Fostering Connections: Ties & Topics
A CONCEPTUAL FEATURE FOR INSTAGRAM
ROLE
Product Designer
TIMELINE
72 hours • March 2025
TEAM
Sydney Bernal, Charlene Lee
THIS IS AWKWARD…
This case study is still in the works! Check out a completed one where I helped make the insurance process easier for young adults.
THE USER
Meet Charlie
THE PROBLEM
Digitally connected, personally disconnected
60%
of people in Canada feel lonely
Despite being the most connected generation in history, the volume of online interactions has made it harder to form genuine relationships.
RESEARCH
The 3 core barriers
THE KEY INSIGHT
A feature nobody uses — but everyone sees.
50%
of users never
post on Notes
43%
never reply to someone else's Note
But almost 90% still read them.
THE SOLUTION
Two features, one goal
Most social features solve one problem. We found that the hardest part of making friends wasn't starting conversations — it was keeping them going. So we designed for both.
Ties
gives you a reason to reach out. It surfaces shared interests between you and someone else, giving you a natural conversation starter without the anxiety of initiating cold.
Topics
gives you the tools to keep the connection going. It organizes your conversations into collections — events, photos, shared media, key dates — so nothing important gets buried.
KEY DESIGN DECISIONS
Agentic AI
We could have sent algorithmic notifications ("You both like Studio Ghibli — say hi!"). But that feels invasive. Instead, the AI works silently in the background, surfacing a Tie only when the user actively seeks it — on a profile or in Notes. Connection happens on their terms, not ours.
Reviving Notes
50% of users never post on Notes, but almost everyone reads them. Rather than adding a new tab or surface, we repurposed Notes. It already had visibility and user habit — it just lacked a reason to engage. This kept our solution lightweight and native-feeling instead of intrusive.
Designed the full lifecycle, not just the first message
Ties starts the connection. Topics sustains it. Neither works as well alone, and designing for both forced us to think beyond the initial "aha" moment.
PROCESS
Tying things together
We started with user surveys targeting Instagram users under 25, then mapped our findings into mind maps exploring what makes a connection feel meaningful.
We looked at existing social features that encouraged connection — Instagram Story reactions, Snapchat Bitmoji Stories, Discord live status — and asked what made those work.
After iterating through multiple flows and wireframes, we consolidated into the two-feature system.
SOLUTION
Ties
Intentional — Profile Ties icon
A new icon on any user's profile. Tap it, see a Tie, send it. For when you know you want to reach out but don't know how.
Spontaneous — Redesigned Notes
We repurposed Instagram's Notes feature at the top of the DM list. Instead of text notes, it shows 4 people you haven't talked to recently alongside an interesting Tie. A reminder, not a nudge. You engage when you're ready.
Topics
Intentional — Profile Ties icon
A new icon on any user's profile. Tap it, see a Tie, send it. For when you know you want to reach out but don't know how.
Spontaneous — Redesigned Notes
We repurposed Instagram's Notes feature at the top of the DM list. Instead of text notes, it shows 4 people you haven't talked to recently alongside an interesting Tie. A reminder, not a nudge. You engage when you're ready.
