![Blog post thumbnail](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5b6454b195a_1f186d76-0f2b-486b-8f10-3c127eab4617.png)
Calm’s carefully curated new user experience
Calm is a meditation and mindfulness mobile app for iOS and Android that recently raised a $27 million Series B extension round.
Apparently, mindfulness can take a bit of money to both create and access. Yearly subscriptions to Calm cost $69.99 per year—but users can access the service for free for 7 days while they test it out.
So how does Calm show enough value to demand it’s hefty price tag without overwhelming the very person looking to relax?
Let's take a look:
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is the first screen in the new user experience that shows the words "take a deep breath" on a blue gradient background](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5f7b14b1772_IepT0sbeqEWRcMZVbt1kSiis-_gai9_kMF3vPiCPf3iYdu40hyh6ZBOei6N-oWRIfSvDslqgdjruXvdtInNIxYtMLr55xNYHK0WZf6Rzih6y9UacD1B95Jy0T7DetzppUuJHqjE3.png)
Calm starts off by promoting users to take a big ol’ deep breath. If someone downloaded the app in a moment of mental anguish, this thing is working already.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this screen shows new user onboarding personalization questions](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5cbdc4b1771_awQCTKtw9bI6PbmnrdzkMFBTamcxkgvDzuL6U_deFCweTMTm7yYyfd7ziqeAdXVm7e0Yn7NW4HikkH-r6Z_C8Mp2vQdcDUkN_USOjohOOayZfesyye5nYxsIf0XxyMbvVydyj_Q0.png)
It then prompts users to select what they are looking for—these kinds of inputs are sometimes called declared data.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this screen shows new user onboarding personalization questions and declared user data](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a57f504b176b_UGpAXdc_JXdgH3v5jmvArQw_KHOR5RPQI-lQ90wrQhR-aD4LUoY4PexF43LhLZWtlkLYMaxiuta8D0fK_Aj-rTrvHq995kMmjH7aqNXtRRHf8GKNSnrhCcR-gizUu-9AUId6JDUw.png)
Users can choose as many items as they want.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is the signup screen—there is a CTA button to sign up with email](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a548ca4b176e_Jw5bChAwxjmZB2J6UD9REVywHgJ04bx2_kBKov1WTYCW4n1BIUZli7NszQw3hMQdcYeAYbeYPLywW5tU7OPPnQ_WgCLIv-qtAVp7wsK2p4I1ErohsEqcKGOL2bFMGF8XPixWs8T_.png)
Now that users are relaxed from their deep breath and excited about all of the possible benefits, it’s time to create an account.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is paywall screen for the calm app 7 day free trial](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a537c74b1767_NAu3JWCVP8MZnsXGfmRjBzAnU4W6m-UStEFxBdLu58HuNv54cJg_HWv1MmJB9WJXFaUjIcBRHQzB5FCILEu2p7crT5gP9HLv6EsZOCWjoUniCfjEE0t8TJcCFrammv_E_2DlL-7p.png)
Next up, a bit of necessary friction. At this point, users agree to the $69.99/year charge, but the 7 day free trial helps to limit the concern. If we were betting people, we’d wager this is the biggest point of falloff in their onboarding flow.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this screen shows further personalization questions](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a504104b176f_oTXawnPzr6ERQ3Aqgne04LIF9B7KpVzEILdZvJTMU2VIQiSgA2_dqqc7u226tPZj1Nsh2t-3OEVogRU3Es2yKHUR8wsrg_BzlQYAurRRerPVQZAK3kvgFINtnziKxDz373dYXEjv.png)
Users have one more question before they start getting recommended content—how comfortable they are with meditation. Just a bit more declared data for personalization.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this screen is an example of a personalized ux based on declared user data. it says "recommended for you based on your responses"](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5aa004b1770_O00zJ1avsPihWmr6_n4IFKvWF_VHWwNeIr5cuN4yGHyixTx8Tr9hrLTJr9OtmvCqeqJbWsjAfrbyFOwqYjHsR7qB-l6kciCT-F_SEJ1qXU6jxuE-zUnPGoOPLzUfJRUOvxFqQmTW.png)
And then it’s time to jump in! Users get a screen of personalized content based on their previous statements.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this screen is an example of a personalized ux based on declared user data](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a505864b176a_Ad0GTKAfia-xSL6uBdCyw9SXRRksUn2SKtVb8QGA4FkruP15r-r1O7243_cv4A9iQhTbhPYSEXbxP57eF23JNxgVk4KgFzsyiRKHDCtEUkFhXn5LqRI1G6PGj16txaEfnyxIOkSY.png)
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this full screen mobile modal is an example of a personalized ux based on declared user data](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5a2ee4b176d_dowk-IxHoMn0D7jKyhYV7xPhm-b3WYXkaDtQvio2IJSbmnuv_Nd5a8I-3ALagndtOiiz73J9Tv5XzBMLSLS53UT_u5eL7pc5hUZAZ7I0VuY_WOkKLD8x97KX2Ugv-sZ_g2vxNVal.png)
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this full screen mobile modal is an example of a personalized ux based on declared user data](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a554d24b1766_trOOZocHuXlgvfRD5Gr5O-sCXaGfA9vU-qquzR8I4t0_L8tJS9tlD_RZa4iEuXmUy-6Hm0NNdb9ybNY3Xt5ntw53wWd9VrROUxNXjlX-0NGPsuwO2a2CKzqCAbqqCIqBC0naVuKb.png)
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is the calm app dashboard with a mobile tooltip for new user onboarding](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a50fe34b176c_1r1-RXkgXvsieuR_1-cFCEpmIfMkMKknzU_wjwTD1XcUoAmadgOO-sqSLowClBN86irzfYKeJRFw8L6lMxeYEdZ1U8fSI1AAoPDOFByoG4M-9TxKb1ma1_z_hjCQRnq4C75LVs48.png)
Once users work their way through their recommended content, they land on Calm’s home screen and are greeted with a tooltip that indicates where they should begin. Since we said we were interested in meditation, we start our journey there.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is the calm app meditate dashboard with a mobile tooltip for new user onboarding](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5124a4b1768_FKWg7eKoD0-h9NLWqJs2Hb57IJqI85kPbDMQwoFnX-giSto7igSqWWEh1hzcwdR9VPnHUdAWYTLxblRMNw0S2gtDjVk76FH-9H5Lj7pY3ZKAoolGzaIVc69QPzGCOw9lRy84R-DO.png)
The meditation section greets us with another tooltip that highlights content we might find useful.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is the calm app dashboard with a mobile tooltip for new user onboarding](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a54d9b4b1774_ofS5mS0fGuoi_KbX2EVcecOtZ0eUM4F4Nehh8KQbEZ9dkBb7KnQp1Fq-L3Cjfi5mTzZXgXH_onwu0bQkdEq0jZM_JtMCs1kigeJkXNxZHYV6PBDTQbMiFh-2HldZhBxbAKzHLTUw.png)
Heading back to the main screen prompts us to check out yet another feature—sleep.
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm. this is the calm app sleep stories dashboard with a mobile tooltip for new user onboarding](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a57be44b1769_WTxlnhLAokmlu2hQ2RBXdkBmbfhqW6EPMmv3HftjX14-DPtxBii6PGvv2KOgwKr72vTtqutTZIE7Rwexezyu50x2H13jthat4k7NpGpgc-ibjFdG7hRIc4UqHWdnzB6ewoesdPJd.png)
The sleep stories section greets us with another tooltip—but wait—is that Matthew McConaughey?
![mobile screenshot from mindfulness app Calm with an audio story read by matthew mcconaughey](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6230cce907f5a55f9a4b0e6f/6230cce907f5a5f5c04b1773_ZkLJ7lv8qOGtyqxnE35ycJexOKeqbuLygzVH_oborkTMsk2wFRsWgHpD0zjDONkS1hJrT_dDZ75OT08W-NDkhHLMxygmCul_cDJ-JYa493E-_ZXpbQU6S3j4CzowO5hHYsq64y0a.png)
Yup! Wooderson himself is reading us a story that reminds us of these sage words: “Let me tell you this, the older you do get the more rules they're gonna try to get you to follow. You just gotta keep livin' man, L-I-V-I-N.”
Why this is really good UX:
- Emotion management: Well-timed questions and mindfulness prompts in the onboarding flow sets expectations for a great—and calm—experience.
- Personalization: Users get super-targeted, personalized content recommendations using declared data captured during the onboarding flow.
- Clear UI patterns: Tooltips call out where to begin so the user doesn’t feel overwhelmed. Direction equals calmness.
- Delight: Matthew freaking McConaughey will read you a bedtime story. Worth $70 alone, to be honest.