UX Research & Persona Development for a Social Media Platform

 Selected Platform & Device Type

• Platform: A video-centric social media app designed for short-form user-generated content.
• Device Type: Mobile-first (iOS & Android), as video-based platforms are heavily mobile-driven.

Research Approach

To identify why user engagement is declining, I conducted user research using three methods:

✅ User Surveys: Distributed via in-app notifications & emails to collect quantitative insights on engagement drop-offs.

✅ User Interviews (10 participants): One-on-one virtual interviews with active & lapsed users to gather qualitative insights.

✅ Competitor Analysis: Audited TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to identify missing or frustrating features in our app.

Key Research Insights & Pain Points

📉 Why is engagement declining?

• Content Fatigue: Users feel the feed is repetitive and lacks diversity.
• Lack of Community Interaction: Limited ways to engage beyond likes & comments (e.g., duets, Q&A).
• Poor Discoverability: Algorithm surfaces too much of the same content creators, making it hard to find new voices.
• Video Editing Frustrations: Limited tools & templates force users to edit videos externally before uploading.

User Personas (Based on Research)

📌 Persona 1: "The Aspiring Creator"

• Name: Alex, 24
• Goals: Build an audience, increase video engagement, monetize content.
• Pain Points:
• Finds it hard to get discovered due to algorithm limitations.
• Editing tools lack features, forcing external apps.
• Wants more interactive formats to engage followers.

📌 Persona 2: "The Passive Scroller"

• Name: Sam, 30
• Goals: Entertainment, quick escape from daily stress.
• Pain Points:
• Feels content is repetitive, lacks freshness.
• No control over feed customization (wants more variety).
• Limited engagement features, prefers more interactive content.

📌 Persona 3: "The Trend Seeker"

• Name: Lisa, 19
• Goals: Stay updated on trends, interact with viral content.
• Pain Points:
• Algorithm doesn’t surface trending content fast enough.
• No real-time way to collaborate with friends on trends.
• Wants more remix & stitch features like on other platforms.

5. Research Challenges & Insights

🚧 Challenges:

• Re-engaging inactive users for feedback was difficult.
• Subjective algorithm frustration—users blame the app but can’t pinpoint what needs fixing.
• Survey response rates were low without in-app incentives.

💡 Key Insights:

• Enhancing content discoverability is a top priority.
• More engagement features (duets, polls, live collabs) are needed.
• Improved in-app video editing can boost creator retention.

6. Next Steps

🚀 UX Recommendations to Boost Engagement

1️⃣ Enhance Discoverability → AI-powered personalized feeds with new creators & trending challenges.

2️⃣ Improve User Engagement → Interactive content tools (live Q&A, collab videos, polls, remix features).

3️⃣ Expand In-App Editing Tools → More filters, templates, and duet/stitch features.