Instagram's Pinned Story Page is a dedicated space for users to enjoy curated, personalized content
Independent Project
July 2024
Contributions
UI/UX Design
UXR
Context
Understanding why users don't enjoy Instagram Stories anymore
When Instagram Stories were first introduced in 2016, many users were excited to view the temporary, in-the-moment content shared by their friends and mutuals. This new feature allowed for more spontaneous and authentic sharing, which was well-received by the community.
As Instagram starts growing as one of the biggest social media, many users start to become unsatisfied with the content people share on stories as it does not feel personalized, leading many users to be uninterested in even clicking on the shining red icon.
Current Experience
What is the current Instagram Story experience like?
I conducted over five user interviews with friends and mutual connections to understand why people lose interest in Instagram Stories. During these conversations, I asked participants to share specific moments when Stories felt irrelevant to them and how that impacted their overall experience with the platform. The following summarizes the key insights gathered from these interviews.
Identify Key Points
After reviewing the results of the interviews I decided to sort and highlight the three key pain points to figure out what feature to implement.
Existing Features
Instagram already existing features that implement personalization
By analyzing how different features handle personalization, I identify gaps and opportunities for improvement. This insight informs my design decisions, ensuring the solution aligns with user behaviors and creates a more meaningful viewing experience."
These features were too black and white, offering no middle ground
My goal was to design a seamless feature that reduce story spam, prioritizes close connection, and minimizes overwhelming content. By giving users more control, Stories become more personal, engaging, and clutter-free.
Final Solution
Encouraging meaningful views
for all users
I decided to attack all pain points and design three features as each serves purpose for specific user needs, providing a more versatile, user-friendly experience.
Design Decision 01
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.
Design Decision 02
A feature that empowers users to maintain control over their connections.
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.
Design Decision 03
Dedicated space for keeping your favorite moments easily accessible
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.
Thought process
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.
Reiteration
When designing the Pinned Stories Page, I initially considered categorizing stories into Close Friends and Regular Stories. However, since color coding already differentiates Close Friends effectively, I shifted to a more versatile approach by drawing inspiration from the existing categories on the following page.
Approach
Optimizing story organization
I introduced three key categories: "Most Viewed by You," "Creators and Business," and "Least Interacted With." Adding the "Least Interacted With" category helps users gain insight into which accounts they engage with the least, allowing them to manage their story interactions more effectively and curate their experience based on their preferences.
User Control 01
Users have free control to pin and unpin whenever they want
Users can pin and unpin accounts easily through the (…) icon on stories or profiles. This quick-access option allows them to manage their pinned content effortlessly, ensuring they stay in control of their story feed. Whether they want to prioritize certain users or declutter their experience, this feature provides a flexible and intuitive way to customize their viewing preferences.
User Control 02
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.
User Interface Components
Ensuring clarity for intentional actions
I designed the pop-up notification to ensure clarity and prevent accidental mis-clicks. Since leaving the Close Friend list is permanent, the pop-up clearly communicates this before users confirm. Using concise language and distinct button options, I created a brief but effective step that helps users reconsider their decision, reducing mistakes and improving the experience.
Final Prototype
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