Instagram (personal project)*

Designing new features for Instagram to improve users’ well-being.

Designing new features for Instagram to improve users’ well-being.

*This is a personal project for hands-on experience in a UX Strategy course. It was inspired by my curiosity to explore how Instagram could improve user well-being. To make the project as realistic as possible, I used ChatGPT to simulate the client, stakeholders, and users.

*This is a personal project for hands-on experience in a UX Strategy course. It was inspired by my curiosity to explore how Instagram could improve user well-being. To make the project as realistic as possible, I used ChatGPT to simulate the client, stakeholders, and users.

Challenge

The challenge was improving users’ well-being without reducing engagement and risking revenue loss.

Impact

I designed features that promoted healthier habits and stronger social connections, balancing user well-being with business goals.

Solution

This approach provided a roadmap of features for creating a safer, more engaging environment that aligned user well-being with business growth.

The problem

Many surveys and studies have indicated that Instagram is a significant contributor to mental health issues such as depression and addiction. This creates a negative reputation for the platform, misaligning with its core values of bringing people together.

The goal was to make the platform more sustainable and promote well-being without causing users to leave, which would negatively impact the business.

The solution

How could Instagram promote mental health and create a safer user experience without sacrificing user engagement and, by extension, revenue? This was the core conflict I had to navigate.

It was a tricky balance—too much focus on well-being might lead to users abandoning the platform, while too little effort could damage Instagram’s reputation further.

The research

Part 1: Understanding the problem

To find a solution, I first had to deeply understand the problem: what was causing it, and what were the users’ needs and behaviors? Why do people continue using a platform that negatively impacts their mental health? By answering these questions, I could design a healthier user experience.

The research

Part 2: Closing knowledge gaps

After reviewing all the available resources on the issue, I made a list of knowledge gaps and assumptions that required further investigation. Based on this list, I created a survey to gather insights directly from users.

I learned more about how people use the app, which features cause them stress and discomfort, and what activities they engage in with their close ones in real life.

The research

Part 3: Identifying gaps in the market

These insights helped me better understand the "jobs to be done" (JTBD) and align them with Instagram's business objectives.

With the JTBD in mind, I also analyzed competitors to identify what they were doing better and areas where they struggled, helping me spot opportunities and hard-to-compete areas.

The solution

The breakthrough came when I recognized that user well-being and business growth could coexist. By refocusing Instagram on features that promote healthier habits and strengthen social connections, I found a balance.

With this insight, I brainstormed new features and, using the DVF Framework, created a roadmap featuring three main ideas and a few smaller ones.

The outcome

Given the nature of this project, I couldn't directly measure its success. However, if it had been a real project, I would have focused on metrics such as:

- Engagement (Average Daily Usage, Time per Session, New Feature Adoption Rate)
- Ad conversions (Conversion Rate)
- User well-being (Abuse Reports, User Feedback).

The learnings

One important lesson I learned from this project is that user and business needs can sometimes be in conflict. It's our job to find the sweet spot between them, but it can be tricky at times. In this case, the challenge was met by prioritizing features that satisfied both objectives—maintaining user engagement while promoting a healthier experience.

Do you want to increase your impact?

Let’s build awesome digital products and websites together and make the lives of your users better.

Start a project

Do you want to increase your impact?

Let’s build awesome digital products and websites together and make the lives of your users better.

Start a project

Do you want to increase your impact?

Let’s build awesome digital products and websites together and make the lives of your users better.

Start a project