Redesigning a main engagement metric
Combining liking and saving into one user action
Date
Q3 2024
Platform
App / Web
Role
Lead Designer
Project Overview
This project focused on merging two key engagement metrics in a web and app product - liking and saving — into a single action called Save. The goal was to simplify user interactions, improve engagement, and drive retention by providing a clearer and more intuitive way for users to save and interact with their favorite content.
In addition to merging the metrics, the project also involved a redesign of the app’s information architecture. Previously, the saved content was buried in the profile settings, making it harder for users to access. I brought the saved content front and center by placing it in the bottom navigation bar, ensuring it was always just a tap away.
By unifying the save feature and reimagining the navigation flow, this project aimed to enhance the overall user experience, making it easier for users to engage with their favorite content and keep coming back for what they saved - and to save more.
Preview of in-app efforts to inform users about the design changes.
Problem
The web and app products relied on two separate engagement actions—like and save—to track user interest in recipes. While both actions were meant to allow users to show interest in a piece of content, they created confusion and redundancy.
As we have learned from research, users used both features randomly and could not clearly. This caused cognitive load and friction in the most important metric of the app.
The saved recipes were hidden deep within the profile settings, making it difficult for users to easily access and organize their favorite content.
This setup led to a fragmented user experience, resulting in underutilization of saved recipes and a missed opportunity to boost user engagement. As a result, the app wasn’t fully capitalizing on user interest, and the overall experience lacked the simplicity needed to foster long-term retention.
The new navbar item makes users' favorite content more accessible than ever.
Solution
To address these issues, I proposed merging the two actions—like and save—into a single, unified Save feature. This streamlined interaction allowed users to instantly save recipes they liked without unnecessary complexity or confusion.
Users could then select between saving in a default collection - My Favourite Recipes - or in a new one.
Users can only save, which opens a bottom sheet to choose the save location.
I also redesigned the app's information architecture to prioritize user convenience by moving saved recipes from the hidden profile settings to the bottom navigation bar, making them easily accessible at all times. By providing users with a single, intuitive way to engage with recipes, I simplified the process and ensured they could quickly return to their favorite content in a centralised place.
Beyond merging the metrics, this restructuring also enhanced the overall navigation flow of the app, allowing users to spend less time searching for saved content and more time enjoying it in a centralized location.
The Cookbooks page - where users will find your favourite recipes.
Outcome
The results of merging the like and save actions into one cohesive feature were immediate and impactful. Users were more engaged with the Save feature as it removed friction in the process of bookmarking content they liked.
These initiatives led to an increase in saved content and an improvement in retention rates over the following period.
The project not only enhanced the overall user experience by making it simpler and more intuitive but also consolidated user actions, aligning the app’s engagement metrics with its long-term goals of improving engagement, retention, and user satisfaction.
