When Facebook launched Reels in the US, the creation workflow largely matched that of TikTok.
We soon realized that our users had very different needs and priorities when it came to creating short-form video (SFV) content.
Upon entering Reels creation, 76% of users were leaving before adding or creating any content. Of those who did create, 83% were uploading existing video vs. capturing live.
We mapped the different types of content into 4 categories based on levels of creation intent and effort to create.
Next, we ran a design sprint to generate concepts along a spectrum of presentation heirarchy: with primary focus on camera, inspiration, or gallery.
We tested these concepts with users to understand the sweet spot for helping low-intent creators, without adding friction for high-intent users.
Users preferred a gallery-focused layout with quick access to camera and inspirational content.
Users had expressed during testing a desire for a less opaque entry into inspirational content - more of a "browse before you buy" experience. This would allow a more exploratory creation process, allowing creators to be inspired by what they see, rather than explicitly choosing "inspiration"
To that end, we developed a multi-tiered approach, utilizing "choice chips" as a level of subnavigation, that would allow users to browse different categories without leaving the main creation page.
Within each choice chip category would be a variety of inspiring ways to get started - which could be browsed freely and without commitment. Over time, as we added inspirational content, these categories would grow.
WORK
Work-index
Right now I'm probably in my shed, tinkering with something that's not likely to help your business.
