Instagram Preview Feature

Added the ability to plan and preview posts

The Project.

I decided to do my “adding a feature” project on Instagram, “a free photo and video sharing app”. I am very familiar with the Instagram app and use it on a daily basis. The feature that I plan to add to the app is the ability to plan and preview posts. This has been a feature that I’ve always wished that Instagram offered in order to make the experience of strategically posting pictures easier.

Project type: Adding a Feature

Toolbox: Figma, Google Forms

Timeline: 2 months

Goal: Create a simple and easy way for Instagram users to plan and preview their posts

The Solution

  • A feature to preview what future posts will look like on feed (ability to move and rearrange for aesthetic)

  • A feature to prepare a post and set a date/time for it to be posted to their feed

The Problem.

Instagram users are unable to

  • view what their post will look like on their feed unless they actually post it

  • post at a certain date/time because they are busy

Research

Competitive Analysis

After analyzing competitors of Instagram, I came to the conclusion that the following are the most important to users ~

  • simplicity and easy usability

  • organization

  • privacy options

Personas

Although there are many different people that use Instagram, I wanted to highlight the different types of personas that would benefit from a preview feature on Instagram.

Research Interviews

I decided to conduct my research interviews with users of all different backgrounds. I wanted to understand the needs of a person who uses Instagram for business purposes and a person who uses Instagram casually.

Feedback Results

Main Takeaways

  • Goals when using Instagram depend on the role (personal vs. career)

  • Other apps to aid Instagram posting

  • Hootsuite or Sprout Social - scheduling platform (not specific to IG)

    • Lightroom & VSCO - edit photo

    • Adobe Premier Rush - edit videos

    • UNUM - organize posts / feed

    • Instagram is launching their scheduling feature

  • The importance of organizing posts depends on the role (personal vs. career) or aesthetic goal

  • The importance of planning posts depends on the role (personal vs. career) or view/likes/interaction goals

  • Planning posts on Instagram can be aided by using the drafts feature,

  • Users go to a third party app to plan/schedule posts

  • Would be helpful for the third party app that help to plan/schedule posts to be specifically for Instagram

  • OR could be helpful to have an internal feature to preview posts and rearrange and organize and a feature to set a date/time for a post to go up.

Feature Development

Sitemap

*click to enlarge*

Project Goals

Design

Low Fidelity Wireframes

I sketched these wireframes based on the Instagram app on my phone.

High Fidelity Wireframes

I developed these wireframes using elements directly from the Instagram app. I wanted to ensure that the new plan and preview features matched the current design system and was very simple since there is not much extra room on the app interface.

Usability Testing

I asked 4 users to test out the new plan and preview feature. After conducting usability testing, I concluded that the “Preview” feature should look just like a regular feed in order to be effective in previewing what feeds will actually look like. With this feedback, I created the following prototype ~

Prototype

The Final Product

Wrap Up

Reflections

This was a fun yet challenging project to do. I learned that although there is an existing product available, it is actually very difficult to add a new feature because you need to consider the existing design system and features in place. Adding a new feature (especially to a mobile app) can be very difficult due to the lack of real estate available on a mobile screen.

I definitely tried to go for the most simplistic design and hope that one day, Instagram can develop a similar feature to make using the app easier for users who are passionate about aesthetics and strategic posting.

Thank you! :)

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