Instagram Moments
Product Design
Timeline
Spring 2026
Tools
Figma
Role
Product Designer
Team
Evelyn Yu, Johnny Ho, Daniel Shi, Alyssa Yang
For the designation SparkJam, we created Instagram Moments, a shared video gallery and editor within Instagram group chats. Friends record daily memories to save for an in-person hangout, where they will catch up on their time apart while creating a video together.
Within our team, I worked mostly on secondary research, concept development, wireframing, and prototyping.
Context
To better understand how friends actually capture and share candid moments, we surveyed over 80 people, and supplemented this data with secondary research.
People preferred sharing casual photos and videos to Instagram Close Friends and group chats, leading us to build our feature within Instagram group chats.
Lack of connection with friends was the primary reason for people quitting candid photo and video platforms.
In both closed and open-ended questions, people displayed strong interest in features that would make video editing and getting friends together easier.
Design Decisions
Based on our research, Instagram Moments needed to facilitate connection and collaborative creation in an easy and comfortable manner.
Fixed-length video clips
Clips of the same length and orientation are auto-edited by Instagram Moments, removing the primary barrier to video creation found in our research. This simplifies the creative process to focus on selecting music, videos, text, and stickers.
Shared gallery that unlocks at in-person hangout
Friends add short video clips to a locked shared video gallery. By removing the option to curate and scrutinize videos, taking videos can feel more easy, ordinary, and carefree.
Swipe-style video selection
To select clips for the final video, friends swipe through their shared gallery on one phone. While discussing videos, friends naturally catch up on each others’ lives and collaborate creatively.
Solution
Instagram Moments encourages friends to share everyday memories and create together. See the prototype walk-through below, or see the concept film to see its story (filmed and edited by Johnny!)
Takeaways
Every element and micro-interaction either clarifies or confuses the user. It’s important to design intentionally and seek lots of user feedback.
Making the product idea crystal-clear naturally guides smaller design decisions. Especially important for efficient decision-making within a short time frame!
Wanna see more?
This is just an overview of the design process. Email me to hear the full story!