Portfolio Project

Instagram isn’t architected for how teens actually use it. They open the app to catch up, then spend most of their time in Reels. We noticed these “desire paths”—the trails users carve when the product doesn’t match their intent—and used them to rethink the app’s foundation.

The strategy: prioritize entertainment while preserving catch-up for everyone. This is Instagram’s biggest paradigm shift, tested through an unprecedented two-way opt-in that invites the community into the conversation.

Home should reflect how people actually spend their time. The new experience is full-screen and content-forward—Reels as the primary format, with Stories and Direct just as accessible as before.

By leaning into preferred sharing formats, Home stays a place for friends while delivering the entertainment people come for. A key differentiator, preserved.

A gift to the community—a deterministic space that gives users a sense of control over their content. Following addresses the displacement anxiety that comes with Home’s paradigm shift, offering a dedicated surface to catch up with the accounts that matter most.

The goal: eliminate the fear of missing posts from friends. No algorithmic surprises, no infinite scroll into entertainment—just the content you asked for, presented in a way that lets you feel genuinely caught up.

Major changes land better when people feel chosen, not forced. The opt-in frames early access as an invitation: “Go behind the scenes and see what Instagram is working on.”

A top-of-Home entry point keeps it visible without disrupting consumption. System mechanics and familiar touchpoints drive adoption with minimal friction.

The new iPad app shipped with this paradigm before any other platform—a statement of commitment. It signals where the product is headed and gave the team a proving ground at scale before broader rollout.