UX Research at Shades.
Role
Role
UX Researcher, Cohort of 9 UX researchers and 4 designers.
Skills
Usability Testing, User Interviews, Data Synthesis.
Impact
New user-centric features implemented on the product.
Timeline
2 Months.
Project Overview.
I recruited and interviewed 50 student participants to evaluate the Shades app through moderated and semi-structured sessions. Applied usability evaluation and thematic analysis to identify pain points and propose user-centered improvements. Collaborated with a cohort of nine UX researchers on synthesis and recommendations.
Process and findings.
Interview questions/moderated guide. User personas and journey map to organize the content.
Proposal.
Many participants reported experiencing “endless doom-scrolling,” so the following is a design for ways to search and having content be tagged into categories and trackable.
Reflection.
The most rewarding part of this internship was seeing how research and product design collaborate, and watching feedback from my user interviews turn into real features—like the new games added to the app. It showed me the direct impact of user-centered research.
by Purva, 2025.
Happy
Neutral
Unhappy
•
Excited about the app.
•
Likes the concept, and look and feel of the app.
•
Confused the the different screens and overwhelming amount of stories.
•
Clicks on a story that seems interesting to them.
•
Reads through the article.
•
Finds it very informative.
•
Likes the content.
•
Clicks on external links to know more.
•
Exploring different aspects of the app such as games, and interactive social features.
•
Satisfied with their experience and wants to use the app again.
france
Stories 12
Keywords 10
Users 3
Polls 2
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France
Topics 12
Keywords 10
Users 3
Polls 2
Sort: Newest
Category
All time
Unread
Saved
the
TWSIFT
REPORTER
TRUMP
WILL
TESTIFY
TAYLOR
VS.
MAGA
NIGHT
OWL
9:41
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France
Topics 12
Keywords 10
Users 3
Polls 2
Sort: Newest
Category
All time
Unread
Saved
the
TWSIFT
REPORTER
TRUMP
WILL
TESTIFY
TAYLOR
VS.
MAGA
NIGHT
OWL
9:41
Category
🏛️ Civics
🏈 Play
❤️️ Love
💰 Money
🤓 Cutting Edge
☮️ War & Peace
🔥 Hot rn
🧘 The Body
😌 Low Stakes
🏀 Swish
🦠 Covid
“Very long endless scrolls to find new stories can be solved by categorizing them.” - Participant
Persona role
John David
Internet
Social Networks
Reading
Pain Points
Overwhelming amount of content, making it hard to find relevant stories.
Unreliable news sources reducing trust in the app.
Lack of seamless interaction features like navigating to games.
Uncertainty about data usage or exposure when sharing opinions publicly.
Motivations
Stay informed with reliable news tailored to their interests. Connect, learn, and engage with trending stories and trusted insights.
Goals
Stay updated with relevant news through a personalized feed.
Engage in meaningful discussions with others by sharing opinions and insights.
Discover diverse perspectives and in-depth analysis on current events.
Easily navigate the app to find news categories and stories of interest.
“Categorizing stories reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by presenting content in a structured way.” - Participant
“Manage the amount of information on a screen at a time.” - Participant
