested, developer- ready solution.
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INDUSTRY LEADERS WE PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH
PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH
No Shared Definition of Success: Support says "onboarding is broken." Product says "we shipped 3 improvements last quarter."
No Shared Definition of Success: Support says "onboarding is broken." Product says "we shipped 3 improvements last quarter." Both are right. Both are frustrated. Nobody can prove who won.
No Shared Definition of Success: Support says "onboarding is broken." Product says "we shipped 3 improvements last quarter."
You're Measuring Activity, Not Outcomes: "We improved the checkout flow" sounds great. But did cancellation-before-payment drop?
You're Measuring Activity, Not Outcomes: "We improved the checkout flow" sounds great. But did cancellation-before-payment drop? By how much? What's the target? Nobody defined that upfront.
You're Measuring Activity, Not Outcomes: "We improved the checkout flow" sounds great. But did cancellation-before-payment drop?
You Know Something’s Broken. You Just Can’t Get Everyone To Agree What.
Support volume is eating your margin because people can’t self-serve?
Support volume is eating your margin because people can’t self-serve?
Support volume is eating your margin because people can’t self-serve?
The Roadmap Is Political, Not Measurable: Every request becomes "we need this feature by Q4" — not "we need to reduce password reset tickets by 40%."
The Roadmap Is Political, Not Measurable: Every request becomes "we need this feature by Q4" — not "we need to reduce password reset tickets by 40%." So you build, but never know if you moved the needle.
The Roadmap Is Political, Not Measurable: Every request becomes "we need this feature by Q4" — not "we need to reduce password reset tickets by 40%."
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CASE STUDIES
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CASE STUDIES
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CASE STUDIES
The Work
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2025
How a design update helped AldiTalk reduce the time for plan change
–16,3%
Support chats/calls about plan selection
-13,8%
Time-to-decision (median, mobile)
2%
ARPU on successful change events
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2025
How a design update helped AldiTalk reduce the time for plan change
–16,3%
Support chats/calls about plan selection
-13,8%
Time-to-decision (median, mobile)
2%
ARPU on successful change events
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2025
How a design update helped AldiTalk reduce the time for plan change
–16,3%
Support chats/calls about plan selection
-13,8%
Time-to-decision (median, mobile)
2%
ARPU on successful change events
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2024
How a design update helped a Motorcycle brand cut support tickets by 41%
–27%
fitment-related returns in targeted categories
–41%
“Will it fit my bike?” support contacts
68%
mobile adoption of “Add your bike” in first 30 days
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2024
How a design update helped a Motorcycle brand cut support tickets by 41%
–27%
fitment-related returns in targeted categories
–41%
“Will it fit my bike?” support contacts
68%
mobile adoption of “Add your bike” in first 30 days
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2024
How a design update helped a Motorcycle brand cut support tickets by 41%
–27%
fitment-related returns in targeted categories
–41%
“Will it fit my bike?” support contacts
68%
mobile adoption of “Add your bike” in first 30 days
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2024
How we reduced the time-to-quote by 42% for a insurance company
-42%
Time-to-quote
–33%
underwriting back-and-forth
+14%
premium per policy
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2024
How we reduced the time-to-quote by 42% for a insurance company
-42%
Time-to-quote
–33%
underwriting back-and-forth
+14%
premium per policy
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2024
How we reduced the time-to-quote by 42% for a insurance company
-42%
Time-to-quote
–33%
underwriting back-and-forth
+14%
premium per policy
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OUR APPROACH
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OUR APPROACH
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OUR APPROACH
The Solutions
We help product and engineering teams ship again.
No new headcount, no platform rebuild — just clarity on where you’re losing money and the exact flows to fix first.
Business Impact Snapshot
You need a fresh, senior pair of eyes that can say, without politics: “This journey is costing you. This one keeps customers. Fix these first.”
Business Impact Snapshot
You need a fresh, senior pair of eyes that can say, without politics: “This journey is costing you. This one keeps customers. Fix these first.”
Business Impact Snapshot
You need a fresh, senior pair of eyes that can say, without politics: “This journey is costing you. This one keeps customers. Fix these first.”
Critical Journeys to Fix First
You Don't Need More Ideas. You Need Measurable Success Criteria. For each critical journey, you need: What "good enough" looks like (e.g., "users complete plan change in ≤3 clicks, 90% of the time")
Critical Journeys to Fix First
You Don't Need More Ideas. You Need Measurable Success Criteria. For each critical journey, you need: What "good enough" looks like (e.g., "users complete plan change in ≤3 clicks, 90% of the time")
Critical Journeys to Fix First
You Don't Need More Ideas. You Need Measurable Success Criteria. For each critical journey, you need: What "good enough" looks like (e.g., "users complete plan change in ≤3 clicks, 90% of the time")
Definition of Success for Each Journey
No more “did we build this feature?” it becomes “did it reduce calls about lost SIM cards by 25%?”
Definition of Success for Each Journey
No more “did we build this feature?” it becomes “did it reduce calls about lost SIM cards by 25%?”
Definition of Success for Each Journey
No more “did we build this feature?” it becomes “did it reduce calls about lost SIM cards by 25%?”
What Has To Change To Hit That KPI?
A focused action list: This is not “the whole product needs love.” It’s: “Fix these 4 choke points first. The rest is cosmetic.”
What Has To Change To Hit That KPI?
A focused action list: This is not “the whole product needs love.” It’s: “Fix these 4 choke points first. The rest is cosmetic.”
What Has To Change To Hit That KPI?
A focused action list: This is not “the whole product needs love.” It’s: “Fix these 4 choke points first. The rest is cosmetic.”
What Happens After The Clarity Review?
If you want help actually fixing those high-value journeys, that’s where the second offer kicks in: Embedded UX Delivery Pod – design & repair the full flow end-to-end.
What Happens After The Clarity Review?
If you want help actually fixing those high-value journeys, that’s where the second offer kicks in: Embedded UX Delivery Pod – design & repair the full flow end-to-end.
What Happens After The Clarity Review?
If you want help actually fixing those high-value journeys, that’s where the second offer kicks in: Embedded UX Delivery Pod – design & repair the full flow end-to-end.
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OUR APPROACH
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OUR APPROACH
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OUR APPROACH
The Process
How We Clear Your Product's Biggest Bottlenecks
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1
2
3
4
Start -> Clarity
We audit your highest-impact user journeys and map where users get stuck, confused, or drop off.
Days 1–10: Product Clarity Review
That’s where we:
create the Impact snapshot
check the 2–3 critical journeys
define KPIs for optimized UX
and hand over an exec-ready summary
Diagnose -> Design
UX Growth Pod (optional if you’re ready)
That’s where we:
define the full flow end-to-end,
build the high-fidelity, system-ready prototype,
test it with real users,
and hand your engineers a complete build spec (states, edge cases, accessibility, acceptance criteria).
Your team can start building immediately. No guessing.
Outcome -> Ship & Measure
That’s where we:
support your team through implementation, with async design QA
ensure the spec gets built right — no gaps, no rebuilds
help instrument key KPIs (activation, completion, support contact, time-to-resolution)
provide a 4-week impact review: what changed, what to fix next
You don’t just ship — you ship better, and know it’s working.
/01
Discover
We start by digging deep, understanding your goals, audience, and challenges. This is where insights surface and opportunities take shape.
/01
Start -> Clarity
Book a short call. We align on the goal/KPI, pick the highest-impact journeys, and confirm access (screens, analytics, tickets, meetings).Days 1–10: Product Clarity ReviewThat’s where we:create the Impact snapshotcheck the 2–3 critical journeysdefine KPIs for optimized UXand hand over an exec-ready summary
/01
Discover
We start by digging deep, understanding your goals, audience, and challenges. This is where insights surface and opportunities take shape.
/02
Plan
Next we map out a clear strategy, aligning AI solutions with your vision. Every step is designed to solve real problems and unlock growth.
/02
Diagnose -> Design
Days 11–30: UX Delivery Pod (optional if you’re ready)That’s where we:define the full flow end-to-end,build the high-fidelity, system-ready prototype,test it with real users,and hand your engineers a complete build spec (states, edge cases, accessibility, acceptance criteria).Your team can start building immediately. No guessing.
/02
Plan
Next we map out a clear strategy, aligning AI solutions with your vision. Every step is designed to solve real problems and unlock growth.
/03
Build
Then we bring ideas to life, developing custom AI agents and automations. Each solution is crafted to fit seamlessly into your workflow.
/03
Outcome -> Ship & Measure
That’s where we:support your team through implementation, with async design QAensure the spec gets built right — no gaps, no rebuildshelp instrument key KPIs (activation, completion, support contact, time-to-resolution)provide a 4-week impact review: what changed, what to fix nextYou don’t just ship — you ship better, and know it’s working.
/03
Build
Then we bring ideas to life, developing custom AI agents and automations. Each solution is crafted to fit seamlessly into your workflow.
/04
Scale
Finally we refine and expand, tracking results, improving performance, and scaling your AI systems as your business grows.
/04
Scale
Finally we refine and expand, tracking results, improving performance, and scaling your AI systems as your business grows.
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REAL SUCCESS STORIES
„Working with Stephan felt like we had an experienced design partner who truly understood our vision for ALDI TALK and brought it to life."
Matthias Sobania
Brand Manager Aldi Talk
“Engineering lost days per sprint waiting for decisions. The 30-day pod delivered a build-ready spec for submission + payment change – we hit the Q3 release.”
Azzam Rezk
Project Manager Randstadt Digital
"Stephan did a brilliant job of guiding the partner brands through the transformation and ensuring they retained their brand DNA!"
Abhishek Pratap
UX Lead BORN GROUP
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REAL SUCCESS STORIES
„Working with Stephan felt like we had an experienced design partner who truly understood our vision for ALDI TALK and brought it to life."
Matthias Sobania
Brand Manager Aldi Talk
“Engineering lost days per sprint waiting for decisions. The 30-day pod delivered a build-ready spec for submission + payment change – we hit the Q3 release.”
Azzam Rezk
Project Manager Randstadt Digital
"Stephan did a brilliant job of guiding the partner brands through the transformation and ensuring they retained their brand DNA!"
Abhishek Pratap
UX Lead BORN GROUP
/
REAL SUCCESS STORIES
„Working with Stephan felt like we had an experienced design partner who truly understood our vision for ALDI TALK and brought it to life."
Matthias Sobania
Brand Manager Aldi Talk
“Engineering lost days per sprint waiting for decisions. The 30-day pod delivered a build-ready spec for submission + payment change – we hit the Q3 release.”
Azzam Rezk
Project Manager Randstadt Digital
"Stephan did a brilliant job of guiding the partner brands through the transformation and ensuring they retained their brand DNA!"
Abhishek Pratap
UX Lead BORN GROUP
Three Ways We Work — Pick What Fits Your Need
Three Ways We Work — Pick What Fits Your Need
Product Clarity Review (10 Days)
Business Impact Snapshot — Where you're leaking money (onboarding, support cost, churn)
Business Impact Snapshot — Where you're leaking money (onboarding, support cost, churn)
Critical Journeys Identified — The 2-3 flows that matter most (not "the whole product")
Critical Journeys Identified — The 2-3 flows that matter most (not "the whole product")
Success Metrics Defined — Clear KPIs per journey (e.g., "Reduce password reset tickets by 30%")
Success Metrics Defined — Clear KPIs per journey (e.g., "Reduce password reset tickets by 30%")
Prioritized Fix List — What to change, in what order, and why
Prioritized Fix List — What to change, in what order, and why
Executive Summary — readout for leadership. Political air cover for your team.
Executive Summary — readout for leadership. Political air cover for your team.
UX Growth Pod
You've identified the broken journey. Now you need it fixed — fast, and build-ready.
You've identified the broken journey. Now you need it fixed — fast, and build-ready.
End-to-end flow definition (all states, edge cases, errors)
End-to-end flow definition (all states, edge cases, errors)
High-fidelity, system-ready prototype (your devs can build from day 1)
High-fidelity, system-ready prototype (your devs can build from day 1)
User-tested validation (we test with real users before handoff)
User-tested validation (we test with real users before handoff)
Complete build spec (acceptance criteria, accessibility, responsive behavior)
Complete build spec (acceptance criteria, accessibility, responsive behavior)
Fractional Design Leader
If full design leadership is too early
If full design leadership is too early
Retainers are too expensive
Retainers are too expensive
Reviewing your team's work, improving UX, polishing UI, pushing conversions
Reviewing your team's work, improving UX, polishing UI, pushing conversions
Loom reviews + Figma + Slack
Loom reviews + Figma + Slack
3000 € / Month
3000 € / Month
Product Clarity Review (10 Days)
Business Impact Snapshot — Where you're leaking money (onboarding, support cost, churn)
Critical Journeys Identified — The 2-3 flows that matter most (not "the whole product")
Success Metrics Defined — Clear KPIs per journey (e.g., "Reduce password reset tickets by 30%")
Prioritized Fix List — What to change, in what order, and why
Executive Summary — readout for leadership. Political air cover for your team.
UX Growth Pod
You've identified the broken journey. Now you need it fixed — fast, and build-ready.
End-to-end flow definition (all states, edge cases, errors)
High-fidelity, system-ready prototype (your devs can build from day 1)
User-tested validation (we test with real users before handoff)
Complete build spec (acceptance criteria, accessibility, responsive behavior)
Fractional Design Leader
If full design leadership is too early
Retainers are too expensive
Reviewing your team's work, improving UX, polishing UI, pushing conversions
Loom reviews + Figma + Slack
3000 € / Month
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ABOUT US
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ABOUT US
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ABOUT US
The Founder
Hi, I'm Stephan. My work has 700K+ App Store ratings, a 4.5 score, multiple 'Award' wins, and reaches 20+ million people everyday.
"Why Bottleneck UX?"
Most product teams are drowning in feature requests. Everyone has an opinion. Nobody can agree on priorities.
The real problem? You've lost sight of the critical paths — the 2-3 journeys that actually drive revenue and retention.
Those journeys have bottlenecks. Small friction points that seem minor but compound into massive losses: onboarding drop-off, support volume, silent churn.
We find those bottlenecks. We measure their impact. We tell you what to fix first.
That's why we're called Bottleneck UX.
available
Stephan Lucka
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Hi, I´m Stephan, founder of bottleneck-ux. I ’ve spent 10+ years designing digital products that are simple, smart and built to perform. I’ve worked with brands like Bayer, ALDI TALK, E.ON, Telefonicá, Deichmann, ALDI SÜD, Innogy, HDI, and much more helping them improve UX, boost retention and reach over 100 million users. My work has 700K+ App Store ratings, a 4.5 score, multiple 'Award' wins, and reaches 20+ million people everyday.
available
Stephan Lucka
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Hi, I´m Stephan, founder of bottleneck-ux. I ’ve spent 10+ years designing digital products that are simple, smart and built to perform. I’ve worked with brands like Bayer, ALDI TALK, E.ON, Telefonicá, Deichmann, ALDI SÜD, Innogy, HDI, and much more helping them improve UX, boost retention and reach over 100 million users. My work has 700K+ App Store ratings, a 4.5 score, multiple 'Award' wins, and reaches 20+ million people everyday.
show bio
available
Stephan Lucka
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Hi, I´m Stephan, founder of bottleneck-ux. I ’ve spent 10+ years designing digital products that are simple, smart and built to perform. I’ve worked with brands like Bayer, ALDI TALK, E.ON, Telefonicá, Deichmann, ALDI SÜD, Innogy, HDI, and much more helping them improve UX, boost retention and reach over 100 million users. My work has 700K+ App Store ratings, a 4.5 score, multiple 'Award' wins, and reaches 20+ million people everyday.
show bio
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FAQ
What Teams Usually Ask
Do we need to pause our roadmap for this?
No. The Review happens in parallel. We need 3-4 hours of your time max. For the Pod, expect 5-10 hours over 30 days.
What if we want to fix things internally after the Review?
Perfect. The Review gives you everything you need to execute yourself. We only do the Pod if you want senior execution support.
How is this different from hiring a UX contractor?
We're senior practitioners, not junior designers billing hourly. We've shipped at scale. You get clarity and outcomes, not timesheets.
What if we have a designer already?
Great. We work alongside your team. Think of us as the experienced backup that unblocks decisions and prevents thrashing.
How fast can we start?
Usually within 2 weeks. Book a call, we scope the Review, and kick off.
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FAQ
What Teams Usually Ask
Do we need to pause our roadmap for this?
No. The Review happens in parallel. We need 3-4 hours of your time max. For the Pod, expect 5-10 hours over 30 days.
What if we want to fix things internally after the Review?
Perfect. The Review gives you everything you need to execute yourself. We only do the Pod if you want senior execution support.
How is this different from hiring a UX contractor?
We're senior practitioners, not junior designers billing hourly. We've shipped at scale. You get clarity and outcomes, not timesheets.
What if we have a designer already?
Great. We work alongside your team. Think of us as the experienced backup that unblocks decisions and prevents thrashing.
How fast can we start?
Usually within 2 weeks. Book a call, we scope the Review, and kick off.
/
FAQ
What Teams Usually Ask
Do we need to pause our roadmap for this?
No. The Review happens in parallel. We need 3-4 hours of your time max. For the Pod, expect 5-10 hours over 30 days.
What if we want to fix things internally after the Review?
Perfect. The Review gives you everything you need to execute yourself. We only do the Pod if you want senior execution support.
How is this different from hiring a UX contractor?
We're senior practitioners, not junior designers billing hourly. We've shipped at scale. You get clarity and outcomes, not timesheets.
What if we have a designer already?
Great. We work alongside your team. Think of us as the experienced backup that unblocks decisions and prevents thrashing.
How fast can we start?
Usually within 2 weeks. Book a call, we scope the Review, and kick off.