ROLE
Product Researcher
Product Designer
SKILLS
A/B Concept Testing
Impact Feasibility Matrix
Data Storytelling
TIMELINE
December 2023 - January 2024
(6 Weeks)
TOOLS
Figma/Figjam
Qualtrics
CHALLENGE DISCOVERY
Media literacy raises critical questions like: How much context is needed to define a fact? And does everyone deserve amplification on social media?
Media literacy is the contextualization of how differing world views cause others to interpret the same piece of content differently. Societal polarization is increasingly visible, with differing political groups distrusting opposing media sources. This growing divide in how information is interpreted and shared contributes to global tensions and challenges in promoting mutual understanding.
PROBLEM
How might we reimagine social media platforms to intuitively promote media literacy by encouraging critical thinking, contextual understanding, and respectful engagement across differing viewpoints?
Desk Research
How true is Elon's purpose of X mainly as “a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected”
54%
US adults report at least occasionally getting news from social media platforms in 2024
In 2022 Birdwatch (now Community Notes) reported 80% of tweets that users chose to annotate as misleading prioritized political content of their opposing view. “It is unclear whether these users had the knowledge and skills to debunk misinformation or offer alternative, correct information.”
The current solutions aim to curb misinformation, but gaps remain in empowering users with media literacy
Community Notes
Users can write a note with additional information to provide context on a post that is misleading. If enough people upvote it, then their note will be appended to the original post.
Labeling Content and Accounts
Gives readers a notice and/or shares additional context. Labeled posts and accounts are subject to reduced visibility.
Flagging Content
Certain users can report posts for hate, abuse and harassment, privacy, spam, disturbing media, and deceptive identities. The misinformation report has been taken down since the fall of 2023.
Major platforms rely on reactive tactics that struggle to balance misinformation control with free expression
User Research
Gauging the problem space and identifying the strengths/weaknesses users experience through reviews
X is a strong platform with a 4.6+ rating on iOS and 520 million+ active users. To start my research I decided to view different reviews with varying filters in order to gauge a general idea of strengths and weaknesses the users experience.
Investigating current X users revealed how they felt about current solutions
In order to get a larger understanding of how users feel about X’s approach towards media literacy, I conducted 2 semi-structured interviews and a survey with 32 responses. Here are the key takeaways.
47%
thought current approaches such as Community Notes creates further misinformation and divide
62%
do not feel X is a comfortable space to express opinions or have productive debates
100%
agreed there was a need to encourage media literacy
Research Takeaways
01
Users do not trust X
There is a perception that X is biased and inconsistent. Users feel that fact-checking and moderation are not reliable, reflecting a need to address bias transparently.
02
One-size-fits-all tactics fails diverse needs
X's have a diverse use for the platform, ranging from their primary news source to an area where they can interact with their fandoms. The conflicting uses create dissatisfaction for users, where tensions are created through a fragmented experience.
03
X's solutions promote consensus, not literacy
Rather than encouraging critical or productive thinking, X’s current features encourage popular votes and low bar in participating in Community Notes. It caters towards a majority overrules mindset.
When emotional resonance is high, users are more likely to rationalize trust. Understanding these decision-making processes was essential to crafting solutions that work with — not against — human psychology.
Ideating
Given the significant pain points identified a deeper dive into the current solution on X is crucial to understand where systems are breaking down
With the areas for potential solutions outlined, I began brainstorming what type of solutions would fulfill user needs
SOLUTION
01 Labeling for Intention
Intentions may not be recognized through text. Choosing labels such as "Just for fun" or "Persuade" openly invites interaction and will not be subject to Community Notes.
Users are able to decipher if they choose to support this source or not with plentiful context. This feature of labeling can be turned off from visibility anytime.
02 In-Post Content Insights
Posts with the inform label will have additional layers of information to be helpful for contextual analysis. These additions support the way people naturally assess content by weaving in emotional and rational cues. Instead of relying on binary flags, this approach invites users into a contextualized decision-making process, increasing both understanding and retention.
This includes new features such as:
A credibility score rated by Community Notes members
A heat map linked with articles supporting or arguing any portion of the post
Full transparency of Top Rated, Random, and Most Recently written notes
03 Incentivizing Media Literacy
Community Notes is completely anonymous because X aimed to allow comfortable contributions. However, incentivizing users and allowing them to choose not to be anonymous allows them to take accountability.
This includes new features such as:
A mentorship status that guides new users to write thoughtful notes with a writing impact score
A badge that rewards top contributors that can be shown not anonymously if selected
Future Opportunities
Identifying forward-thinking ideas to expand the product’s impact and deepen user engagement if given more time and resources
Qualitative/Quantitative KPIs
One of the key problems areas included consistent mixed reactions to X's current tactics. If my features were to be implemented, understanding how to analyze the effectiveness would unlock a deeper understanding to solving the media literacy problem.
Algorithm-Aware Design
Community Notes uses a bridge-based algorithm meaning they reward users that have upvotes by users that disagreed with their points previously. Exploring how we could reward users who appeal to diverse perspectives and designing with the algorithm in mind could unlock more solutions.
Creating a Full Prototype
With more resources and time I would have pursued the development of a fully functional prototype that seamlessly integrates the ideated solutions with the existing X. This way I could convey a full and more realistic experience.
Learned Takeaways
This project, inspired by my Digital Media class at UCLA, gave me the chance to design for an issue I deeply care about and reminded me how meaningful and motivating it is to work on problems that matter. The lessons I’ve learned from this experience will continue to shape my perspective and passion as I grow in my UX journey.
01 Empathy drives meaningful solutions
This project reminded me that truly understanding users goes far beyond surface-level responses. By tuning into their discomfort, distrust, and desire for respectful discourse, I learned how powerful empathy is in shaping thoughtful, human-centered solutions. It reinforced that the most impactful designs often come from listening with intention and designing with heart.
02 Data should be leveraged for creative strategy
Every insight, stat, and user quote became a building block for new ideas. I learned how to use data not just to validate, but to unlock creative directions that I might not have otherwise considered.
03 Address complex issues but design with simplicity
Working on a topic as nuanced as media literacy showed me that complexity doesn’t have to mean confusion. I learned the importance of distilling difficult problems into simple, intuitive solutions without losing their depth. This taught me to embrace clarity not as a constraint, but as a strength in product design.
Building for my class! ✎ᝰ