SYDNEY CHEN
Designed three features to
personalize stories for a more meaningful view
UX DESIGN. UI DESIGN
2024
INTRODUCTION
Instagram Story
Instagram Stories used to be spontaneous, personal, and engaging. But as the platform grew, so did the noise. Stories started to feel less relevant, more like a blur of content than a space for connection.
In this redesign, I introduced three features to bring meaning back to Stories, prioritizing context, connection, and curation. The goal: help users see the stories that matter most.
YEAR
2024
TIMELINE
2 WEEKS
ROLE
UI/UX DESIGNER
TYPE
PERSONAL PROJECT
PROBLEM
How might we personalize Instagram Stories to reduce passive scrolling and help users connect with content that truly resonates?
As screen time rises, digital platforms have become saturated with passive, low-value content. This leaves users feeling overwhelmed and disconnected—turning what used to be authentic sharing into a noisy, impersonal feed.
SOLUTION
Redesign Instagram Stories to surface more relevant content and give users tools to shape their own experience.
By introducing a pinned stories page, mute options, and the ability to opt out of Close Friends, this redesign helps users filter out noise and engage with stories that feel timely and meaningful—on their own terms.
PINNED PAGE
Dedicated space for keeping your favorite moments easily accessible
While exploring existing Instagram features, I decided to come up with a feature similar to Close Friends Post and Favorite Post Feed for Instagram Stories, using a de-cluttered layout that tackles the less focused structure currently in place.
This page is accessed via an icon beside the user's own story icon, it offers a quick and easy way to engage with favorite or important content. This feature is high feasibility as it is build upon instagram’s existing feed page for “favorites." It is also high impact as it offers a strong social aspect to stories, encouraging users to engage more with personalized stories.
PINNED LIST
Different ways to manage your pinned page
Users can easily manage their pinned content through a dedicated pinned list page. This page allows them to pin and unpin users, while also providing suggested accounts to follow and an option to search for specific users to pin. This feature ensures that users have seamless control over their pinned content, allowing for a more personalized and relevant experience.
CLOSE FRIEND'S LIST
A feature that empowers users to maintain control over what they see
This feature allows users to opt-out of being included in someone's Close Friends list. Enhances user control over the content they see without needing to unfollow or block the person.
MUTE CONTEN T
Enhancing digital experience through seamless content muting
Enables users to mute someone's main story without unfollowing them. This feature provides a personalized content management option while preserving social connections.
NEXT
LEASE EASE
