A fun personal project: BeReal Features 🤳
Client: Personal Project
Industry: Social Media, Photo Sharing
Challenge: Understand users’ current experience with photo sharing on BeReal and identify opportunities to expand expression while staying true to the app’s ethos of authenticity.
Scope: User research, concept ideation, UX flows, interaction design, and Figma prototype
My Role: I led UX Design and Prototyping. Collaborative project with Kayla (who lead UX Research).
Project Timeline: 3 months (Feb 2023 - April 2023)
Introduction
Background
This personal project was a chance to explore BeReal through the lens of both product opportunity and user needs.
My goal was to strengthen my product ownership mindset and sharpen technical skills across research synthesis, prototyping, and storytelling — all while designing within the unique boundaries of a real social platform.
Background Research
Understanding BeReal’s Mission
Before exploring feature ideas, I took time to understand what BeReal stands for, how it’s grown, and what makes it stand out from other social platforms.
BeReal isn’t built for content creation or public performance. Its goal is to offer a more intentional, low-pressure way to connect with close friends.
One thing that stood out to me was how intentional the restrictions are. They encourage users to post in the moment, without overthinking or curating.
“By requiring simple and limited posting, the app tackles what most people see as the biggest problem with social media: fake and curated content.”
(Source: https://uxplanet.org/the-case-for-bereal-3ec81224a37)
How this Shaped My Design Thinking
This set the tone for how I approached design. Any feature I added had to feel light, intentional, and aligned with the app’s core purpose. If it started to feel performative or too polished, I knew it wasn’t the right direction.
Research
To explore where BeReal could grow next, we studied how users interact with the app and what they value most. My teammate Kayla led the research plan and developed the interview and survey structure. I conducted research alongside her and helped synthesize findings that shaped our feature direction.
Research Goals
Understand the user journey on BeReal
Identify motivations behind using the app
Explore behaviors and habits related to BeReal and other social media platforms
Method 1: User Interviews
Six semi-structured interviews were conducted across three audience segments:
1 High School Student
4 University Students
1 Full-Time Employee
Key Themes
Connection: Users enjoy staying updated on the everyday moments of close friends
Comfort: The app’s simplicity and structure are perceived as familiar and approachable
Simplicity: The limited posting and minimal UI are seen as a refreshing alternative to content-heavy platforms
Documentation: Users value the ability to look back on past BeReals as a lightweight personal archive
Method 2: Quantitative Survey
A survey with 210 respondents was used to gather behavioral insights and feature perceptions.
Key Findings
Most respondents were current BeReal users.
86% of respondents actively use BeReal, but only 13% ranked it in their top three social apps
Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat were the most frequently used platforms
Most users reported spending over 3 hours per day on social media
BeReal is appreciated for its authenticity and nostalgic value (e.g., looking back at old BeReals)
Areas flagged for improvement included the timing of the daily notification, limited preview options, and disappearing comments or reactions
Insight Summary
BeReal effectively communicates its core value of authenticity, but struggles to maintain consistent user engagement in a competitive landscape. While the app resonates emotionally with users, it remains secondary to more established platforms.
Any potential feature extensions must preserve the app’s core strengths, simplicity, spontaneity, and honest connection, without increasing pressure or complexity.
Personas
Based on interviews and survey data, two key BeReal user types emerged. These personas helped guide design decisions by highlighting different needs and engagement styles.
Yingle – Active but Overwhelmed User
Frequently shares but feels pressure to stay visible
Seeks more genuine, low-maintenance ways to express herself
Feels conflicted about time spent on social media
Mark – Passive User
Uses BeReal to stay connected but rarely posts
Wants low-effort, non-disruptive ways to engage
Values simplicity over social performance
Feature Concepts & User Considerations
Below is a set of feature ideas informed by user insights, along with the outcomes they aim to support. Priority was labeled based on relevance, effort, and potential user impact.
Feature Ideas
Feature Additions
These features were chosen based on user feedback. The goal was to support more expression, connection, and reflection while keeping the experience simple and true to what makes BeReal feel real.
1. Express Yourself in Motion
React to a friend’s BeReal with a short looping GIF of yourself.
2. Make Memories Last
Let users make past BeReals visible on their profile.
3. Reimagine the Profile
Allow users to explore a friend’s public BeReals from their profile.
Lo-Fi → Prototype
Lo-Fi quickly explored the feature ideas
Mid-fi focused on layout, structure, and interaction logic
Hi-fi explored tone, visual clarity, and how these features would feel in context
Final Design
1. GIF Reactions
React to your friends' BeReals with a GIF that captures your real-time energy — from clapping to cringing.
Public Memories
Choose which past BeReals to show on your profile. A look back that still feels casual and true to you.
View Friends’ Memories
See a friend’s public BeReals all in one place. Catch up on their life without needing a daily ping.
Takeaways & Next Steps
We didn’t get a chance to run usability tests, but it was definitely something we planned for. I would’ve focused on how intuitive the RealGif interaction felt, whether public Memories made sense in the profile, and if these features kept the experience feeling low-pressure.
Edit from 2025:
Now in 2025, I still use BeReal. Not as often as when I was working on this, but it’s been really cool to see how the app has evolved. BeReal has since introduced a few features we explored — including video reactions and the ability to pin Memories to your public profile.
Seeing that gave me a small sense of validation. It confirmed we were moving in a direction that felt true to what users needed, while staying close to the heart of the app.