This is a group project that I created with other classmates at UIUC for the Human-Computer Interaction Class that I took. The goal of this project is to create an AI-powered social media manager that enables Instagram based businesses, influencers, and content-creators of all levels to achieve their goals. This tool will be integrated into the Instagram platform, and include several features to tackle various common challenges faced by this subset of Instagram users.
UI/UX designer
March 2024- May 2024
The problem is the time-consuming and overwhelming process of managing a successful Instagram presence for businesses and influencers. From drafting engaging content and navigating optimal posting times to handling audience interactions, the demands are significant. Personalizing content for diverse audience segments adds complexity, necessitating AI-driven insights.
Our goal is to complete these tasks by automating content scheduling, data analysis, and engagement, allowing businesses and influencers to save time and resources while maximizing their impact on the competitive social media platform.
Aspiring Influencers and Small business owners
We interviewed around 6 an created personas to understand their needs
After conducting user interviews, we used affinity mapping to produce four insights about the challenges and habits of those who are managing large Instagram accounts: Interviewees struggle with consistently creating original and engaging content, often experiencing creative blocks and difficulties in content scheduling. Many interviewees face challenges in managing their social media accounts effectively due to limited time, emphasizing the need for tools that streamline and automate the process.Interviewees expressed a strong desire for more specific and in-depth analytics tools and personalized features for better social media management. While open to using AI for social media management, interviewees expressed concerns about privacy and the need for AI to respond effectively to clients while maintaining their brand's reputation.
User Insights Considered:
-Users are reluctant to embrace impersonal chatbots
-Desire to maintain a distinct online persona
-Apprehension about investing significant time in setup
Match between system and the real world:
-Mirroring the natural trade-off between customization time and response quality
Flexibility and efficiency of use:
-User control over chatbot tone, style, and response frequency
User Insights Considered
-User struggle with content creation and account improvement
-Lack of information on content improvement
-Desire for data on post performance
Design Principles & Usability Heuristics
-Data-driven decision-making
-Providing insights into post performance
-optimal posting times, and in-depth content analysis
-Visibility of system status
-Clear presentation of statistics and actionable insights
User Insights
-Challenges in content creation
-Desire for suggestions and captions for better-performing content.
Design Principles & Usability Heuristics
-User control and freedom
-Regenerate suggestions for maintaining creative control
-Added the function where the AI chat-bot can quickly respond to messages with a swiping motion-Adjustments to let users get a feel for how each response style may look like
-Added a feature where the users can see the comparison of similar content and improve their future content based on the AI-generated suggestions and analytics
-Added an option for users to specifiy a theme or topic they are looking for. After typing in the theme, it will generate new suggestions relating to the theme entered. This will allow users to customize the suggestions based on any specifications they are looking for
In conclusion, our project aimed to enhance Instagram management through an AI-powered Social Media Manager, tailored for aspiring influencers and small businesses. By iterating through user insights and design phases, we created a user-friendly tool with features like personalized chatbots and data-driven insights. Our solution seamlessly integrates into the platform, offering innovation in content generation and analytics. This project highlights the importance of user-centric design and collaboration in delivering efficient solutions. Our AI-powered Social Media Manager stands as a testament to our commitment to enhancing user experiences on Instagram. From this project, I was able to learn navigating challenge such as balancing functionality and addressing user concerns about AI technology expanded my problem-solving skills and empathy as a designer.
