FBLite Reels UXR Study
Overview
FBLite App and FB App
Team: 20 internal stakeholders
role: lead researcher
Timeline: 4 weeks
product: Facebook lite* reels
Methodology: moderated usability study
user focus: Facebook Lite Reels Consumers
*FB Lite is similar to the FB app but requires less storage, memory and RAM on your local device to allow for more inclusivity of users on a variety of different device types.
Background / Research Questions
What did we want to find out?
What did we know?
…so what do FBLite users think of the overall Reels expereince?
1. Reels was recently launched globally (at the time the study took place)…
…so what do users think of the entry points and how they are accessing Reels?
2. FB Lite users had more engagement and intentionality when returning to the app to watch videos on FB Watch or FB Reels…
…so how does FBLite Reels experience compare to TikTok?
3. TikTok provides financial incentives to download, watch, and connect with friends…
Methodology
Participants
60 min moderated interview sessions
(8) FBLite users
Mixed frequency of FB Reels usage (heavy to light FB Reel users)
Frequently watches videos on FBLite
A mix of data sensitive users (e.g., low mobile data, limited access to WiFi, etc)
A mix of age ranges (>18 years old)
A mix of female, male, and/or non-binary gender
A mix of demographics
Results
impact
key insights
Teams across FBLite and FB App worked together to revamp the entry point into FB Reels. An entire team was spun up to evaluate the different possible entry points by launching experiments by Data Scientists / Engineers (e.g., enter Reels via the newsfeed, FB Watch, main navigation, etc).
1. Overall, FBLite users enjoyed watching reels, but struggled to find an entrypoint
The FBLite team adjusted the roadmap to launch the save feature ahead of schedule to prioritize surfacing context on videos (e.g., how long the video will be, is it a serious or funny videos, etc).
2. Some FBLite users wanted to save longer form, more serious videos to watch at a later time, especially during a short break in their day (e.g., lunch break, on the bus/subway, etc) when they prefer to watch shorter, funny content on FB Reels
FBLite teams shifted perspective in how they oriented and spoke about their goals, instead shifting to lean into FB’s existing strengths of its many products and features that range beyond just video (e.g., newsfeed, marketplace, etc).
3. Users trusted TikTok’s recommendation system more, but FB Lite Reels have opportunities to discover via passive watch time
“On FBLite, you have to work hard to get to a reel. Look, I keep scrolling down and no reels. I normally scroll down until I find a reel, but its hard.”