Background
Twitter has established itself as the “conversation layer” of the internet by focusing on engagement through brief messages. However, the platform does not seamlessly support composing, collaborating, or engaging with longform content.
Unequipped for thoughtful, longform writing
Twitter’s composer is built primarily for tweets and supports creating threads, but is not equipped for writing or publishing longform content. We considered the best ways to expand Twitter’s composition experience to best support longform writers and their desired workflows. We took into account feedback around Revue’s editor* and bear in mind that Revue may be best positioned as the initial development space for this updated composer.
Outcome
A longform focused writing experience native to Twitter
Role
Design Strategy, User Research, UI Design, Wireframing, Prototyping, Interaction Design, Design Systems
Objectives
Improve composition to better support the way writers want to write
Twitter’s composer is built primarily for tweets and supports creating threads, but is not equipped for writing or publishing longform content. We considered the best ways to expand Twitter’s composition experience to best support longform writers and their desired workflows. We took into account feedback around Revue’s editor and bear in mind that Revue may be best positioned as the initial development space for this updated composer.
Let writers leverage reader feedback and engagement to improve ideation
Writers are eager to know how their content resonated with readers and want to use these insights to expand existing content and create new content. We explored how to help writers gain helpful insights from their readers’ engagement so they can grow their confidence and their craft.
Connect other Twitter experiences (tweets, threads, etc.) to the longform experience that feels seamless and native to Twitter
For longform creators, ideas generated in tweets and expanded upon in threads may be well-suited to expansion in a longform piece. While not all tweets and threads will go on this journey, allowing writers to elaborate on ideas expressed in other mediums can be a powerful tool for creating longform content.
Impact
Within 6 months from our engagement, Twitter Notes launched. This was quite the evolution for Twitter, and represents a major update to the platform, especially given the dearth of new product updates at Twitter over the last few years.
Building a thoughtful longform experience on a platform rooted in brevity was no small feat, and within a short timeframe, this work was in front of millions and millions of people.
How I Did It:
\\ Delirious Discovery
Journey Maps
We created journey maps that show how users move through the process of writing and reading, and what they’re feeling along the way. This helped us identify key opportunities around which we could focus our efforts.
\\ Defining the Fog of Ambiguity
\\ Design Through the Dark
