Zhitiao(Passing Note) App
Protecting Users from DM Harassment Under the Anonymous Context
TiMELINE
2020 / 2 Weeks
My Role
Product Designer
status
Launched
Team
PM (CEO) x 1
Product Designer x 2
Engineer x 2
Overview
Zhitiao(means "passing note" in Chinese) is an anonymous campus-centric social app I co-founded with partners during college.
On this app, users can post anything anonymously and interact with others within the campus, including liking, commenting, and direct messaging(DM).
What was the problem?
Due to its anonymous nature, as our user base grew past 60k, we’ve got more and more complaints about DM harassment, even with Reporting and Blocking features in place.
Project Goal
How might we prevent DM harassment under the anonymous context to enhance user protection and reduce complaints?
My design solutions
For Sender: They can only send messages with restricted content.
For Recipient: They have the option to either reply to or decline the messages they receive
Final Impact
42%
Reports of DM harassment dropped by 42% in the first month
🥰👍🏻
Received lots of positive feedback from users after the features launched
Explore Mechanisms
I started by analyzing how other platforms do to prevent DM harassment.
There are 2 common mechanisms:
Limited Message Amount
The sender can only send one message unless the recipient replies.
Customized DM Preferences
The sender can only send one message unless the recipient replies.
Challenge
How can I adapt these mechanisms to fit our platform’s anonymous nature?
My Approach
I facilitated a workshop with all stakeholders to ensure the proposed mechanisms were feasible.
Dump Ideas & Affinity Mapping
I ran a 'Dump Ideas' exercise in the workshop, after which we sorted ideas and discovered they could be categorized into 2 types.
Final Mechanisms
✉️ Restricted Content for First Message
Senders are limited to crafting their initial 'Say Hi' message from a certain set of phrases. The chat can only continue when the recipient chooses to reply.
📬 Power to Approve Conversation Continuation
Recipients can choose whether to reply or decline the messages. Only when they decide to reply will the conversation proceed, allowing them to avoid any unwanted interaction.
Design Development
Sender: Restricted Content for First Message
User Flow & Corresponding Pages
Key Design Decisions
Key Design Decision #1
Replacing full page navigation with a half sheet to provide a smoother and less interruptive experience
Key Design Decision #2
Switching to the first-person tone to enhance user immersion and engagement
Key Design Decision #3
Updating the anonymous mode toggle to clarify confirmation and enhance user confidence
Then I ran usability testing and found 2 main problems:
Problem #1
It is not obvious enough when switching between the Real ID and Anonymous mode.
Problem #2
25% of the testers asked if they could choose not to display any personal information in the anonymous mode.
Iterations
Tweak #1
Changing the color to match other experiences in the app to better highlight the result of switching
Tweak #2
Make sharing of personal information in Anonymous Mode optional
Final Design
Recipient: Power to Approve Conversation Continuation
Initial User Flow
1 problem found from design critique:
Problem #1
The "Decline" action is irreversible. Therefore, we need to ensure users make intentional decisions and avoid unintended consequences.
Key Design Decisions
Key Design Decision
Add a confirmation step for "Decline"
Final Design
Quick Validation
Soft launch
Mechanism Validated
The designs received great feedback and data.
Problem Identified
It was difficult to understand the context of the DM, as users couldn't frame it anymore.
Final Tweak
Final Outcome Recap
My design solutions
Final Impact
42%
Reports of DM harassment dropped by 42% in the first month
🥰👍🏻
Received lots of positive feedback from users after the features launched
Takeaways
Takeaway #1
💡 Customization Over Convention
While established design patterns are helpful, they’re not definitive. It's crucial to design features that are not only familiar to users but also uniquely attuned to our product’s specific context and user needs.
Takeaway #2
🧭 Validate Uncertainty through Soft Launch
Creating an innovative solution was exciting but filled with self-doubt. By soft launching, I was able to quickly validate it and uncover potential issues. It ensured that the final design not only solved the problem but also is accepted by users.