GatorRyde
A simple way for students to connect and plan long-distance trips together
ESTIMATED READING TIME
5 mins
ROLE
UX Designer
UX Resaercher
SKILLS
Mobile App Design
User Research
TIMELINE
4 Weeks
TEAM
Shaina Desroches
Nydia Kushta
Project Overview
The Appointment I Didn't Book!
I love switching up protective styles during the school year. Instagram is often the only place to find Black hairstylists, and without reviews, every booking felt like a risk.
The Challenge
Trust Where New Business Lives
Many beauty professionals, especially Black hairstylists, don’t have Google or Yelp business accounts.
Instagram is their storefront, but it lacks a safe way for clients to leave reviews and share experiences.
As a result:
Clients can’t easily assess professionalism, safety, or quality.
Professionals rely only on photos and word-of-mouth to earn trust.
Negative experiences go unspoken, and positive ones don’t translate into credibility.
While this problem is most visible in the beauty space, it extends to other businesses that use Instagram as their storefront, from fitness trainers, photographers to small retailers.
USER RESEARCH
Market Report
Showed that most discovery already happens on Instagram, but trust tools like reviews haven’t caught up.
83%
of Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products or services. (Porch Group Media)
58%
of consumers report discovering new businesses via social media, suggesting social platforms already outpace many traditional discovery channels. (Sprinklr)
Business Owners:
Many small independent service providers don’t invest in formal review platforms because of technical barriers, cost, or unfamiliarity, leaving Instagram as their de facto storefront.
Instagram Users:
Younger users, Gen Z and millennials, are particularly social-first. They expect to find, evaluate, and interact with brands on platforms they already use daily.
83%
of Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products or services. (Porch Group Media)
58%
of consumers report discovering new businesses via social media, suggesting social platforms already outpace many traditional discovery channels. (Sprinklr)
Business Owners:
Many small independent service providers don’t invest in formal review platforms because of technical barriers, cost, or unfamiliarity, leaving Instagram as their de facto storefront.
Instagram Users:
Younger users, Gen Z and millennials, are particularly social-first. They expect to find, evaluate, and interact with brands on platforms they already use daily.
83%
of Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products or services. (Porch Group Media)
58%
of consumers report discovering new businesses via social media, suggesting social platforms already outpace many traditional discovery channels. (Sprinklr)
Business Owners:
Many small independent service providers don’t invest in formal review platforms because of technical barriers, cost, or unfamiliarity, leaving Instagram as their de facto storefront.
Instagram Users:
Younger users, Gen Z and millennials, are particularly social-first. They expect to find, evaluate, and interact with brands on platforms they already use daily.
83%
of Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products or services. (Porch Group Media)
58%
of consumers report discovering new businesses via social media, suggesting social platforms already outpace many traditional discovery channels. (Sprinklr)
Business Owners:
Many small independent service providers don’t invest in formal review platforms because of technical barriers, cost, or unfamiliarity, leaving Instagram as their de facto storefront.
Instagram Users:
Younger users, Gen Z and millennials, are particularly social-first. They expect to find, evaluate, and interact with brands on platforms they already use daily.
USER RESEARCH
User Insights
To better understand these struggles, we spoke with multiple Instagram users:
Interviews: 8 users (4 business owners, 4 clients); 25–35 min each, Zoom/IRL.
Survey: 10+ responses, Google Forms; multiple choice + short text.
Once interviews were done, we narrowed down to types of personas:
The Client: A user who wants to book services but struggles to find trustworthy reviews, compare experiences, and feel safe when choosing a stylist.
The Business Owner: A user who relies on Instagram as their main storefront but has no reliable way to collect feedback, showcase client trust, or resolve concerns publicly.
Aaliyah Brooks
Age: 27
Occupation: Hairstylist
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Maya Thompson
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Aaliyah Brooks
Age: 27
Occupation: Hairstylist
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Maya Thompson
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Aaliyah Brooks
Age: 27
Occupation: Hairstylist
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Maya Thompson
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Aaliyah Brooks
Age: 27
Occupation: Hairstylist
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Maya Thompson
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Competitive Analysis
By researching alternative travel options, we identified opportunities for enhancing the GatorRide app within the current market.
Problem Statement
How might we create a review system that’s safe, respectful, and native to Instagram?
Solution
MoSCoW Analysis
Prioritized which features were essential for launch versus nice-to-haves for future iterations.
IDEATION & DESIGNS
Journey Map
Hint: Get a closer view by hovering over the map!
Visualized how users would move from discovery → reading reviews → sharing feedback.
Main Screens/Features
Based on user research and the final problem statement, I’ve summarized a set of key screens and features that highlight how trust, safety, and credibility could be built directly into Instagram.
Profile Screen – Acts as the entry point for the Reviews feature. The reviews icon is placed alongside Grid, Reels, and Tagged, making it feel native to the Instagram profile and immediately visible to users.
Reviews Tab (Screen) – A dedicated space where users can explore ratings and feedback.
Leave a Review Flow – Guides users through the process of leaving feedback. The flow includes selecting a star rating, writing a short text review, option to add an image and optionally posting anonymously.
Hi-fi Prototypes
The hi-fi designs bring these flows together, showing how the Reviews feature could live natively within Instagram’s interface while addressing both client and business needs.
Reviews Icon
Placed in the bottom nav bar for seamless access, the icon combines a star (ratings) with a chat bubble (feedback).
It opens a dedicated Reviews section where users can read or leave reviews directly within Instagram’s native app experience.
Browsing Reviews
This flow lets users browse reviews by viewing ratings and bar charts, sorting by relevance, and engaging with text, photos, likes, and replies in a way that feels native to Instagram.
Save Feature
Shows an average star rating with a bar chart for quick context and trust.
Save Feature
Users can tap to enlarge images and swipe through photos, mirroring Instagram’s native photo experience.
Save Feature
All elements are styled to feel native to Instagram, reducing friction for both clients and businesses.
Save Feature
Reviews support likes and replies, making it easy to highlight helpful experiences.
Save Feature
Shows an average star rating with a bar chart for quick context and trust.
Save Feature
Users can tap to enlarge images and swipe through photos, mirroring Instagram’s native photo experience.
Save Feature
All elements are styled to feel native to Instagram, reducing friction for both clients and businesses.
Save Feature
Reviews support likes and replies, making it easy to highlight helpful experiences.
Save Feature
Shows an average star rating with a bar chart for quick context and trust.
Save Feature
Users can tap to enlarge images and swipe through photos, mirroring Instagram’s native photo experience.
Save Feature
All elements are styled to feel native to Instagram, reducing friction for both clients and businesses.
Save Feature
Reviews support likes and replies, making it easy to highlight helpful experiences.
Save Feature
Shows an average star rating with a bar chart for quick context and trust.
Save Feature
Users can tap to enlarge images and swipe through photos, mirroring Instagram’s native photo experience.
Save Feature
All elements are styled to feel native to Instagram, reducing friction for both clients and businesses.
Save Feature
Reviews support likes and replies, making it easy to highlight helpful experiences.
Browsing Reviews
This flow lets users browse reviews by viewing ratings and bar charts, sorting by relevance, and engaging with text, photos, likes, and replies in a way that feels native to Instagram.
Full Prototype
This prototype shows the full reviews flow, from browsing ratings and sorting feedback to writing a review with stars, text, photos, and an anonymous option, all within Instagram’s familiar interface.
Access the prototype here!
Reflections
Metrics of Success
Adoption: How many business profiles start using the Reviews feature.
Engagement: How many people tap the reviews icon and go on to leave a review.
Review Mix: The balance between anonymous and named reviews.
Quality & Safety: How many reviews get reported for abuse out of every 1,000.
Impact: Whether businesses see more bookings or DMs after reviews go live.
Next Steps…
Roll Out Plan
The feature would launch with a private beta for beauty professionals in a few cities.
After refining based on feedback, it would gradually expand to other independent services and categories beyond services, such as local shops or restaurants. This leads to a full launch for all eligible business profiles once moderation is stable.
Future Improvements
Future work includes usability testing, accessibility updates like localization and screen reader support, and advanced business insights.
Other improvements could add Stories/Reels integration for sharing reviews, allowing business owners to pin top reviews, advanced filters, and AI to detect fake reviews.
Roll Out Plan
The feature would launch with a private beta for beauty professionals in a few cities.
After refining based on feedback, it would gradually expand to other independent services and categories beyond services, such as local shops or restaurants. This leads to a full launch for all eligible business profiles once moderation is stable.
Future Improvements
Future work includes usability testing, accessibility updates like localization and screen reader support, and advanced business insights.
Other improvements could add Stories/Reels integration for sharing reviews, allowing business owners to pin top reviews, advanced filters, and AI to detect fake reviews.
Roll Out Plan
The feature would launch with a private beta for beauty professionals in a few cities.
After refining based on feedback, it would gradually expand to other independent services and categories beyond services, such as local shops or restaurants. This leads to a full launch for all eligible business profiles once moderation is stable.
Future Improvements
Future work includes usability testing, accessibility updates like localization and screen reader support, and advanced business insights.
Other improvements could add Stories/Reels integration for sharing reviews, allowing business owners to pin top reviews, advanced filters, and AI to detect fake reviews.
Roll Out Plan
The feature would launch with a private beta for beauty professionals in a few cities.
After refining based on feedback, it would gradually expand to other independent services and categories beyond services, such as local shops or restaurants. This leads to a full launch for all eligible business profiles once moderation is stable.
Future Improvements
Future work includes usability testing, accessibility updates like localization and screen reader support, and advanced business insights.
Other improvements could add Stories/Reels integration for sharing reviews, allowing business owners to pin top reviews, advanced filters, and AI to detect fake reviews.
What I Learned
At first, I thought about creating a separate app for finding services in a more Gen Z style, but that felt counterintuitive, thousands of businesses are already established on Instagram, and it’s where young users naturally go.
The new reviews feature creates a safe, community-first way to share experiences directly on Instagram, where clients and professionals already connect. Collaborating with my design buddy made the process fun, from mistakes and messy drafts to finally shaping something that felt authentic and useful.
Instagram Reviews
Giving clients a voice and professionals credibility
ESTIMATED READING TIME
5 mins
TEAM
Shaina Desroches
Nydia Kushta
ROLE
UX Designer
UX Researcher
SKILLS
Design Systems
Mobile App Design
User Research
TIMELINE
4 Weeks
Project Overview
The Appointment I Didn't Book!
I love switching up protective styles during the school year. Instagram is often the only place to find Black hairstylists, and without reviews, every booking felt like a risk.
The Challenge
Trust Where New Business Lives
Many beauty professionals, especially Black hairstylists, don’t have Google or Yelp business accounts.
Instagram is their storefront, but it lacks a safe way for clients to leave reviews and share experiences.
As a result:
Clients can’t easily assess professionalism, safety, or quality.
Professionals rely only on photos and word-of-mouth to earn trust.
Negative experiences go unspoken, and positive ones don’t translate into credibility.
While this problem is most visible in the beauty space, it extends to other businesses that use Instagram as their storefront, from fitness trainers, photographers to small retailers.
Problem Statement
How might we create a review system that’s safe and native to Instagram?
USER RESEARCH
Market Report
Showed that most discovery already happens on Instagram, but trust tools like reviews haven’t caught up.
58%
of consumers report discovering new businesses via social media, suggesting social platforms already outpace many traditional discovery channels. (Sprinklr)
83%
of Instagram users say they use the platform to discover new products or services. (Porch Group Media)
Business Owners:
Many small independent service providers don’t invest in formal review platforms (e.g. Google Business, Yelp) because of technical barriers, cost, or unfamiliarity, leaving Instagram as their de facto storefront.
Instagram Users:
Younger users, Gen Z and millennials, are particularly social-first. They expect to find, evaluate, and interact with brands on platforms they already use daily.
User Insights
To better understand these struggles, we spoke with multiple Instagram users:
Interviews: 8 users (4 business owners, 4 clients); 25–35 min each, Zoom/IRL.
Survey: 10+ responses, Google Forms; multiple choice + short text.
Once interviews were done, we narrowed down to types of personas:
The Client: A user who wants to book services but struggles to find trustworthy reviews, compare experiences, and feel safe when choosing a stylist.
The Business Owner: A user who relies on Instagram as their main storefront but has no reliable way to collect feedback, showcase client trust, or resolve concerns publicly.
Aaliyah Brooks
Age: 27
Occupation:
Hairstylist &
Small Business Owner
MAIN TASK:
Use Instagram as her primary storefront to attract younger clients, showcase her work, and manage bookings.
WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants a built-in way for clients to leave reviews directly on her profile.
Needs credibility that goes beyond photos and word-of-mouth.
Desires tools to respond to reviews and highlight positive feedback.
FINDINGS:
Relies on Instagram posts and stories to market services.
Doesn’t use Google Business or Yelp due to time and complexity.
Feels missed opportunities when clients ask for reviews but have nowhere to post them.
Maya Thompson
Age: 21
Occupation: College Student
MAIN TASK:
Find beauty and lifestyle services (hair, nails, fitness, etc.) that match budget, quality expectations, and schedule.
WANTS/NEEDS:
Wants to see reviews and ratings before booking.
Needs reassurance about professionalism, reliability, and safety.
Desires the option to share experiences anonymously or openly.
FINDINGS:
Primarily searches Instagram to discover stylists and small businesses.
Hesitant to book new providers without trusted reviews.
Has skipped services before because there was no clear way to gauge credibility.
Competitive Analysis
Highlighted gaps in Yelp, Google, and Facebook reviews that don’t align with Gen Z behaviors.
Yelp
Concept Ideation
MoSCoW Analysis
Prioritized which features were essential for launch versus nice-to-haves for future iterations.
Journey Map
Hint: Get a closer view by hovering over the map!
Visualized how users would move from discovery → reading reviews → sharing feedback.
Main Screens/Features
Based on user research and the final problem statement, I’ve summarized a set of key screens and features that highlight how trust, safety, and credibility could be built directly into Instagram.
Profile Screen – Acts as the entry point for the Reviews feature. The reviews icon is placed alongside Grid, Reels, and Tagged, making it feel native to the Instagram profile and immediately visible to users.
Reviews Tab (Screen) – A dedicated space where users can explore ratings and feedback.
Leave a Review Flow – Guides users through the process of leaving feedback. The flow includes selecting a star rating, writing a short text review, option to add an image and optionally posting anonymously.
Designs
Hi-fi Prototypes
The hi-fi designs bring these flows together, showing how the Reviews feature could live natively within Instagram’s interface while addressing both client and business needs.
A/B Testing (Review Icon)
After testing two icon placements, we ultimately went with Option A, which integrates the Reviews icon into the bottom navigation bar.
In our A/B testing and follow-up recall interviews, users described the bottom nav icons as representing content types, such as posts, reels, and tagged photos. This made the Reviews feature feel like an extension of the creator’s content, aligning with how users naturally explore what a business or individual is about.
In contrast, the buttons in Option B (e.g., Message, Email, Follow) were seen as action-oriented, focused on initiating communication rather than consuming content. Positioning Reviews in the bottom nav therefore reinforced it as a discoverable content category, not just another interaction button.
A
B
Browsing Reviews
This flow lets users browse reviews by viewing ratings and bar charts, sorting by relevance, and engaging with text, photos, likes, and replies in a way that feels native to Instagram.
Ratings
Shows an average star rating with a bar chart for quick context and trust.
Photo Browsing
Users can tap to enlarge images and swipe through photos, mirroring Instagram’s native photo experience.
Native Design
All elements are styled to feel native to Instagram, reducing friction for both clients and businesses.
Engagement Tools
Reviews support likes and replies, encouraging community interaction and making it easy to highlight helpful experiences.
Writing Reviews
After browsing, users can leave a review with a star rating, text, and photos, with the option to post anonymously. The Instagram-style composer makes the process simple and familiar.
Full Prototype
This prototype shows the full reviews flow, from browsing ratings and sorting feedback to writing a review with stars, text, photos, and an anonymous option, all within Instagram’s familiar interface.
Access the prototype here!
Rating
Users can select a star rating to quickly summarize their experience
Add Pictures:
Photos provide visual context and proof of service.
Anonymous Toggle:
A switch lets them post without revealing their identity, encouraging honest feedback.
Text Field
They can write details to explain or expand on their review.
Reflections
Metrics of Success
Adoption: How many business profiles start using the Reviews feature.
Engagement: How many people tap the reviews icon and go on to leave a review.
Review Mix: The balance between anonymous and named reviews.
Quality & Safety: How many reviews get reported for abuse out of every 1,000.
Impact: Whether businesses see more bookings or DMs after reviews go live.
Next Steps…
Roll Out Plan
The feature would launch with a private beta for beauty professionals in a few cities.
After refining based on feedback, it would gradually expand to other independent services and categories beyond services, such as local shops or restaurants. This leads to a full launch for all eligible business profiles once moderation is stable.
Future Improvements
Future work includes usability testing, accessibility updates like localization and screen reader support, and advanced business insights.
Other improvements could add Stories/Reels integration for sharing reviews, allowing business owners to pin top reviews, advanced filters, and AI to detect fake reviews.
What I Learned
At first, I thought about creating a separate app for finding services in a more Gen Z style, but that felt counterintuitive, thousands of businesses are already established on Instagram, and it’s where young users naturally go. The new reviews feature creates a safe, community-first way to share experiences directly on Instagram, where clients and professionals already connect. Collaborating with my design buddy made the process fun, from mistakes and messy drafts to finally shaping something that felt authentic and useful.