Dark Mode Toggle for B2C Mobile App

PART 1: OUTCOME-FOCUSED OKR

Objective

Improve user comfort and session quality during nighttime app usage through personalized interface preferences

• Timeframe: Q1 2025
• Owner: Mobile Product Team
• Business Goal: Retention (keep users coming back with better experience)
• Why Outcome-Focused: This objective focuses on the user outcome (improved comfort and session quality at night), not the feature itself (dark mode toggle). We could ship the toggle but still fail if users don’t actually experience better nighttime sessions or don’t return more frequently.

Key Results

KR1: Increase nighttime session duration by 25% for users who enable dark mode (Lagging)

• Why this is an outcome: Measures whether users actually stay longer in the app when using dark mode at night, indicating improved comfort and engagement.
• How feature influences it: Dark mode reduces eye strain during low-light conditions, making nighttime browsing more comfortable.

KR2: Increase 7-day retention rate by 15% for nighttime users (active between 8pm-2am) (Lagging)

• Why this is an outcome: Measures whether nighttime users come back more frequently, indicating lasting value.
• How feature influences it: Better nighttime experience reduces friction for evening browsing.

KR3: Achieve 60% dark mode adoption rate within 30 days of launch (Leading)

• Why this is an outcome: Measures user behavior (actively choosing dark mode), predicting long-term engagement.
• How feature influences it: Easy-to-discover toggle with contextual prompting drives adoption.

KR4: Increase average app rating from nighttime users by 0.3 points (Quality)

• Why this is an outcome: Measures user satisfaction improvement for a key segment.
• How feature influences it: Reduced eye strain increases overall satisfaction.

Output Traps Avoided

• Launch dark mode toggle with 70% feature completion rate - We can ship the toggle but fail to improve retention or satisfaction
• Build dark mode for all 50 app screens - Number of screens is a design decision, not a business outcome

PART 2: METRICS & MEASUREMENT PLAN

Primary Metric (North Star)

Nighttime User 7-Day Retention Rate

Definition: % of users who use the app between 8pm-2am at least once in Week 1 and return for at least one nighttime session in Week 2

Formula: Nighttime 7-Day Retention = (Nighttime users active in Week 2 / Nighttime users active in Week 1) x 100%

Industry Benchmarks (2024-2025):

• Average mobile app 7-day retention: 12%
• Apps with dark mode report up to 40% increase in retention
• Best-in-class mobile apps: 15-20% 7-day retention

Target: 13.8% (15% increase from 12% baseline)

Secondary Metrics

1. Nighttime Session Duration - STRONG METRIC (Lagging) - Target: 25% increase
2. Dark Mode Adoption Rate - STRONG METRIC (Leading) - Target: 60% within 30 days
3. Dark Mode Discovery Rate - USE WITH CAUTION - Target: 85%+
4. Nighttime User App Rating Change - Qualitative - Target: +0.3 points

Vanity Metrics to AVOID

• Total Dark Mode Toggle Clicks
• Number of Screens Themed for Dark Mode
• Dark Mode Setting Page Views
• Time Spent with Dark Mode Enabled

Analytics Events

• app_session_started (user_id, local_hour, is_nighttime_session, dark_mode_enabled)
• dark_mode_toggled (user_id, previous_state, new_state, toggle_location)
• app_session_ended (user_id, session_duration, is_nighttime_session, dark_mode_enabled)
• user_retention_milestone (user_id, milestone_type, dark_mode_user)

Dashboard Structure

1. OKR Progress Dashboard - All 4 KRs with targets and health indicators
2. Retention Deep Dive - Cohort analysis: Dark mode vs light mode users
3. Session Engagement Analysis - Duration distribution by mode
4. Adoption Funnel - Active Users -> Saw Toggle -> Enabled -> Nighttime Use -> Retained

Review Cadence

• Daily (First 2 weeks): Monitor bugs, prompt display rates, adoption trending
• Weekly (Weeks 3-8): Track adoption curve, session duration trends, early retention signals
• Monthly: OKR Progress Check, statistical confidence on retention lift, ROI calculation

Success Definition

OKR successful if (meet 3 of 4 KRs):

• KR1: Nighttime session duration increased by 25%+
• KR2: Nighttime user 7-day retention increased by 15%+
• KR3: Dark mode adoption rate 60%+ within 30 days
• KR4: Nighttime user app rating increased by 0.3+ points

Rollback if: Retention decreased, session duration decreased, or app rating dropped