Instagram Stories AR
Overview
As a Product and UX Designer, my mind naturally and regularly envisions ways in which users interact with products, both digital and physical. I wanted to use that ability to imagine the user experience in 12-24 months of my favourite social media tool, Instagram.
The objective here is to create a new feature for Instagram Stories. To visualise how Stories can grow in the future, which can improve and add to the user experience. While also creating additional pathways for brand engagement.
Why
The objective of Instagram, whether through Stories or Posts is to allow users to become digital storytellers. To share moments, be they passing or everlasting events in their lives and to more importantly, immerse their audience in that story.
The platform has evolved significantly since launching in 2010 to being one of, if not the (for an ever growing demographic of 18-44 year olds) tool for digital storytellers of which we all are today in some format.
So I wanted to visualise the next step of evolution. To imagine in one year or two years time, how we would be using Instagram. It is no secret that users engage more with visual content so this leads me to believe that not only will Instagram’s active user statistics continue to grow, I believe the logical next steps will be a deeper immersion in this visual experience.
How
With 400 million active daily users now engaging in Stories, more than double of Snapchat and more than a third of these stories coming from business accounts. Stories is loved by brands and users alike.
So the logical step is to build upon that with even more Immersion!
I have multiple suggestions, for this particular proposal i would like to suggest implementing a location based AR feature into Stories.
Location Based AR
I propose creating a feature that will allow users to view their real world environment through Instagram and interact with stories that users have pinned to locations.
For example, a user arrives at a beautiful scenic location in California or at a skyscraper in New York. Opens the AR feature within Stories and view the experiences of others at the same location. Additionally, they create a story and pin it for others to enjoy.
Early Sketch
I always begin on paper or whiteboard when iterating any design, whether at the beginning of the process or testing additional features deep into a project.
To the right is how i began to visualise implementing the AR feature seamlessly into the existing Stories flow.
Adding the AR link in the top bar of the menu beside the Story camera icon actually brings symmetry to the top bar with two icons now either side of the Instagram logo.
You can also see early sketch of viewing Stories within the AR view.
Viewing Stories
The feature will be easily implemented into the existing homescreen, my personal opinion is that Stories should now have a separate feed but this is for another day!
After clicking on the new AR icon, the user can view their surrounding environment in AR and view the Stories that other users have pinned to that location.
Wireframe to Design
Creating Stories
Again, easily implemented into the current Stories feature, the user will create their content as normal. The addition will be after the user has taken the image or created the
video.
Currently the user would then progress to the Edit or Share screen where they can add text, GIFs or send to individuals or post on their Story.
Now there will be an AR icon to choose from which will bring open the camera and allow the user to choose a point within their surroundings to pin the Story.
Design
After selecting the Pin To Location option within the Share screen the user will be presented with their real world view through the AR lens and the ability to drag and drop their Story to a location.
Once a suitable location has been selected they can confirm. The system should detect too many Stories in one exact spot and prompt the user to select an alternative.
Advantages – User
Enhances the user experience at any location by engaging in the content posted at that location by others.
Providing an additional method for users to enjoy Stories
The Story poster may experience additional engagement in their content by people viewing at a location
Users can acquire knowledge about a place by viewing another’s experience
Allows user to post a moment or memory on holiday or at a favourite location. This can be built into a number of features in the future such as an interactive map of where you have travelled and posted.
Can interact with Stories from Brands at specific locations for example, seeing Fashion related Story ads while on or near a shopping district
Advantages – Brands
This could be a powerful avenue for brands to reach more users, in particular at specific locations.
Louis Vuitton pinning Stories around New York during New York fashion Week or Sony placing Playstation ads around any city during the Christmas period
Hitting an active demographic of engaged users at a location could drive traffic to the physical or digital store
Users themselves would help to promote brands by pinning Stories at their locations
Opportunity to become creative with the type of ads being pinned to a location
How Brands Could Use This Feature
Below is just one example of how creatively businesses could use the AR feature within Stories. Sony is about to release the PS5 and has placed a Story within a secret location. They release some hints to locate the Story and the user must find and reply to win a Playstation 5. This could be used for movie releases, fashion brands etc.
To Conclude
Instagram is peaking right now and to continue its position upon that peak, we may well see some innovative features like the one above. Something like this would be a nice addition, and could provide both enjoyment for the user with potential for brands also so it seems like a win/win.
I did try and send it to them as part of a Product Designer job application, whether anybody saw it or not I will never know.
