Role: UX/UI Designer
Timeline: 03/2021 - 05/2021
Type: Conceptual Case Study
Tools: Figma, Adobe CC
UX DESIGN AWARDS 2023 | NOMINATED
I am super excited to announce that this product has been nominated in the UX Design Awards 2023!
Awarded by International Design Center Berlin (IDZ)
Bubblor
Bubblor aims to offer a secure social media platform with customisable algorithms for users.
It addresses the problems of limited user control and privacy in existing social media platforms. These platforms have faced criticism for their lack of user control and transparency, leading to user disengagement and a diminished sense of community.
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The product was nominated for the UX Design Awards 2023 by industry experts and leaders, demonstrating its potential as a business idea in the market.
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The increasing prevalence of social media platforms raises concerns about the extensive collection and sharing of personal information online. The challenge lies in identifying efficient methods to safeguard personal data on these platforms while maintaining user engagement. This issue is particularly significant as the gathering of personal data allows social media platforms to deliver excessive content, such as ads and promotions, that may be irrelevant to users and lead to wasted time.
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To create a space where users can share their interests safely without leaking their personal information.
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An anonymous platform that doesn't collect personal data but instead uses user interactions to simulate the algorithm. It eliminates the repetitive information that other social media platforms offer and enables users to create groups based on similar interests to share valuable content across the internet.
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Kipling’s Checklist, Survey, User Behaviour Research, Secondary Research, Experienced Map Competitor Analysis, Persona, How Might We, Information Architecture, Wireframe, Use Case, Hi-fi prototype
The biggest concern is among everyone.
I have been spending a lot of time on social media, and after agreeing to many ‘terms and conditions’, I noticed that the platforms started displaying content that matched my interests. First I found it helpful, but soon realised that the platform was tracking my browsing history and collecting my personal data, which made me feel uncomfortable and vulnerable. This realisation has led me to join others in seeking a solution to this problem.
“I conducted the research on individual data leakages to understand the current algorithms used on major social platforms.”
Survey
I surveyed 20 people from the age of 20 to 50 to gain insight into people's opinions of social media platforms and how concerns over privacy impact their usage:
User Behaviour Research
I conducted a user behaviour research session with seven interviewees to determine at which stage they were either voluntarily sharing or forced to share their data while using an app or browsing a website. This was after I discovered that each interviewee had experienced at least one incident of data leaks or forced data sharing during the survey.
I chose Instagram as the social media platform for this research because it is one of the most widely used social media platforms globally, with over one billion active users.
Step 1. Register a new account.
Step 2. Your first action.
Step 3. How they collect your data.
Secondary Research
It was intriguing to observe how the testers immediately began sharing and liking posts once they created their accounts. This piqued my interest in the psychology behind this behaviour, and I came across a study that delves into this topic, below is what I concluded from the study:
People share content on social media because they want to stay connected with others who share similar interests and to gain more information on those interests. Sharing is an enjoyable activity that allows individuals to express themselves and their passions while connecting with others who have similar passions.
Social media platforms often encourage users to share their interests and personal content, revealing aspects of their identity. Despite this, many users are willing to share this data because they enjoy the social experience and the ability to connect with others who share similar interests.
Every action tells them who you are.
Based on the survey and user behaviour analysis above, we have gained insight into how popular social media platforms such as Instagram analyse users' interests through their basic interactions. While this practice is intended to filter out posts that users may not be interested in and provide them with "best content", it raises concerns about the extent of data that Instagram may collect on individual users. Specifically, the question arises as to whether Instagram has access to information on everything that a user has seen on the platform.
“I analysed user behaviours and experiences to discover how/when they are willing to share their data during the use of social media, and impacts on algorithms.”
Experience Map
Drawing from the research findings, I can create an experience map to analyse at which stages users start revealing their interests to the Instagram algorithm. By doing so, I can identify pain points and potential problems in the user journey, allowing me to improve the user experience and address any privacy concerns.
I highlighted the particular steps in the map to indicate the moment when users share their data with the algorithm:
1. When creating a new account:
2. When engaging with other users’ posts:
3. When creating their own posts:
The lengthy terms of service and privacy policy agreements that users may not read or fully understand before accepting.
Users may not realise the extent of data collection that occurs while using the platform, leading to privacy concerns.
Algorithmic filtering of content may limit users' exposure to diverse perspectives and ideas.
Numerous social media platforms utilise hashtags to categorise user interests.
Each interaction and action taken while using social media has the potential to expose personal interests.
Loss of anonymity and personal control, as social media profiles can reveal personal information and create a digital footprint that can be difficult to erase.
Cyberbullying, including harassment, threats, and other forms of abusive behaviour that can cause emotional distress and harm.
Pain Point
Based on the experience maps, I extracted the following pain points:
Competitor Analysis
I conducted a competitor analysis to evaluate the leading social media platforms and their respective strengths and weaknesses in meeting user needs through their algorithms. In particular, I focused on anonymous apps to better understand how they handle user privacy:
I noticed that while many anonymous apps were successful in addressing privacy concerns, they also created a new issue: a higher likelihood of users sharing or receiving cyberbullying and inappropriate content. This could lead to further trouble for individual users or even the platform as a whole.
Persona
Understanding the target audience is a critical component in developing effective solutions for their needs. In this section, I created three distinct personas based on the insights gathered from the research and analysis conducted earlier.
The algorithm is the key.
Algorithms play a significant role in determining what content is displayed to users, as well as which ads and promotions are targeted to specific users. Platforms that can effectively leverage algorithms to deliver personalised content are more likely to retain users and encourage continued engagement.
“I used the findings from my research and analysis to conceptualise solutions for the user’s pain points.”
How Might We…
To begin the 'conceptualise' phase, the first step is to identify practical problems based on the pain points that were identified during earlier phases of the project.
Ideate
From the HMW above, I selected four critical questions and tried to ideate around them:
1. Make an anonymous platform.
2. A platform that only shares content from other websites.
3. A platform that groups people with similar interests and allows them to control the algorithm.
4. A platform that encourages users to communicate through emojis to promote content-focused interactions.
Use Case
Using the ideas generated above, I developed three distinct user cases to analyse the usability of the proposed solutions before wireframing. These user cases were designed to simulate the experiences of the different personas and test the effectiveness of the proposed solutions in meeting their needs.
1. Find groups related to their interests.
2. Share a post.
3. Communicate with other users.
What if the algorithm runs by…users? By us?
Upon gaining an understanding of how algorithms work in social media platforms, I realised that user interactions play a relatively small role. This inspired me to come up with an idea of allowing users to create their own social media algorithms based on their interactions with each other.
“I created initial sketches to visualise the solutions and test their usability with my target audiences.”
Initial Information Architecture
For this initial architecture, I aimed to streamline the core services to allow users to test them easily without any unnecessary distractions or complications.
Wireframe
I turned the information architecture into wireframes:
Thumbnail Wireframe
Initial Wireframe
User Testing
I asked seven people to try out the wireframe and give me their thoughts. To make sense of their feedback, I used the affinity mapping.
Finding:
I was surprised to find that the interviewees created a new category called 'post'. This is because they had difficulty finding the option to make a post when they want to share something they are interested in or cared about. (Initially, I planned for the platform to automatically embed content from other social media platforms, but now it appears to be more beneficial to allow users to do it themselves.)
Users may find it challenging to participate in the algorithm and share content since they can only see what they personally like, but not what others enjoy.
The hashtags on the left make the layout look ‘ugly’.
Solution:
I added a new feature called 'Create' that enables users to embed links from other websites/platforms to this platform.
I implemented a new feature called 'Bubble' that lets users view other users' browsing history to gain insights on the topics they are most interested in.
I added a new tab called ‘Profile’ to group the hashtags. Users can also change their preferences in this tab.
Testers weren’t happy about the service.
Following the testing session, it became apparent that users were dissatisfied with the current services due to several limitations, including an inability to post or view content as others do. I took note of their feedback and developed a new information architecture to address their needs.
“I redesigned functioning elements, user flow and user interface features to better meet the testers’ needs.”
New Information Architecture
I designed a new information architecture that is specifically tailored to meet the needs of users, based on the results of the testing session. In this updated version of the IA, I added three new features: Create, Bubble, and Profile, along with a More section that includes Settings and Terms & Conditions.
Prototype
I updated the wireframe and created a skeleton for the platform. From there, I quickly developed a prototype that incorporates the new features and design elements. This prototype will be used for the next testing session, allowing users to provide feedback on the updated design and functionality.
Final Testing
I presented the prototype to the interviewees and performed another round of testing.
Problem: This time, they expressed satisfaction with the changes I made but also expressed concerns about the safety of the app - they worry about the possibility of encountering inappropriate content or spam.
Solution: To address this issue, I have implemented a solution where users can change their group at any time if they encounter any unpleasant experiences.
Before
After
PRODUCT SHOWCASE
Bubblor prioritises protecting users' privacy, which is why it doesn't require users to register for an account. Upon opening the platform, users can select the topics they're interested in by choosing relevant hashtags. They will be automatically placed into a group of four anonymous users who share the same interests and selected the same hashtags.
Users can engage with posts by liking and sharing them with others. Sharing is a core function of the platform, where all new posts on the "Home" page are shared by users instead of being recommended by an AI algorithm. Users can still browse contents within their selected hashtags, but to see new posts, they will receive them from the anonymous users in their group.
To facilitate better connections between users and to ensure the algorithm is successful, Bubblor allows users to view the current browsing histories of other users. This feature is designed to help users understand the interests of others and share posts that are relevant to them. Since all users remain anonymous and the group changes automatically every 10 minutes, this does not reveal any user identities.
After receiving a post, users have the option to send a direct message to the user who shared the post. However, to prevent cyberbullying and hate speech, Bubblor only allows users to communicate with emojis to express their reactions to the post. This is a simple and pure form of communication that doesn't require any language and helps to maintain a safe and positive environment.
FUTURE
Future Improvement
Based on the feedback from my interviewees, here are some potential improvements for the current version of the platform:
Introducing a search function to allow users to search for specific content:
Users were suggesting adding a function which allows them to search for specific content.
More Advanced Communication Options:
The platform could consider adding more advanced communication options such as pre-defined phrases to communicate complex thoughts.
Gamification:
Incorporating gamification elements could help increase user engagement and improve the overall user experience. For example, users could earn rewards or badges for sharing high-quality content or for actively engaging with others on the platform.
In summary, Bubblor has the potential to stand out as a unique social media platform that counters AI algorithms. However, it needs to prioritise user engagement. Currently, the app's functionality depends on user content sharing, which relies heavily on user engagement. In other words, if users do not engage with each other on the platform, it cannot function effectively.
Reflection
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Through this project, I learned how to utilise various methods to identify and understand user requirements. From research and analysis to user testing, the project allowed me to gather valuable experiences to find solutions from pain points.
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Through this project, I have come to realise the importance of Experience Mapping. By using the experience map, I gained insight into where users encountered difficulties and what pain points they experienced. This allowed me to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments to create a better user experience.
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Throughout this project, I learned the importance of using specific methods to identify user requirements. However, I also realised the need to determine the best method for a particular situation. Using the wrong method can waste a lot of time and effort. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully evaluate the situation and select the appropriate method that will provide the best outcome.
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Moving forward, I intend to be more mindful of the methods I choose to employ in my projects. I will take into account the context of each situation and carefully consider whether a particular method is suitable or not, in order to avoid wasting time and resources.