Social Media App

UX Research & Strategy

The design process began with comprehensive user research to uncover pain points in existing social apps:

• Competitive analysis of platforms like Instagram, VSCO, and BeReal.
• User interviews (8 participants) focusing on how people store and share visual memories from events or trips.
• Feature validation surveys to rank what people wanted most: dynamic album layouts, tagging, messaging, and subscription-based following.
  

Key findings:

• Users wanted a more cohesive way to group photos from events or stories.
• Many disliked the linear, single-image nature of traditional feeds.
• There was a clear need for a private but interactive way to engage around shared memories.

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Visual Design & UI Solutions

Albie’s visual design blends minimalist UI with immersive interaction:

• Home Feed: Scrollable feed showcasing albums as story units, not just posts.
• Dynamic Album Grids: Users choose from multiple layout options to customize the visual flow of each album.
• Tags & Comments Inside Albums: Unlike traditional apps, comments and tags live within the album interface itself.
• Subscription Feature: Users can follow entire albums (like series) or profiles to stay updated.
• Messaging: Contextual messaging is available directly from albums, making engagement seamless.
  

Motion and interaction were carefully crafted to create a tactile feel, using haptic feedback and smooth transitions for album navigation and tagging.

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‍Outcomes & Key Results

• User testing (25 participants): 88% said they would use Albie alongside or instead of Instagram for sharing multi-photo events.
• Session time: Users spent an average of 2.3x more time exploring albums compared to typical image posts.
• Navigation testing: 94% successfully completed core actions (create album, tag friend, subscribe) without needing guidance.

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