Pre-Use: Shaping intent before engagement
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Explore vs Following Toggle: Switch between algorithm-driven feed and people you follow.
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Topic-Based Explore: Choose a category (art, fitness, food) before diving into Explore.
During-Use: Awareness in the Moment
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Check-in Nudge: A soft “Still feeling good?” after 20 minutes.
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Session Duration Indicator: Subtle timer showing current session length.
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Scroll Counter: Track how far you’ve scrolled in one session.
Post-use: Reflection after use
Instagram Wrap: A monthly visual summary of habits, moods, and top interactions (inspired by Spotify Wrapped).
Key insights from the Diary Study
1
Habitual and passive use
“I just opened it instinctively when I was bored.”
2
Goal dilution
“I came to check a message but ended up watching reels for 40 minutes.”
3
Design overrides intention
Autoplay, notifications, and suggestions pulled attention away from original goals.
4
Time distortion and regret
"I didn’t realise I’d spent 25 minutes until I checked the clock.”
5
Desire for boundaries
Users wanted boundaries or nudges to stay aligned with their goals.
Research Approach
I used a three-phase, research-through-design process:
Literature Review
It was found that frictionless features such as infinite scroll reduce user agency. Restrictive tools like app locks were shown to cause frustration, whereas reflective, context-aware nudges were observed to be more effective in supporting mindful engagement.
Phase 1 - Diary Study
A 7-day diary study was conducted with 15 culturally diverse participants. Daily reflections were collected to capture when, why, and how Instagram was used. Patterns of passive use, emotional highs and lows, and mismatches between intention and outcome were surfaced.
Phase 2 - Intervention Testing
Six speculative interface prototypes were created from diary study insights and tested in interviews with seven participants. Each intervention was evaluated for usability, emotional resonance, and its influence on behaviour.
Context and Problem
Instagram is designed for convenience: seamless, endless, addictive. Users often log in with a purpose (replying to a friend, looking for inspiration) but drift into passive scrolling. The result? Loss of time, emotional fatigue, and regret.
The Challenge:
How might we redesign Instagram’s interface to balance convenience with intentional engagement?
Interventions designed
Designing for Intentional Engagement
Rethinking convenience and user agency in Instagram’s interface
Scrolling feels effortless, maybe too effortless. Instagram’s design thrives on infinite feeds, autoplay, and recommendations that keep us hooked. But what if the interface helped us pause and reflect, rather than pulling us deeper?
This report explores how small moments of thoughtful friction can give users back a sense of agency, making engagement more intentional without sacrificing enjoyment.
What users said
Testing revealed what resonated most:
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Loved:
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Instagram Wrap (avg. rating 4.86/5) → fun, non-judgmental, insightful
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Topic-Based Explore (avg. 4.36/5) → gave purpose and focus
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Check-in Nudge (avg. 3.86/5) → caring, supportive
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Mixed:
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Session Duration Indicator (2.64/5) → useful but guilt-inducing
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Scroll Counter (1.71/5) → confusing, lacked emotional contex
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Results and Recommendations
From the study, five clear principles emerged:
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People value control over content (toggles, topic filters).
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Reflection works better than restriction, like nudges over hard limits.
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Flexibility matters so it's important to balance spontaneity with mindful entry points.
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Raw numbers mean little without context, instead design for emotional resonance.
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Familiar formats (like Spotify Wrapped) make reflection engaging.
Conclusion
This report shows that friction isn’t always negative. When designed with care, friction can feel supportive. Small, context-aware interventions can help users pause, reflect, and reconnect with their intentions while keeping the joy of discovery alive.