Tik Tok
Customizing TikTok: Empowering Users to Personalize Their Feed
BACKGROUND
From Collaboration Feature to a Customizable Niche Tab
When I initially set out to design a collaboration feature for TikTok, my goal was to enhance the platform's creative capabilities and foster greater user engagement. As a content creator myself, I envisioned a seamless way to collaborate, share content, and bring communities together within the app.
However, user research revealed that personalization was a more pressing need:
“It’d be great if I could separate political and heavy content from the fun, lighthearted stuff—sometimes I just want to relax without all the serious news.”
This insight, shared by many others, led me to pivot toward designing a customizable Niche Tab, enabling users to filter content by mood or category—ultimately addressing their need for a more personalized TikTok experience.
THE PROBLEM
Current TikTok features lack sufficient personalization options, making it hard for users to curate their feed and avoid content that doesn't align with their interests or mood.
DEFINE
Beyond the Algorithm—Defining User Needs
Research revealed users want a simple way to personalize their content beyond the algorithm. By creating an intuitive, accessible feature, we can give them greater control—reducing frustration and boosting discovery. To bring this insight to life, I developed a user persona to guide my design decisions.
Understanding Our User: Meet Riley!
Riley is an avid TikTok user who enjoys browsing diverse content but often feels overwhelmed by irrelevant posts. She craves a feature that lets her filter content by mood or category for a more personalized feed.
HOW MIGHT WE…
Enhance personalization features to allow users to tailor their TikTok feed based on their mood and interests, driving greater engagement and retention?
IDEATION
Introducing a Personalized Niche Tab
To give users more control over their experience without disrupting TikTok’s algorithm, I came up with the idea for a Niche tab, separate from the For You Page (FYP).
The goal: a seamless, personalized experience that boosts engagement without hindering creativity or discovery. By offering granular content filters, this feature makes the feed more enjoyable and tailored to individual needs.
User Flow: Navigating the Niche Tab
To bring the Niche tab to life, I mapped out user flows to visualize how users would interact with the feature from start to finish. Key actions in the flow include:
Navigate to Niche Feed & Apply Filters
Save Niche Feed to Favorites
Access Saved Niche from Results Page
Access Saved Niche from FYP
DESIGN
Integrating with TikTok’s Design System
With the user flows clearly defined, I sketched low-fidelity wireframes to map out the layout and functionality while ensuring seamless integration with TikTok’s design system. I then translated these sketches into higher-fidelity mockups in Figma to refine the visuals and interactions.
TESTING & ITERATIONS
Validating the Niche Tab Experience
RESULTS
Niche Feature Scores 10/10, Boosting User Satisfaction and Content Engagement
The Niche feature received a perfect 10/10 satisfaction score from all five participants. Users appreciated the ability to personalize content based on mood and interests, which enhanced their engagement and overall app experience. One user even expressed a desire for the feature to be introduced, highlighting its positive impact on user satisfaction.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What I Learned: This project reinforced the importance of user research in guiding design decisions. By listening to users' frustrations and pivoting the focus, I was able to create a solution that met their needs without disrupting the core experience.
Next Steps: The next phase would involve refining the Niche Tab’s functionality, potentially expanding the categories, and conducting more in-depth A/B testing to understand its impact on engagement metrics.
What I’m Most Proud Of: I’m proud of how the Niche Tab concept strikes a balance between user control and TikTok’s core strengths in content discovery. The positive feedback from users shows that this feature has the potential to enhance the overall experience without compromising what makes TikTok unique!