JULIE ZHU
I'm Julie 👋
A restless UX Designer
where visual art meets technology and user experience. My goal is to craft designs that are both efficient and engaging, blending simplicity with creativity.
Currently UX Designer @ Verizon
Previously @ Parsons
Instagram Redesign
New Usage of Hashtags
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OVERVIEW
Instagram Redesign
2020 / PERSONAL CHALLENGE / 3 DAYS
Purpose
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Find a key issue of Instagram that is worth solving, and give specific ideas, thinking process and solutions around the problem.
The Challenge
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How to improve the content and privacy preference based on the user's customization and unique feed while keeping the consistency of user experience.​
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Methodology
​Design Approach: Design Thinking
Thinking Method: Primary research, Secondary research, Interview, Persona, User Journey Map, Prototype, Workflow, Visual Identity
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Timeline
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Oct 2020
Role
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UX Researcher
UX/UI Designer​
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RESEARCH
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I interviewed some 16 users aged 18-30:​
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When talking about Instagram, what kind of App is it for you at you first opinion?
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What’s the most common target for you when you want to open Ins?
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Was there a time that made you annoying during the usage? If yes, what’s that?
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was there a time that you really need a function in Ins to make the user experience better? If yes, what’s that?
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UNDERSTANDING
& IDENTIFYING
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Issues
Repeated Content
Some similar posts with the same hashtag will cause a repeated content that cause information fatigue.
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Distraction
When people go to Instagram for some specific inspirations or works, the interesting feed on homepage will distract them from original target.
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Uncleared Watchlist Searching
Instagram users has a lot of unique names, while the watchlist is neither sort by following time nor alphabetically. It consumes a lot of time to find a specific following account.
Mahir
Uysal
23
College student
BFA of fashion design
New York, NY
Daily:
With sewing machine
Zoom class & Email
Order take away
Sketch
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Presona
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“Instagram is a escape from my sewing. Usually I open it for killing time. But actually I can’t help to seeking inspiration from there.
I’m not a person need attention, but if I can only gain reply from my fashion friends, then I don’t want unrelated people to read that post from me.
Also, I’m not caring about the international affairs. If all of my friends are talking about the same thing, after get a general idea about what’s happening, I will leave.”
With regard to Gen Z’s opinions on posts privacy and their emphasis on contents’ comfort, I wanted to explore ideas that focus on content and related privacy.
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IDEA &
DESIGN GOAL
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WIRE
FRAME
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USER
FLOW
Hashtag Algorithm
Original Userflow
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FINAL UI
Home Page & “Hot Hashtag”
Profile Page
Post
On the home page, users will find the “Hot Hashtag” section, which is built upon the most common usage of the users’ followings. When the hashtag takes 60% of all the posts on that day, it will be on the Hot Hashtag list. The minimum percentage to be on the list is 30%. The list is sorted by popularity.
If a post uses a hashtag that is on the Hot Hashtag, it won’t be on the main home page.
A user will also be bound with the hashtags that take part of 50% or more of his posts. That means a following can have multiple bounded hashtags.
If a following’s hashtag turns into pink, that means the hashtag is on the hot list today. The user will only see posts with this hashtag from the Hot Hashtag List.
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Users can customize their post privacy to their followers who have had share the same hashtag with them before they posting.
The option of “hashtag group” is limited to the hashtag used on every single post.
Story Preference
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Same as post, story now have a privacy preference as well.
Watchlist
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I set the hashtag version switch in the watchlist. If users don’t need the new arrangement and privacy preference, they can always turn to off here.
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