How many of us feel in control of the consumed content on Instagram?
And, how successful are we in searching for specific content?
That’s what we thought!
Case Study
Scope
- Wireframes
- User Flows
- UX Research
- User Interface
- Prototyping
- Figma
My Role
- Product Design
Team
- 4 Team Members
The Challenge
The main challenge was to develop a new feature for an existing and widely known product, based on the user needs and value opportunities.
To handle this challenge, we decided to design a new feature for Instagram.
Let’s be real
How many of us feel in control of the consumed content on Instagram?
And, how successful are we in searching for specific content?
That’s what we thought!
40
of GenZ uses TikTok and Instagram for search instead of Google.
Source: The New York Times
81
of users rely on Instagram to find new products and services.
Source: SocialPilot
45
of users feel overwhelmed by the amount of information shared in social media.
Source: Bright Futures
Search for content
you want to see while discovering new content with the help of the algorithm.
you want to see while discovering new content with the help of the algorithm.
Solution
Allow Instagram users to have more control over content by offering personalized search, filtering, and sorting options based on selected interests and keywords.
Context
Instagram is one of the leading social media platforms for sharing video and photo content.
However, it appears to lack the ability to give users control over the content they consume within the app.
2,35
Business Active users
63
Access it daily
30
Avg. daily time spent
The scope of work
The main goal of this case study was to comprehensively understand the needs and pains of all types of users, help the platform retain more users, and encourage creators to continue producing content on the platform.
We have broken down the workflow into 4 stages, taking into account the design thinking phases.
#RESEARCH
Competitors Analysis
Social Listening
Desk Research
Surveys & Interviews
#ANALYSIS
Current Features Analysis
Personas Definition
Needs & Opportunities
Features Requirements
#IDEATION
User Flows
Sketches
Wireframes
Mockups
#DESIGN
Prototype
User Testing
Iterations
Competitors Analysis
How do users control their content on other social media platforms?
The content presented on all analyzed platforms is suggested based on their algorithm, and users manage their content by searching for specific topics, and by filtering and sorting the results page.
Best practices
Other social media platforms allow users to manage their search history, receive suggestions on topics of interest, and conduct audio searches.
On the results page, users are able to sort and filter results, and easily navigate through the content which is divided into sections.
TikTok
TikTok
Desk Research
How does Instagram impact businesses?
Instagram offers a platform for brand promotion, customer engagement, and sales through targeted advertising and influencer marketing.
This helps businesses increase brand visibility, connect with the target audience, and expand their customer base.
200
Businesses promoting their services and products
Source: SocialPilot
81
of users research new products and services
Source: SocialPilot
071
engagement average content engagement rate
Source: SocialPilot
Who are the
Instagram users?
Distribution of Instagram users worldwide by age group
Source: Statista
The 18-34 age group represents 61% of the total Instagram users, and almost 17% of global active users are men between 18 and 24 years old.
The three top countries with the most users are
India (362.9M), the US (169.65M), and Brazil (134.6M).
There are two main categories of Instagram users:
private users who use the platform to access content
of interest, and creators and business owners who
use the platform as a business tool.
Leading countries based on Instagram audience size as of January 2024
Source: Statista
What makes
TikTok so successful?
TikTok has become increasingly popular among young people, with a growing number of users joining the platform.
- Average usage time is 95 min daily.
- Every video had an equal chance of success regardless of the number of followers.
- Addictive algorithm and spontaneous discovery.
Social Listening
What do users say about Instagram?
Instagram offers a platform for brand promotion, customer engagement, and sales through targeted advertising and influencer marketing.
This helps businesses increase brand visibility, connect with the target audience, and expand their customer base.
Based on our research conducted on Reddit, the primary concerns about Instagram are related to the lack of control and transparency over its algorithm.
Users want to be able to filter and sort content according to their interests, without being bombarded with ads or having to pay to access content.
Furthermore, the platform needs to provide better opportunities for growth and discovery to creators while allowing monetization.
Creators feel compelled to produce short-form videos as the platform prioritizes quantity over quality.
Interviews & Surveys
What do users feel and behave when using Instagram?
Instagram offers a platform for brand promotion, customer engagement, and sales through targeted advertising and influencer marketing.
This helps businesses increase brand visibility, connect with the target audience, and expand their customer base.
Users (9 interviewees)
Users (121 survey responses)
uses the app to search for content
feel that they don’t control the content
would like to filter by theme
Creators (2 interviewees)
Creators (29 survey responses)
22
have less than the desired reach or no reach at all
Content production goal:
18
brand recognition
17
increase of interactions
16
increase reach
Personas
What are the users’ needs and requirements?
MoSCoW
What features should be prioritized?
Must Have
Search for different types of content (Posts & Reels, Accounts, etc.)
Search for creators and business owners for specific topics
Search content by keywords and categories
Filter by theme, popularity and creator
Should Have
Provide more interaction opportunities for smaller creators and business owners
Present suggestions that might be interesting according to the searched topic
Filter by upload date, location, and language
Search by association with similar content
Could Have
Balance between displayed ads and searched content
Possibility to connect with people who have the same interests (community)
Access the history of viewed content.
Audio Search
Won’t Have
Camera Search
Provide more transparency of algorithm rules for creators and business owners
Content moderation by voluntary members (communities on Threads)
User Flows
What are the action flows
for content control?
Daily Users must be able to access information and explore communities quickly through Keyword searching and Filter/Sort content. Furthermore, Creators must
be able to leverage the platform to connect with their target audience.
Creators and users can now categorize their content, making it more accessible without relying solely on algorithms.
Wireframes
Mockups
Keyword Searching
Allowing users to search for specific keywords and find results according to the type of content (Posts & Reels, Accounts, Groups, etc).
Content Personalization
Allowing users to explore a wider range of content that may not be suggested by the algorithm, through the “Explore” section.
The “For You” section is dedicated to a more personalized content search.
Filter/ Sort Content
Allowing users to sort content by popularity, relevance, and time of posting, as well as filter by type (Posts & Reels, Accounts, and Groups), level of engagement (unseen, viewed, liked, shared), and location.
Additionally, the user is able to edit the topics of interest previously selected.
Prototype
Usability Tests
What needs to be improved for the next prototype’s version?
We conducted usability tests with 10 users to validate our solution and understand how users interacted with the prototype. We proposed three tasks to evaluate the user experience when interacting with the new functionalities.
Main Insights
What needs to be improved for the next prototype’s version?
We conducted usability tests with 10 users to validate our solution and understand how users interacted with the prototype. We proposed three tasks to evaluate the user experience when interacting with the new functionalities.
We conducted usability tests with 10 users to validate our solution and understand how users interacted with the prototype. We proposed three tasks to evaluate the user experience when interacting with the new functionalities.
Learnings
We have identified a widespread feeling of lack of control over content among platform users.
Users appreciate the inclusion of communities (Groups) although the focus of the solution is research and personalization of the content viewed.
Users appreciate recommendations while retaining control over content.
By collecting insights directly from users and creators, we gained a comprehensive understanding of each user’s needs and how they could benefit from the solution.
Usability tests require a brief initial introduction, and tasks should be as objective as possible.