Instagram Direct
Hidden Words is a new way to protect people on Instagram.
Hidden Words helps combat abuse on Instagram.
Hidden Words is designed to help protect people from potentially offensive or abusive DM requests, while also respecting your privacy. All message filtering takes place on your own device, which means this feature won’t send any message content back to Facebook servers. Using this Hidden Words doesn't share the content of your DM requests with us, unless you report them.
The feature has had positive reception, and has been long awaited by both creators and regular Instagram users alike.
Coverage:
What I did
Defined user journey and product vision
I partnered with product management, product design and UXR to define the problem (people receiving unwanted message requests) and ideated on the right moments in the user journey in which the feature would be most useful. I identified scenarios which would make vulnerable populations more at risk of receiving harmful messages.
System level thinking
I coordinated cross-org efforts to make the product work within the existing system, including existing protections and filters. I drove alignment with several design teams across Meta and workshopped content design solutions to ensure the final product was useful, easy to understand and solving user problems.
Led naming and internationalization efforts
I’ve proposed evaluation criteria for product naming, aligned with localization, legal and policy to ensure it’s scalable, descriptive and intuitive.
Defined information architecture
I defined information sequencing and priotization based on user needs and severity of user problem.
Validated IA and tone
I partnered with UXR to test and validate content design approach and information architecture, as well as to decide which tone resonated with the users.
Partnered with marketing and comms
I aligned in-app UI content with external brand messaging about the feature, to achieve consistency and drive product understanding.