Enhanced Saved Feature for Instagram
The redesigned Saved page incorporates advanced search, filtering, and customization options. This new design ensures users can quickly locate, organize, and interact with their saved content more effectively.
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Problem Overview
Instagram’s original Saved page was limited in functionality, offering only basic folder organization without any tools for searching, filtering, or customizing saved content. This forced users to scroll through folders manually to find specific posts, making the experience tedious and inefficient.
Through user research, I identified that users frequently saved posts intending to revisit them for inspiration, planning, or shopping but struggled to locate items later due to poor discoverability and navigation tools.
How I Got to the Solution
Identifying the Problem
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Lack of Search Capabilities: Users had no way to search within their saved items, forcing them to scroll through folders or posts.
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Minimal Organization Tools: Static folders were the only method for grouping content, limiting flexibility.
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Poor Discoverability: Important saved items often went unnoticed or forgotten due to the lack of visual hierarchy or notifications.
Research and Insights
User interviews revealed the following pain points:
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Inability to Find Specific Posts: Users wanted a search bar to locate posts by keywords, creators, or content type.
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Tedious Scrolling: Saved folders quickly became cluttered, leading to frustration in finding posts.
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Desire for Customization: Many users expressed a desire to curate folders visually or adjust how content was displayed.
"I have no idea how many posts I’ve saved. I just keep adding to my folders, but when I actually need to find something, it’s impossible." – 21, College Student
"I wish there was a way to search. I save so many posts for recipes, study tips, and outfits, but scrolling through everything is such a pain." – 20, College Student
"My saved folders are a mess. I want to be able to customize how they look or sort posts in a way that makes sense for me." – 22, College Student
Original Instagram Saved Page
Unorganized Saved Content: Displays saved posts grouped into folders but lacks a search function or advanced organization tools, making it harder for users to locate specific items quickly.
Grid View of Saved Items: Shows a basic grid layout of saved posts, with no filtering options to narrow down by category, type of content, or tags.
Limited Folder Functionality: Saved posts are confined to static folders (e.g., “clothing”), with no customization features or tools to manage or edit content efficiently.
Brainstorming Session
Two additional users joined in a brainstorming session aimed at expanding ideas for improving the suggested search feature on the Saved page. We ultimately decided to develop a search bar incorporating keywords or content creators.
Prototyping and Iteration
Proposed Features
The redesigned Saved page includes:
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Search Bar: Allows users to search saved content by keywords, hashtags, creators, or post type.
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Filtering Options: Filters enable users to sort saved items by categories like media type (photos, videos) or date saved.
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Folder Customization: Users can visually personalize folders, adjust cover images, and reorganize saved posts.
User Testing
Initial medium-fidelity prototypes were developed and tested with five Instagram users who frequently save posts. Key insights included:
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Users loved the search feature for locating specific posts quickly, especially for creators or themes they follow regularly.
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Filtering by sender or media type streamlined content discovery, making saved posts more functional.
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Visual folder customization was highly requested, as it added clarity and personalization to the Saved page.
Medium Fidelity Prototype — Searching through Content Creator
Medium Fidelity Prototype — Searching through Folder
Medium Fidelity Prototype — Searching with Keyword
The Final Design
Key Features
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Advanced Search Functionality: A search bar at the top of the Saved page lets users find posts by keywords, creators, or hashtags.
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Filter Options: Filters for “Photos,” “Videos,” or “Screenshots” allow users to refine saved posts quickly.
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Folder Customization: Users can rename folders, change cover images, and reorder posts for better organization.
Search Integration: Implemented a search bar at the top of the Saved page
Search Integration: Search bar includes recent searches and suggested creators to allow users to locate saved content faster.
End Goal Achieved! User is able to find their specific post
Search Integration: Implemented a search bar at the top of the Saved page
Design Flow Video
Impact and Future Directions
Impact
The enhanced Saved page transforms Instagram’s content-saving functionality into a seamless experience:
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Improved Discoverability: Search and filtering tools make it easy to locate specific saved items.
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Streamlined Organization: Customizable folders ensure content is organized and accessible.
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Enhanced User Experience: Users can revisit saved posts with minimal effort, increasing engagement with saved content.
Future Improvements
The enhanced Saved page transforms Instagram’s content-saving functionality into a seamless experience:
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Smart Recommendations: Introduce AI-based suggestions for folder creation based on user saving patterns.
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Shared Folders: Allow users to collaborate on saved content by sharing folders with friends.
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Notifications: Notify users of updates related to saved posts, such as price drops on shopping items.