• Problem: 2010-era iTunes support didn’t match today’s iOS-first mental models

  • Stakes: Users struggled to find billing / subscription help; content felt misrouted

  • My role: UX/UI + research with Content/Marcom; reorganized IA into billing + content destinations

  • Outcome: Vast increase in CTR and helpfulness; #1 Google rank for Apple billing queries; fewer support calls

The UX Challenge

Modernize a 2010-era structure into a clear, mobile-first IA that routes users by intent (billing vs. content issue) and lands them on pages that answer the question on the first screen.

What was broken

  • “Everything is iTunes” = vague scent; users didn’t know where to start

  • Billing topics were buried among content help

  • Pages tried to serve everyone and satisfied no one

Who I designed for

  • Everyday customers: arrive with a single task (“fix a billing issue,” “cancel a subscription,” “why won’t Music play?”)

  • Support & content teams: need a structure that’s easy to maintain and expand with new services.

My role & scope

Lead UX for IA + page design. Partnered with Content/Marcom to align voice, built prototypes, validated with search and task flows, and defined page templates for ongoing updates.

Solution at a glance

1) Billing becomes its own destination

  • A clear path for subscriptions, purchases, refunds, and payment methods, separate from content troubleshooting.

2) Content-specific pages

  • Focused help per service (Music, TV/Movies, etc.) with task-based entry points and canonical answers above the fold.

3) Strong information scent

  • Plain-language titles, top-task links, and consistent visual patterns so users know they’re in the right place instantly.

4) Scalable templates

  • Reusable layouts and components so new topics/services slot in without reinventing the page.

Research & iteration

  • Mapped top queries and help-seeking paths; identified drop-offs where billing/content were mixed

  • Click-map and scroll behavior informed which tasks needed to be first-screen

  • Prototype tests compared “combined” vs. “split” IA and split consistently reduced time-to-answer

subscriptions.png

Key design decisions (and why)

  • Split by intent (Billing vs. Content): reduces misroutes and pogo-sticking

  • Task-first modules: start with the 4–6 top reasons people land on the page

  • Answer on the first screen: short intros, expandable detail

  • Consistent patterns: same card grids, link styles, and anchor behavior across services

music-psp.png

Live page: Music Support

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Live page: Apple TV Support

Live page: Apple Music Support

 

Outcomes & impact

  • Better findability: clear entry to billing and to each media service

  • Higher engagement/helpfulness: more users complete tasks without contacting support

  • Fewer call-ins: clearer routing and first-screen answers reduce escalation

  • Maintainable at scale: content teams can ship updates into stable templates.

 

Reflection

This was an IA problem disguised as a content problem. By aligning the structure to how people think (pay vs. play) we made support feel obvious, fast, and modern.

Next steps

Instrument success per task (completion, pogo-stick rate, time-to-answer), expand content-specific diagnostics, and continue tuning titles/descriptions against real search terms.