[Case 04]
The Surge
Multi-Send, One Thread
30% Faster Messaging with a New Feature
New Messaging Feature for Facebook Messenger
[Project Overview]
The Problem :
Have you ever sent the same message to multiple people, only to end up with a bunch of replies in different threads? It can get messy and hard to keep track of everything, especially when you're making plans or sending reminders.
The Solution :
I designed The Surge, a feature that lets users send one message to multiple people and keep all the replies in a single thread. This helps users stay organized and avoid the confusion of managing separate conversations.
[Background]
The inspiration for the project came from the frustrations users often face during the holiday season. Imagine sending out a bunch of holiday wishes, and each reply creates a new conversation thread. The thought is overwhelming, right? That’s when I realized there had to be a better way. Users needed a way to send messages efficiently without managing multiple threads and still keep track of important details like dates or appointments.
[Opportunity]
What if there was an easier way to send a message to multiple people and keep all the replies in one place?
[Business Model]
Multi-Send, One Thread
[My Role]
UX/UI Designer
[Platforms]
iOS (Mobile)
[Timeline]
April 2025 - June 2025
[Process]
[01] Empathize
a. Competitive Analysis
I looked at five popular messaging apps to see how they handle group chats. Some had options for sending messages to many people, but none solved the problem of keeping replies in one thread.
b. User Interviews
Next, I interviewed 6 Facebook Messenger users to understand their pain points.
Interview Questions
Getting to Know User Experience
Can you share a little bit of your experience is with messaging software?
Can you share your overall experience with using messaging systems, specifically focusing on group messaging?
Have you ever had a situation where you needed to use Messenger's search function to search for specific information or messages? If so, can you share that experience with me?
Exploring Limitations:
Can you share a specific situation where the inability to send individual group messages affected your communication? How did you navigate through this situation?
Have you encountered any challenges or limitations while using Messenger's search function to find specific information or messages? If yes, could you please elaborate on the difficulties you faced and how you navigated through them?
Have there been instances where Messenger's search feature did not meet your requirements in terms of speed or accuracy? How did you handle the situation, and were there any alternative methods you explored to find the necessary information?
Preferences and Solutions:
When it comes to group messaging, what features or aspects do you prefer, and are there any specific improvements you'd like to see to enhance your communication experience?
Can you share examples of other messaging platforms that you believe handle group messaging well? What specific features from these platforms do you find appealing?
Are there specific improvements or changes you would like to see to make the search experience more user-friendly?
c. Reflection
Users liked group messaging but wanted an easier way to send messages to several people at once without starting new threads.
Event planners and busy professionals struggled with tracking responses when conversations got split into different threads.
[02] Define & Ideate
a. Persona
To give structure to the problem, I created a persona, "Samantha," a busy professional who often sends out important reminders but struggles with keeping track of replies across multiple threads. Her pain points were exactly what I wanted to solve.
Samantha Miller
Event Planner
Samantha, a Event planner, thrives on creating seamless and memorable experiences. From weddings to corporate gatherings, she coordinates with diverse groups. Her tech-savvy nature pushes her to seek efficient ways to manage conversations, making her an advocate for improvements in search functionality and group communication on Facebook Messenger.
Age: 26
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Sociable, Organized, Practical, People Person
Gender: Female
[Goal]
Utilizing the platform seamlessly for event planning, seeking improvements in search and group communication.
Implementing efficient communication tools to streamline coordination and improve team collaboration.
Modify search results to display all relevant messages at once, eliminating the need for scrolling.
[Frustrations]
When searching for important information, hard to verify and find what she is looking for.
Struggles with group chat inefficiencies, particularly with identifying members and sending individualized messages.
The absence of a feature that automatically returns to her last read message in a busy chat.
b. Story Board
I then created a storyboard based on the persona 'Samantha'. This step helped me to add a feature more realistically.
c. Feature Set & User Flow
I prioritized the must-have options and separated the less prioritized options using different colors. This step helped me organize which features to work on first.
The task was to send the same message to multiple people in 'The Surge' group.
[03] Prototyping & Usability Testing
a. Low-Fidelity Wireframes
After that, I designed a simple wireframe to visualize the layout and functionality of sending individual messages to multiple people in one group. This process helped me present the information I had analyzed in an easy-to-understand way.
b. High-Fidelity Wireframes
Once the initial design was in place, I transformed those low-fidelity wireframes into polished, high-fidelity versions, incorporating subtle interactions to make the experience as realistic as possible.
c. Usability Testing
The real challenge came during usability testing. I tested the feature with five participants to see if they could easily understand using “The Surge" feature and reply to messages—all without confusion. I met them in person and asked for their opinions.
Goals
1) Check if users can easily move around the app.
2) Verify if explanations for the surge feature make sense to users.
3) Confirm if adding friends to the surge is straightforward for users.
4) Ensure users can easily find how to send messages.
5) Confirm that users can reply to messages without any confusion.
Tasks
✔️ Create a Surge message
✔️ Add people to the message
✔️ Send and reply to the message
[04] Insights & Iterations
a. Insights
The feedback was invaluable. While most users found the feature intuitive, one user had trouble reading the group name creation screen due to small text sizes. Another mentioned that the navigation bar was hidden when using certain camera features.
*The meaning of the alphabet is that each represents the result of a user test.
Successful Area
Task Completion
Results: Success – all users were able to complete their tasks.
Ease of Use
Measured by the time it took users to complete the task.
* Results: 4 users were able to complete the task within 3-4 minutes.
One user had difficulty when creating the surge name because the text was too small. a.
Highlighted Opinions
Top app bar was hidden by speaker and camera design, making navigation difficult. b.
Users didn't understand the surge message without explanation; more detailed instructions are needed. c.
The notification drawer can confuse users. It is recommended to use profile icons with notification alerts instead. d.
An all-in-one chatting system can confuse users. Creating separate threads would help clarify communications. e.
b. Iterations
Based on feedback, I refined some details to make the feature more user-friendly. I adjusted the frame heights, ensuring the top bar and navigation were more visible. I also added clearer instructions to guide users through the process of sending and replying to messages.
I adjusted all the frame heights to ensure the top bar is visible and fixed the navigation bar so it doesn't scroll with the parent.
I recreated the pop-up message to provide clearer directions for users.
I also edited the Surge message instructions to provide a clearer understanding of the concept.
c. Outcome
