FACEBOOK REIMAGINED
OVERVIEW
This project reimagines the Facebook experience with a focus on reducing addictive behaviors and promoting mindful engagement. By addressing common pitfalls such as endless scrolling and intrusive ads, the redesigned app features a card-based layout, clear pagination, and intentional break reminders. It also empowers users with greater control over notifications and ad preferences, encouraging more meaningful interactions and healthier digital habits. This UX case study demonstrates how ethical design choices can transform a widely used platform into a tool for improved well-being.
ROLE
PRODUCT DESIGNER
Product Strategy, User Research, Interaction, Visual design, Prototyping & Testing, Pitching
There are only two industries that call their customers “users”: illegal drugs and software.”
— Edward Tufte (The Social Dilemma)
BACKGROUND
Edward Tufte is a pioneering figure in the field of data visualization, dedicated to improving the way we communicate complex information clearly and effectively. Inspired by his principles of minimalism and clarity in design, my team and I set out to apply these ideas in our project, focusing on creating intuitive and visually compelling ways to present data for better decision-making.
Social media platforms, like Facebook, are designed to maximize user engagement, often leading to excessive screen time, mindless scrolling, and algorithm-driven content consumption. Features like infinite scrolling, engagement-driven notifications, and intrusive ads contribute to addictive behaviors, reducing user well-being.
This project aims to reimagine Facebook with a more mindful, user-centric approach—one that prioritizes meaningful interactions, limits distractions, and encourages intentional usage. By redesigning core screens and introducing features like controlled ad exposure, pagination-based feeds, and time management tools, this case study explores how UX design can promote healthier digital habits without sacrificing usability.
I was the sole designer on this project, responsible for the UX/UI design and overall product experience. My role involved researching addictive design patterns, defining user pain points, and designing a more intentional and user-friendly social media experience.
Some key achievements include:
• User-Centered Design Approach: Conducted research on social media usage behaviors to inform design decisions that prioritize user well-being.
• End-to-End Execution: Designed wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups to visualize and refine the new experience.
• Ethical Design Focus: Applied principles of persuasive yet responsible design to create features that encourage mindful engagement rather than endless scrolling.
Understanding the problem
To better understand the challenges associated with social media overuse, I conducted research on common pain points users experience. It was revealed that:
• Users often engage in mindless scrolling, leading to excessive screen time and reduced productivity.
• The platform’s infinite feed and algorithm-driven content encourage passive consumption rather than meaningful interactions.
• Intrusive ads and engagement-driven notifications create distractions, making it harder for users to focus on what truly matters.
• Many users want to limit their social media usage, but the design of traditional platforms makes it difficult to do so.
By identifying these issues, I aimed to design a solution that promotes intentional engagement, reduces distractions, and encourages a healthier relationship with social media.
Product vision and solution
The vision for this project is to create a redesigned social media experience that prioritizes intentional engagement over mindless consumption. Instead of optimizing for endless scrolling and ad revenue, this solution promotes meaningful interactions, mindful browsing, and user well-being.
To achieve this, the redesigned platform introduces:
• A structured, card-based feed that eliminates infinite scrolling and encourages users to engage with content more deliberately.
• Minimal and relevant advertisements to reduce distractions and improve the overall experience.
• Built-in time management features, such as break reminders, to help users maintain healthier digital habits.
• Prioritized content from real connections rather than algorithm-driven recommendations, allowing users to engage more meaningfully with their network.
By rethinking core design choices, this solution demonstrates how UX design can balance engagement with well-being, fostering a more intentional and less addictive social media experience.
Defining the MVP
Based on initial research and design explorations, key features were identified to align with the product vision of reducing mindless engagement and promoting intentional social media use. The following core user stories define the Minimum Viable Product (MVP):
• Controlled Content Consumption: Users interact with a card-based feed that limits infinite scrolling and encourages mindful browsing.
• Ad Management: Users can customize their ad preferences, reducing irrelevant and disruptive advertisements.
• Time Management Tools: Users receive break reminders and can set daily usage limits to help control their screen time.
• Prioritized Connections: The feed highlights posts from close friends and meaningful interactions rather than algorithm-driven content.
To provide a structured starting point, I designed the core MVP screens, which include:
• Onboarding & Login Screen – Introduces users to the intentional design approach.
• Home Feed (Card-Based Layout) – Displays posts in a structured, non-infinite scrolling format.
• Ad Preferences Screen – Allows users to control the type and frequency of ads they see.
• Time Management Settings – Enables users to set session limits and receive reminders.
• Notifications Page – Highlights only relevant updates, reducing unnecessary distractions.
These foundational screens ensure that the redesigned platform provides an alternative without overwhelming users, while still delivering a familiar but improved experience.
Designs
With a clear MVP defined, I quickly created mockups to visualize the core user journey, ensuring that the design effectively supports intentional engagement and mindful usage. The UI focuses on simplicity, clarity, and minimal distractions, reinforcing the project’s goal of reducing addictive behaviors.
I opted for a clean, structured layout with a card-based feed to replace infinite scrolling. The color palette and typography were chosen to create a calming and user-friendly experience. To facilitate development, I built a clickable prototype in Figma, allowing for seamless interaction testing.
Onboarding Screen
Introduces the user to the mindful social experience and explains key features.
Home Feed (Card-Based Layout)
Displays posts in discrete, scroll-limited sections, allowing users to engage more intentionally.
Ad Preferences
Empowers users to control the type and frequency of ads they see.
Time Management Settings
Allows users to set usage limits and receive break reminders to prevent excessive scrolling.
Notifications Page
Allows users to set usage limits and receive break reminders to prevent excessive scrolling.
These designs ensure that the user experience feels familiar yet improved, encouraging healthier social media habits while maintaining usability and engagement.
Development
I used Figma to create a clickable prototype, allowing developers to inspect design elements, including spacing, typography, and color styles. The development team would implement the designs using React for the front end, ensuring a fast and responsive user experience.
The app is designed to be accessible on both web and mobile, with a focus on a clean, distraction-free UI that aligns with the project’s goal of reducing mindless engagement. Key development choices include:
• React for the front end, leveraging reusable components for consistency.
• Node.js for the back end, enabling scalable and efficient handling of user preferences and interactions.
• Firebase for authentication and data storage, ensuring seamless user sessions and profile management.
• CSS-in-JS for styling, keeping the UI lightweight and adaptable across different screen sizes.
By combining thoughtful UX design with a scalable development approach, this project showcases how ethical design principles can be implemented in real-world applications.
Results and Takeaways
Results
Through this redesign, I aimed to create a less addictive, more intentional social media experience. The anticipated impact of this concept includes:
• Reduced Mindless Scrolling – By removing infinite scrolling and implementing time-tracking features, users engage more consciously with content.
• Improved Digital Well-being – Usage limits and fewer distractions help users manage their time online more effectively.
• Less Ad Fatigue – A refined approach to sponsored content reduces interruptions, making the experience feel less commercialized.
• More Meaningful Interactions – A cleaner UI, simplified notifications, and mindful design elements encourage deeper, more intentional engagement.
While this was a conceptual project, these changes are backed by user behavior research and best practices in ethical design.
Key Takeaways
Designing for well-being is a challenge – Social platforms are built for engagement, but intentional UX decisions can help create a healthier user experience without sacrificing usability.
Simplicity leads to better user experiences – By removing distractions and reducing cognitive load, I was able to make Facebook feel more streamlined and purposeful.
User control is key – Features like time limits, customizable notifications, and reduced ads empower users to personalize their experience, leading to higher satisfaction and trust.
Small changes can have a big impact – Even subtle tweaks, such as adjusting the news feed layout or limiting notifications, can significantly influence how people interact with a platform.