SOCIAL MEDIA
2025
Instagram Group Highlights
Facilitating engagement and collaboration within an overlooked feature
Timeline
January - March 2025 (8 Weeks)
Role
Product Design Fellow
Tools & Skills
Figma, Figma Slides, User Research, Affinity Mapping, Wireframing, Prototyping
Organization
Product Space
TL;DR
Problem
Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users, but one feature lags behind in engagement: Highlights. Despite 90% of users viewing others’ Highlights, only 30% actually post their own. Why? People feel awkward posting alone, worry about cluttering feeds, and often forget Highlights exist. Compared to other Instagram features that thrive on collaboration, discoverability, and customization, Highlights feel static and isolating. Users made it clear: they’d engage more if Highlights were collaborative, easy to use, and gave their page more visibility.
Results
Enter Group Highlights… a fresh take designed for collaboration and creativity. Now, users can invite friends, edit in real-time, and customize content together. The design builds on Instagram’s existing UI, making Highlights easier to discover when creating posts, stories, or reels. With options to draft, edit, and control visibility, Group Highlights empower users to bond over shared experiences, whether that’s a trip, a hobby, or just a monthly photo dump. By combining collaboration, discoverability, and customization, Group Highlights transforms Highlights into a more engaging and social feature.
💡
Creative solution to enable collaboration
7/10
Respondents Would Use Feature
✅
Successfully increasing engagement
SOCIAL MEDIA
2025
Instagram Group Highlights
Facilitating engagement and collaboration within an overlooked feature
Timeline
January - March 2025 (8 Weeks)
Role
Product Design Fellow
Tools & Skills
Figma, Figma Slides, User Research, Affinity Mapping, Wireframing, Prototyping
Organization
Product Space
TL;DR
Problem
Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users, but one feature lags behind in engagement: Highlights. Despite 90% of users viewing others’ Highlights, only 30% actually post their own. Why? People feel awkward posting alone, worry about cluttering feeds, and often forget Highlights exist. Compared to other Instagram features that thrive on collaboration, discoverability, and customization, Highlights feel static and isolating. Users made it clear: they’d engage more if Highlights were collaborative, easy to use, and gave their page more visibility.
Results
Enter Group Highlights… a fresh take designed for collaboration and creativity. Now, users can invite friends, edit in real-time, and customize content together. The design builds on Instagram’s existing UI, making Highlights easier to discover when creating posts, stories, or reels. With options to draft, edit, and control visibility, Group Highlights empower users to bond over shared experiences, whether that’s a trip, a hobby, or just a monthly photo dump. By combining collaboration, discoverability, and customization, Group Highlights transforms Highlights into a more engaging and social feature.
💡
Creative solution to enable collaboration
7/10
Respondents Would Use Feature
✅
Successfully increasing engagement
SOCIAL MEDIA
2025
Instagram Group Highlights
Facilitating engagement and collaboration within an overlooked feature
Timeline
January - March 2025 (8 Weeks)
Role
Product Design Fellow
Tools & Skills
Figma, Figma Slides, User Research, Affinity Mapping, Wireframing, Prototyping
Organization
Product Space
TL;DR
Problem
Instagram has 2 billion monthly active users, but one feature lags behind in engagement: Highlights. Despite 90% of users viewing others’ Highlights, only 30% actually post their own. Why? People feel awkward posting alone, worry about cluttering feeds, and often forget Highlights exist. Compared to other Instagram features that thrive on collaboration, discoverability, and customization, Highlights feel static and isolating. Users made it clear: they’d engage more if Highlights were collaborative, easy to use, and gave their page more visibility.
Results
Enter Group Highlights… a fresh take designed for collaboration and creativity. Now, users can invite friends, edit in real-time, and customize content together. The design builds on Instagram’s existing UI, making Highlights easier to discover when creating posts, stories, or reels. With options to draft, edit, and control visibility, Group Highlights empower users to bond over shared experiences, whether that’s a trip, a hobby, or just a monthly photo dump. By combining collaboration, discoverability, and customization, Group Highlights transforms Highlights into a more engaging and social feature.
💡
Creative solution to enable collaboration
7/10
Respondents Would Use Feature
✅
Successfully increasing engagement
😨 How do you keep 2 Billion People engaged monthly?
Each month, Instagram racks a total of 2 billion monthly active users. That's a quarter of the world population, and a lot of people to keep engaged.
That's why Instagram offers so many features with different ways of engaging.
Instagram's 3 core features for engagement.
😨 How do you keep 2 Billion People engaged monthly?
Each month, Instagram racks a total of 2 billion monthly active users. That's a quarter of the world population, and a lot of people to keep engaged.
That's why Instagram offers so many features with different ways of engaging.
Instagram's 3 core features for engagement.
😨 How do you keep 2 Billion People engaged monthly?
Each month, Instagram racks a total of 2 billion monthly active users. That's a quarter of the world population, and a lot of people to keep engaged.
That's why Instagram offers so many features with different ways of engaging.
Instagram's 3 core features for engagement.
However, a feature that lacks this user engagement and interaction is Instagram Highlights.
Why is this so?
However, a feature that lacks this user engagement and interaction is Instagram Highlights.
Why is this so?
However, a feature that lacks this user engagement and interaction is Instagram Highlights.
Why is this so?
Come for the Highlights,
Stay for the Stalking 👀
Most (70%) of users report sometimes, rarely, or never using Instagram Highlights. Interestingly enough, more people (90%) often or sometimes view other users' Highlights.
It seems as though users enjoy stalking more than making their own highlights.
Results from User Survey
Come for the Highlights,
Stay for the Stalking 👀
Most (70%) of users report sometimes, rarely, or never using Instagram Highlights. Interestingly enough, more people (90%) often or sometimes view other users' Highlights.
It seems as though users enjoy stalking more than making their own highlights.
Results from User Survey
Come for the Highlights,
Stay for the Stalking 👀
Most (70%) of users report sometimes, rarely, or never using Instagram Highlights. Interestingly enough, more people (90%) often or sometimes view other users' Highlights.
It seems as though users enjoy stalking more than making their own highlights.
Results from User Survey
Stick to your strengths (Collaboration!)
For the most part, users think highly of Instagram's ability to enable collaborative content, whether thats through reposts, tags/mentions, collaborative posts, or sharing content.
Instagram does a pretty good job at this, so maybe they could do this for Highlights.
More results from user surveys.
Stick to your strengths (Collaboration!)
For the most part, users think highly of Instagram's ability to enable collaborative content, whether thats through reposts, tags/mentions, collaborative posts, or sharing content.
Instagram does a pretty good job at this, so maybe they could do this for Highlights.
More results from user surveys.
Stick to your strengths (Collaboration!)
For the most part, users think highly of Instagram's ability to enable collaborative content, whether thats through reposts, tags/mentions, collaborative posts, or sharing content.
Instagram does a pretty good job at this, so maybe they could do this for Highlights.
More results from user surveys.
A Good Reason for
Peer Pressure
Users say that they would collaborate on Instagram Highlights if they had good friends to do it with, if it gave their page more visibility, and if it was easy and functional.
It's that simple!
Real quotes from the user surveys.
A Good Reason for
Peer Pressure
Users say that they would collaborate on Instagram Highlights if they had good friends to do it with, if it gave their page more visibility, and if it was easy and functional.
It's that simple!
Real quotes from the user surveys.
A Good Reason for
Peer Pressure
Users say that they would collaborate on Instagram Highlights if they had good friends to do it with, if it gave their page more visibility, and if it was easy and functional.
It's that simple!
Real quotes from the user surveys.
Affinity Mapping Magic
People love interacting with others to see what the person is like or what they're up to.
People love making Highlights to store personal content like monthly dumps or hobbies.
BUT these same people are hesitant to make content because…
They're worried about annoying others' feeds
They easily forget about highlights
They feel awkward doing it alone
Affinity mapping organized by the 3 main takeaways.
Affinity Mapping Magic
People love interacting with others to see what the person is like or what they're up to.
People love making Highlights to store personal content like monthly dumps or hobbies.
BUT these same people are hesitant to make content because…
They're worried about annoying others' feeds
They easily forget about highlights
They feel awkward doing it alone
Affinity mapping organized by the 3 main takeaways.
Affinity Mapping Magic
People love interacting with others to see what the person is like or what they're up to.
People love making Highlights to store personal content like monthly dumps or hobbies.
BUT these same people are hesitant to make content because…
They're worried about annoying others' feeds
They easily forget about highlights
They feel awkward doing it alone
Affinity mapping organized by the 3 main takeaways.
Making Room for Improvement
Based on user and secondary research, Instagram Highlights lacks the engagement that other features have because…
These 3 pain points will drive most of the design decisions.
Making Room for Improvement
Based on user and secondary research, Instagram Highlights lacks the engagement that other features have because…
These 3 pain points will drive most of the design decisions.
Making Room for Improvement
Based on user and secondary research, Instagram Highlights lacks the engagement that other features have because…
These 3 pain points will drive most of the design decisions.
This leads us to our problem statement:
How might we enable collaboration and facilitate engagement within Instagram Highlights?
This leads us to our problem statement:
How might we enable collaboration and facilitate engagement within Instagram Highlights?
This leads us to our problem statement:
How might we enable collaboration and facilitate engagement within Instagram Highlights?
Brainstorming with Intention
The pain points provide a clear path on how to increase engagement on Instagram Highlights. That is by answering (another) 3 guiding questions:
How can we increase discoverability?
Repost to stories
Distinguish in Profile
How can we enable collaboration?
Inviting others
Real-time editing together
Collaborative Folder
How can we increase interactions?
Votes on image
Settings
Reformatting Likes, Comments, Shares
Brainstormed sketches that color coded by the guiding questions.
Brainstorming with Intention
The pain points provide a clear path on how to increase engagement on Instagram Highlights. That is by answering (another) 3 guiding questions:
How can we increase discoverability?
Repost to stories
Distinguish in Profile
How can we enable collaboration?
Inviting others
Real-time editing together
Collaborative Folder
How can we increase interactions?
Votes on image
Settings
Reformatting Likes, Comments, Shares
Brainstormed sketches that color coded by the guiding questions.
Brainstorming with Intention
The pain points provide a clear path on how to increase engagement on Instagram Highlights. That is by answering (another) 3 guiding questions:
How can we increase discoverability?
Repost to stories
Distinguish in Profile
How can we enable collaboration?
Inviting others
Real-time editing together
Collaborative Folder
How can we increase interactions?
Votes on image
Settings
Reformatting Likes, Comments, Shares
Brainstormed sketches that color coded by the guiding questions.
What is… Collablights?
I designed wireframes on Figma to continue solving the guiding questions. I used what worked from Instagram's current UI while drawing inspiration from other apps that achieved success in collaboration and engagement. These apps being Google Docs and TikTok.
Collaborate in "Collablights" with others in real time, similar to Google Docs
Customize "Collablights" using options available to posts and stories
Discover "Collablights" on profile pages, separated from regular highlights
Increase engagement by reformatting interactions to be closer to the user's thumb, similar to TikTok
What is… Collablights?
I designed wireframes on Figma to continue solving the guiding questions. I used what worked from Instagram's current UI while drawing inspiration from other apps that achieved success in collaboration and engagement. These apps being Google Docs and TikTok.
Collaborate in "Collablights" with others in real time, similar to Google Docs
Customize "Collablights" using options available to posts and stories
Discover "Collablights" on profile pages, separated from regular highlights
Increase engagement by reformatting interactions to be closer to the user's thumb, similar to TikTok
What is… Collablights?
I designed wireframes on Figma to continue solving the guiding questions. I used what worked from Instagram's current UI while drawing inspiration from other apps that achieved success in collaboration and engagement. These apps being Google Docs and TikTok.
Collaborate in "Collablights" with others in real time, similar to Google Docs
Customize "Collablights" using options available to posts and stories
Discover "Collablights" on profile pages, separated from regular highlights
Increase engagement by reformatting interactions to be closer to the user's thumb, similar to TikTok
↩️ Design Iterations and Pivots
- I initially included Like, Comment, Share buttons on highlights, similar to how TikTok positions them, but they interfered with swipe gestures. So I scrapped it!
- I first separated Highlights and Group Highlights for clarity, but users felt the sections would be too small to scroll through. So, I pivoted to an orange Group icon indicator, similar to "Close Friends".
01
02
A New Home for Highlights
Before, Highlights didn't have a dedicated page or clear title. Now, Highlights can be accessed when creating a post, story, or reel by simply scrolling through the dial at the bottom.
Also, you have more flexibility and options with Highlights, being able to edit, draft, and create a Group Highlight!
Thus improving the discoverability of Highlights.
A New Home for Highlights
Before, Highlights didn't have a dedicated page or clear title. Now, Highlights can be accessed when creating a post, story, or reel by simply scrolling through the dial at the bottom.
Also, you have more flexibility and options with Highlights, being able to edit, draft, and create a Group Highlight!
Thus improving the discoverability of Highlights.
A New Home for Highlights
Before, Highlights didn't have a dedicated page or clear title. Now, Highlights can be accessed when creating a post, story, or reel by simply scrolling through the dial at the bottom.
Also, you have more flexibility and options with Highlights, being able to edit, draft, and create a Group Highlight!
Thus improving the discoverability of Highlights.
The Next Best Collaborative Tool
Invite your friends and edit in real-time together!
Add and customize photos to your liking with limitless editing options.
Thus enabling collaboration and customization within Highlights.
The Next Best Collaborative Tool
Invite your friends and edit in real-time together!
Add and customize photos to your liking with limitless editing options.
Thus enabling collaboration and customization within Highlights.
The Next Best Collaborative Tool
Invite your friends and edit in real-time together!
Add and customize photos to your liking with limitless editing options.
Thus enabling collaboration and customization within Highlights.
Make it Official
After completing your masterpiece, publish your work and control where it goes and how others can interact with your work.
This works as an additional bonus to give more control and freedom to the user.
Make it Official
After completing your masterpiece, publish your work and control where it goes and how others can interact with your work.
This works as an additional bonus to give more control and freedom to the user.
Make it Official
After completing your masterpiece, publish your work and control where it goes and how others can interact with your work.
This works as an additional bonus to give more control and freedom to the user.
Hide and Seek No More
Find Group Highlights on others profile pages, indicated by the Orange Group Icon
Find Group Highlights from reposts on others' stories
Find Group Highlights as suggestions pop up while scrolling through your feed
Hide and Seek No More
Find Group Highlights on others profile pages, indicated by the Orange Group Icon
Find Group Highlights from reposts on others' stories
Find Group Highlights as suggestions pop up while scrolling through your feed
Hide and Seek No More
Find Group Highlights on others profile pages, indicated by the Orange Group Icon
Find Group Highlights from reposts on others' stories
Find Group Highlights as suggestions pop up while scrolling through your feed
Next Steps
If I had more time to fully flush out Group Highlights, I would do each of the following:
Next Steps
If I had more time to fully flush out Group Highlights, I would do each of the following:
Next Steps
If I had more time to fully flush out Group Highlights, I would do each of the following:
Highlights and Lowlights
This project was super fulfilling—from start to finish, the process felt complete and intentional. I really enjoyed getting into the nitty-gritty of design, especially while working with Instagram's design system.
Conversely, this project has taught me a lot about staying organized, whether that's keeping my Figma workspace clean, using components to save time, and just managing my time more effectively.
I would like to shout out my mentors and peers at Product Space that guided me through this process. I'm super proud of the finished product, and couldn't have done it without them!
Highlights and Lowlights
This project was super fulfilling—from start to finish, the process felt complete and intentional. I really enjoyed getting into the nitty-gritty of design, especially while working with Instagram's design system.
Conversely, this project has taught me a lot about staying organized, whether that's keeping my Figma workspace clean, using components to save time, and just managing my time more effectively.
I would like to shout out my mentors and peers at Product Space that guided me through this process. I'm super proud of the finished product, and couldn't have done it without them!
Highlights and Lowlights
This project was super fulfilling—from start to finish, the process felt complete and intentional. I really enjoyed getting into the nitty-gritty of design, especially while working with Instagram's design system.
Conversely, this project has taught me a lot about staying organized, whether that's keeping my Figma workspace clean, using components to save time, and just managing my time more effectively.
I would like to shout out my mentors and peers at Product Space that guided me through this process. I'm super proud of the finished product, and couldn't have done it without them!
Any questions or want more details on this case study?
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Any questions or want more details on this case study?
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Any questions or want more details on this case study?
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