Usability Research
The great thing about social media is how it made connecting with others around the world easy
The Brief
Every day, millions of people capture their unique moments, from cherished memories with friends to awe-inspiring travel adventures, and share them on Instagram. We are on a journey to understand the heart of these stories, exploring how users transform everyday moments into captivating narratives. By diving into their experiences, we aim to enhance Instagram's features, making it easier and more delightful for everyone to tell their own stories.
The Objective
Discover if users are able to easily manage, edit, and access the content they interact with on Instagram. Understand the efficiency of using IG on desktop to execute their daily objectives. Learn about the memorability of finding information that is not accessed on a daily basis. Determine the effectiveness of the user interface to make users feel satisfied with their time spent on the app.
The Goal
The goal of this research is to evaluate how well Instagram’s desktop functionality meets the users objectives.
My Role
UX Researcher (Team of 3)
Time
8 Weeks
Persona
Sam Jones
Sam Jones, a music lover who follows popular music acts (20). Follows events and new music drops through artist’s stories and posts.
Test Plan
Key Focus: Understand the efficiency and usability of various features in Instagram
1 - 2 mins
Introduction
Explain the tasks and give a brief overview of the project
1 min
Walk user through each task completion
15 - 20 mins
Follow-up with question after each task completion
3 - 4 mins
Closing Comments and final questions
4 - 5 mins
User Testing
In this UX portfolio case study, user testing played a pivotal role in refining the user experience of our product. Our user testing strategy encompassed sessions conducted across diverse locations, ensuring a broad spectrum of user perspectives. Utilizing Zoom, we conducted interviews with one pilot tester and engaged with five participants, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of user interactions. To ensure suitability, users underwent a screener before interviews, streamlining the process and ensuring relevance. Throughout the sessions, participants engaged with ten designated tasks, generating both qualitative insights and quantitative data on user interactions. Additionally, users were prompted to rate various experiences on a scale of 1 to 5, providing valuable feedback for iterative improvements. Through meticulous user testing, we gained invaluable insights that informed the enhancement of our product's user experience.
User Scenarios
Searching for likes
Editing a typo
Restricting someone’s account
Saving a post
Muting someone’s stories
Accessing saved posts
Editing a bio
Creating a saved art collection
Making an account private
Blocking Someone
Key Findings
They don’t like when they can’t find their likes: Users took more time with this action as it is not something they perform often therefore they can’t reference their mobile app experience. Some users assumed they can find their Likes in their profile or settings. Some found it intuitive as they navigated to the Your Activity page.
Revaluate placement of mute button: Overall each user was confused muting an IG account, many would associate the action with blocking or restricting and ultimately choose the wrong action or find the correct option after searching in the profile through trial and error.
Some features are too similar: Some features are too similar in nature such as favorites and saved, leading users to Favorite a post they meant to Save. Contrast between colors also proved to be an issue as a user over looked an actionable button as it blended too closely to the background.