What was lacking?

To find out the answer to this question, I set up one-to-one interview sessions with nine users. Starting from generic questions, I narrowed down to specific questions to learn what users wanted and what was missing.
I found out that users were not able to find the search bar. And even when they did, the search results were scattered. Based on these discussions I was able to identify the required features.

Finalizing the user flow

After this research, I did some desk research by reading about the search features of other social media platforms. Further by mapping out the existing user flow, and identifying pain points and some areas for improvement. This helped me understand the user journey and pinpoint opportunities for streamlining the Search feature. And came up with a new user flow.

I created wireframes to visualize the revised layout. The focus was on simplicity and clarity, ensuring that users could easily search and navigate through the filtering options to discover relevant content.

Hi-Fid Designs and testing

After validating the wireframes from internal stakeholders, I developed high-fidelity designs, refining the visual elements and user interface to create a better experience. The new designs prioritized user engagement, content discovery, and ease of use, with a cleaner and more organized layout.
Previously, the most popular content was being shown to every user, but now we are providing the user with the content based on their interests (For You section).
Search/ Discover was previously at the top nav bar but to make it more accessible, we moved it to the bottom nav, replacing it with profile. I tested the prototype with the internal users to validate if it met their needs and if there was space for improvement. Users recommended a few visual preferences, which I included on the screens.