Executive summary
This project aimed to address the challenges faced by beginner users of Ableton Live, a powerful music production tool with a steep learning curve. As the in-house UX/UI designer, I led the end-to-end design process, creating a dedicated resource page with step-by-step tutorials and guides to help new users build confidence and maximise their experience with the software.
Key achievements:
Designed a beginner-friendly learning hub that increased Trial-to-paid conversions by 8% and Live Lite upgrades by 12%.
Improved user engagement with learning resources, including a 18% increase in tutorial views on YouTube and a 15% rise in interactions with educational pages on the Ableton website.
Enhanced user satisfaction, with 75% of survey respondents reporting increased confidence in using Ableton Live.
Decreased customer support enquiries from new users by 9%.
Key learnings:
Iterative testing revealed the importance of a structured learning pathway over standalone resources, leading to the development of an accordion-based "Learn Live" feature.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams highlighted creative solutions to work within CMS limitations, ensuring a seamless user experience without custom development.
This project reflects my ability to balance user needs with business goals, leverage feedback to refine solutions, and deliver measurable impact through thoughtful design.
User need
Ableton Live is a powerful software tool for music creation, but its advanced features come with a steep learning curve for beginners. Despite offering lower-cost versions, many new users feel overwhelmed when getting started.
The ableton.com website at the time lacked clarity for where users could find helpful information to get going with their product.
We saw an opportunity to support beginners with resources that make learning easier and more engaging.
Business goal
To design a webpage of accessible tutorials and guides that help entry-level users build confidence with Ableton Live, supporting Ableton's mission of Bliss, Breakthrough, and Belonging. By empowering users to overcome initial learning barriers ("breakthrough"), the project aimed to spark joy in music creation ("bliss") and encourage long-term engagement, ultimately fostering a sense of belonging within the music-making community. This would also drive upgrades from Trial and Lite versions to paid editions.
Constraints
Due to limited development resources, the page was built using only existing CMS components, requiring a creative approach to meet user needs within these constraints.
Quantitative findings
In 2022, Ableton recorded low rates of conversion from Trial and Lite, the entry level versions of Ableton Live, to the full paid version known as Suite.
Through collaboration with the business intelligence team and the product manager, we were able to ascertain that improving these conversion rates in 2023 were projected to generate an additional revenue of
€500K
Qualitative findings
Through collaboration with the user research team, I conducted a study interviewing 8 candidates who were all beginner users of Ableton Live. The findings revealed some common pain points:
An uncertainty about where to start when first opening Live
Complaints about scattered resources and difficulty finding cohesive learning material online
User stories
To better understand user needs, I developed user stories based on feedback from three key groups:
Live Lite User (via third-party hardware)
“As a Live Lite user with third-party hardware, I want to get more familiar with Live to maximise my hardware’s functionality and potentially expand my use of Live.”
Live Lite User (via Note app)
“As a Live Lite user, I want to see the added benefits of higher editions to determine if an upgrade offers features I can’t already access with my current products.”
Live Trial User
“As a 90-day Live Trial user, I want to understand the essentials of Live so I can decide whether an upgrade is worth it—and which edition best meets my needs.”
The page was designed as a standalone resource, separate from Ableton’s main navigation, to streamline the beginner user journey.
New users received a direct link to this page via email after registering their Ableton account, making it their primary learning gateway.
The page was built with Ableton’s existing CMS components to maintain consistency with the design system and expedite development.
Hypothesis
I hypothesised that creating a structured learning hub with step-by-step tutorials would reduce user confusion and increase engagement with Ableton Live.
I believed this would result in higher Trial-to-paid conversions, more Lite upgrades, and improved user satisfaction.
Success would be measured by increased conversion rates, higher tutorial engagement, and positive user feedback.
Wireframes
Below are wireframes for desktop, tablet, and mobile layouts, demonstrating how each section aligns with the user journey. The hierarchy emphasises regional tutorial content to cater to both team goals and user needs, while the upgrade section appears at the end, giving users a chance to assess their learning path before considering an upgrade
1
Hero section: this familiar layout, featuring a title banner and text beside an image, aligns with Ableton’s style and engages users with a clear entry point.
2
Video tutorial section: meeting the regional teams’ requirement in the brief, this section showcases featured tutorials from popular creators. Responsive two-column text below video cards allows content to stack into a single column on smaller screens. Using the CMS enables regional teams to update video content independently, saving design resources.
3
Useful links section: image cards with captions link to additional resources on the Ableton site, keeping the page dynamic and easily updatable.
4
Upgrade section: since most users accessed this page from Trial or Lite editions, a clear upgrade path with video support was valuable. I used a side-by-side text and video component to showcase an existing upgrade video and a clear call to action.
To ensure the page met user needs, an interactive prototype in Figma was tested with eight beginner users, focusing on navigation, readability, and resource accessibility.
Testing tasks included:
Locating specific tutorials on the page
Accessing synthesis lessons through browser-based resources
Navigating to the Live Suite upgrade link
Hero section and navigation
The Hero section introduces the page with strong visuals and a clear entry point. Jump links in the Hero allow users to navigate quickly to key sections.
Style and branding
The color palette was selected to align with Ableton’s design system and brand goals, balancing accessibility, consistency, and visual cohesion:
Key findings and iterations
User feedback led to several important refinements, directly shaping the final design:
"I always felt intimidated by the interface of Ableton Live, and struggled to find the appropriate place for guidance on the website. These tutorials definitely helped move me in the right direction while getting going with the software, and has become my first reference point when I am stuck on a matter of setup."
Jordan C.
(AKAI MPK Mini user who recently downloaded Ableton Live Lite)
These findings not only validated the design but demonstrated its role in supporting both beginner success and Ableton's broader mission of helping users find joy and confidence in their creative journey.
Optimisation
With more development resources available, I also would have explored breaking away from the existing CMS components to create a more customized solution. Specifically, the step-by-step tutorial collection could have been improved. Below are a couple of ideas.
1
A more efficient layout
The collapsible accordion worked well, but the CMS limitation of displaying only one video per row in a single-column format restricted flexibility. On desktop, it would have been ideal to display 2-3 videos per row, which would improve space utilization and visual flow.
2
A bespoke playlist
Another potential solution could have been to create a video playlist where users could easily browse video titles, with the video player updating as they select a new tutorial. This would allow for a more dynamic and user-friendly experience.
This project successfully addressed the needs of beginner Ableton Live users by providing a dedicated resource page that guides them through key learning milestones. By streamlining the user experience and presenting educational materials in an intuitive, accessible format, we aimed to improve onboarding and increase long-term engagement with the product.
The iterative design process—grounded in user feedback and testing—helped refine the structure and content to better meet user needs. Though limited by the existing CMS components, the project resulted in a user-friendly and visually cohesive solution that aligned with Ableton’s brand.
If given more time and resources, further customization could have enhanced the design, but the final outcome still represents a valuable step in improving the user experience for beginners and supporting Ableton's broader goals.
