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Instagram Personalized 'My Notes'

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Envisioning a new feature to assist users on Instagram to organize information

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Project
Background

This project was a rapid prototyping project to identify a potential space in a community to enhance their socializing nature and create a quick mockup to intervene. For testing purposes, Instagram was used.

Teammates

Solo UX Researcher

METHODS
-Primary research

-Surveys

DATE

Mar-Apr 2023 (6 weeks)

  • Being a rapid prototyping project, I researched competitors in the social space best known for connecting individuals across the world and mapped out user archetype

  • Formed a user journey and tested the feature intervention.

My Role

Summary

Instagram is a photo & and video sharing social networking platform that connects people across the world virtually.

Challenges faced by users-

  • Content overload

  • Maintaining authenticity

  • Algorithm changes

  • Negative comments

 

Today, we meet people globally and interact with them in a virtual social space. When we attend talks of people, we make pointers or notes to recollect later. Why can't we have a space to remember some specific details of the person we meet online to facilitate the chat the next time on the same platform?

Feature

Research Prompt

How might we help people improve their interactions with those they meet online with an effective memory retrieval cue?

Process

Stage 1

- Domain idenitification

- Competitor and analogous apps study

- Theory of change

Stage 2

-Modalities and archetype

-Ecosystem mapping

- User Journey Mapping

Stage 3

- Wireframes

Research

In competitor space, it was an extremely crowded market with touchpoints varying from goals of isolated small cultural groups to global broadcasts.

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  • 29 competitors taken into consideration for research

  • Chat history, search option, biodata, and group description features were overviewed carefully

  • Profile name and picture, status, and contact number (optional) were the only common information modules provided in all these platforms

Grouping: Audience number

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Grouping: Type of chat

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In Analogous space, there were extended platforms around community sharing without the sole focus of social chatting

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  • 30 analogous platforms taken into consideration for research

  • Biodata/ description/ features, history part of the conversations overviewed carefully

  • There was a spectrum from specific audience connections to entirely ignoring the users.

Grouping: Type of chat

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Competitive auditing

Value provided by the businesses

  • Facilitation of virtual interaction via multimodal system of voice, vision, and auditory means

  • Communication with external memory storage by humans

  • Different purposes of gathering involving basic human needs and extended factors around amusement and information

Target Experience of the businesses

  • A user-friendly and engaging experience that keeps users coming back to the platform

  • Encourage users to spend time on the platform, engage with content, and interact with advertisers.

  • Help users build and maintain their online presence

Inspiration for new thinking

  • Effective collaboration

  • Personalizing the space

  • Directed storytelling & and referencing

Theory of change

Theory of change focused on User-Centred Design

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Social connecting space uses the following theories of change:

  • Behavioral Design

  • Persuasive Design

Modalities

Mindsets and roles users embody in the system of Instagram

Creator

  • Guide

  • Influencer

  • Artist

  • Actor

  • Traveler

  • Host

  • Storyteller

Platform

  • Curator

  • Investor

  • Facilitator

  • Advertiser

  • Marketer

  • Competitor

Audience

  • Follower

  • Reader

  • Client

  • Companion

  • Viewer

Archetype - Explorer
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User Journey
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Ecosystem

Instagram stands for Creation, Community, Freedom and Validation

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Rapid Ideation

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Saving message feature

Can add individual chat messages to ‘My Notes’ section for saving the information

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Value to the user

  1. Save important messages: Saving an address or birthdate, making it easier to find and reference later

  2. Organize conversations: To keep track of different topics and preferences of the connection

  3. Keep track of business inquiries: Save messages from potential customers or collaborators, making it easier to track inquiries and respond in a timely manner.

  4. Reference past conversations: Making it easier to remember details or refresh the memory on a previous discussion.

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Personalized 'My Notes' feature

One can add personal notes about a user to remember some points about them

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Value to the user

  1. Remember important details: Add personal notes to make it easier to remember important details about the person

  2. Enhance communication: Referencing the notes making the interactions more personal and meaningful.

  3. Strengthen relationships: Add personal notes to demonstrate the care and value for virtual connections

  4. Improve networking: Add industry or area of expertise, making it easier to network and connect with like-minded individuals

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Project Learning:

  •  It would be interesting to know how users would envision using this feature in real-world scenarios. Conducting user research could provide valuable insights for further development.

  • User privacy should be a top priority. Clear guidelines and permissions around note ownership and visibility are crucial

  • Adding another feature may introduce clutter and complicate the app's interface. Careful design and integration are essential.

  • Personal notes could be misused for negative purposes, like stereotyping or judgment. Implementing safeguards to encourage responsible use would be crucial.

  • It would be a fascinating topic to further explorthe potential impact of "My Notes" on user behavior and communication patterns on Instagram. 

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