All work / BeReal / 5 min read
BeReal
New feature concepts that elevates BeReal's mission on authenticity. 🤳
The short version
This self-directed project, worked on with my teammate Kayla Ho, was a chance to explore BeReal through product opportunity and user needs. Kayla led research and I led design. 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.”
On limited posting
Research
We studied how users interact with the app and what they value most.
To explore where BeReal could grow next, we looked at how people use the app today. 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
User Interviews
Six interviews across three audience segments.
Six semi-structured interviews were conducted across three audience segments.
High School Student
University Students
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.
Quantitative Survey
A survey of 210 respondents.
A survey with 210 respondents was used to gather behavioral insights and feature perceptions. Most respondents were current BeReal users.
respondents surveyed
actively use BeReal
rank it in their top three
Key findings
- Top platforms: Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat
- Most users report spending 3+ hours a day on social media
- BeReal is valued for its authenticity and nostalgic value
- Flagged for improvement: notification timing, limited interaction options, and no archive for old posts/comments
Insight Summary
BeReal communicates authenticity, but struggles to keep people engaged.
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
Two key BeReal user types emerged.
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: The Active but Overwhelmed User
- Frequently posts but feels pressure to stay visible
- Seeks more genuine, low-maintenance ways to express herself
- Feels conflicted about time spent on social media
Mark: The Passive User
- Uses BeReal to stay connected but rarely posts
- Wants low-effort, non-disruptive ways to engage
- Values simplicity over social performance
Early Concepts
Feature ideas, ranked by relevance, effort and impact.
Our list of feature ideas informed by user insights, along with the outcomes they aim to support. Priority level is based on relevance, effort, and potential user impact.
Lo-Fi to Hi-Fi
The direction held steady from lo-fi to hi-fi.
Lo-fi let me sketch every feature quickly, including ones I expected to cut. The direction held steady through mid-fi and hi-fi, so most of the work was refining fit and tone, making sure each feature still felt like BeReal rather than bolted on.
Final Designs
Three features made it through to hi-fi.
Each had to expand what people could express without adding pressure to post.
GIF Reactions
React to your friends' BeReals with a GIF that captures your real-time energy, from clapping to cringing.
Mark, our passive user, wants low-effort ways to stay engaged without the pressure of posting. GIF Reactions gives him exactly that, a way to respond in the moment without needing to perform.
Public Memories
Choose which past BeReals to show on your profile. A look back that still feels casual and true to you.
This directly answers a finding from our survey: BeReal is valued for its nostalgic value, being able to look back at old BeReals.
View Friends' Memories
See a friend's public BeReals all in one place. Catch up on their life without needing a daily ping.
If your own memories are public, your friends' should be too. Friends' Memories is the other half of that idea, letting people revisit an authentic, unpolished diary of the people around them, not just their own.
Takeaways
BeReal's own evolution since then tells its own story.
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.