Work

Strengthen Connections Through Photos

Meitu owns a matrix of photo editor apps across platforms. Their growth fatigue in the US led them to reevaluate their strategy.

Our team introduced STASH, a conceptual photo-sharing platform designed to create new business opportunities through connections made via photos.
I'm taking the lead on an educational project supported by Meitu.co and guided by Yushi Wang. I work closely with two other designers and will be presenting my work here.

My Role

Project Design Lead
Leadership & Coordination
Led the design team, aligning direction, and keeping the project on track.
User Insight & Strategy
Collaborated with three designers for interviews, research, and developed a design framework.
Ideation& Design Execution
Transformed ideas into features and journey maps and wireframes with another designer; built the prototype myself.
Storytelling and Get Impact
Presented strategies and design results to stakeholders.
Business Challenge

General-Purpose Mobile Photo Editors Have Hit Market Saturation

The US mobile photo editing market is crowded with popular brands that have built strong loyalty, and modern smartphones meet both casual and professional needs well. Our research shows that younger people value authenticity, making heavily edited photos less appealing.
Casual Users
My phone's camera is enough
"My Android cameras are so advanced that I don't need extra photo editing apps."
Authentic GenZ
I keep it real
"I might tweak a filter or adjust the brightness, but altering my looks? Hardly ever. Too much polish just feels fake. I keep it real."
Advanced Users
Nothing special provided
"My Android cameras are so advanced that I don't need extra photo editing apps."
The number of photos is still growing

And So is The Need to Organize and Share Them

In 2023, people took as many as 1.81 trillion photos a year,  and the number keeps increasing. Considering the average US citizen takes 20.2 photos a day, organizing and sharing these vast numbers of photos is crucial.
Number of Photos Taken Each Year (Global)
Source: photutorial / Matic Broz
Only 6% of the total photos taken were on the internet

Private Photo Sharing Could Offer a
Big Opportunities

Consider that just 6% of all photos taken are shared online, with the rest staying on phones or shared privately, like through direct messages or cloud albums. With few services for private photo sharing, how can we unlock the huge potential of these unseen photos?
Source: photutorial / Matic Broz. The infographic was created by me.
The Vision

Strengthen Meaningful Connections

Our decision to center our app's value proposition around the deep-seated need for meaningful connections is firmly rooted in comprehensive research and a clear understanding of our users' desires.

In today's digital age, where the essence of genuine interaction often gets lost in the noise of expansive social networks, our users expressed a distinct longing for a more intimate way to share their lives and memories.

By focusing on private photo sharing, we're not just creating another platform; we're cultivating a space where family and friends can strengthen their bonds, share their most cherished moments, and receive the kind of heartfelt responses that enrich relationships.
"The people sharing those moments are what matter most to me."
Slight enhancing
Emphasizing shared memories
Diversity in social settings
Simplified editing process
Collective editing
Celebrating cultural identity
Inclusion for absentees
Consistent vibe / theme
One-stop editing solution
Private social circles
Reliving good times
Storytelling
Reconnect with old friends
Automatic enhancing
Group sharing
User demand identified through affinity diagram
Feature Walkthrough

Keep Memories Alive, Forge Stronger Bonds.

Stash lets users easily share photos and engage in activities together within shared albums. You can share photos privately, add stories to enhance memories, chat in real time, and look back on them effortlessly.
Creating Memories Together
Share photos and stories in exclusive albums with friends and family.
Engage for Lasting Connections
Comment on photos and chat in real-time within the group.
Bring Moments to Life With Stories
Add detailed stories to enrich your photos.
Exclusive Album, Effortless Revisit
Quickly revisit shared albums with all photos and stories, accessing all memories in one place.
How We Got There

When Navigating Uncertainty, Communication Is the Key.

At first, our project was like moving through fog—too many ideas and no clear path slowed us down. Right away, I changed how we were working—no more endless, chaotic talks.

I established a clear agenda and brought in experienced mentors and stakeholders to help us make decisions together and stay on track with their ongoing feedback.

After every meeting, I made sure we had a document outlining clear actions and assigning responsibilities. Splitting the team into smaller groups, each responsible for a different section, also made decision-making smoother.

Through this project, I've come to realize that being a designer goes beyond creativity; effective communication is crucial for bringing ideas to life and driving progress.
Set the vision
Brought in stakeholders from the start to shape our vision together.
Align the team
Set up a shared space for all our documents and plans, keeping everyone on the same page.
Empower Action
Divided our team into smaller groups, letting each make their own calls and get feedback from others.
Centering design around one question:

What Draws Us Closer?

Even without enough numbers to back it up, two detailed interviews showed us that there is a common purpose of making stronger connections through photo sharing. Then, our questions became: What experiences should we create to help build meaningful relationships, and what should we avoid?
Wide Social Network
Intimate Sharing
"After a fun afternoon with my besties, we share all the photos we took of each other in our group chat and spend the rest of the day talking about them."
More people are opting for private sharing with close friends instead of public social media. This allows for casual conversations and genuine sharing, since people know who they're talking to. This sense of belonging to a group can really make people more willing to strengthen their relationships.
Recognized by Others
In the Moment
"I worry about others judging my photos and find myself unable to resist checking how many likes they receive...... but that anxiety fades away when I'm simply chatting with others. "
When posting publicly, people often feel pressured to look perfect because they know others are watching. But when everyone shares together, the focus moves to having real conversations and enjoying the present.
Silent Documentation
Alive Memories
"I love going through albums, looking at great old photos, and sending them to friends to spark a conversation"
Looking back at old photos is common, but with limited context and vague memories, users often rely on algorithmic suggestions from albums. Looking back at photos and chatting with the people in them brings memories back to life.
Design Framework

No Followers,
Only Participants.

after a through digging and  weighting on what are the key elements in terms of building meaningful relationships,   I built a design framework for the photo-sharing experience, centered on users' key needs and the goal of enhancing connections.

The main goal was to make everything more engaging. So, whether it was adding chat or designing interactions, I made sure each part would help users foster more meaningful, immediate connections.
The  triangle framework I created to guide the design decision
Design for INTIMATE SHARING

Everyday Photo-sharing Among Trusted Circles

We've noticed a trend: Traditionally, platforms like Facebook and Instagram were the go-to choices for family updates.

However, increasing concerns over privacy and the risk of indiscriminate exposure inherent to these platforms have led users to seek alternatives. Many have discovered the charm of Shared Albums in Photos/Google Photos, where genuine social interaction is encouraged.
As someone with a moderate-sized following, I also think twice about putting my kid’s face out there in the world...I turned to a much smaller solution that has proven to be delightful in its simplicity: Shared Albums in Photos.
Lights&Nights🍾
4 Members
564 items
Sienna Sisters
5 Members
564 items
BBBirth Dairy
2 Members
2546 items
LA Trip
4 Members
564 items
Family time
12 Members
764 items
HCDE 2025
25 Members
1564 items
Summer in Hawaii
4 Members
864 items
Lost in Bali
4 Members
564 items
User feedback on our shared albums platform was both enlightening and unanimous: users love the platform's simplicity and its power to foster personal connections.

However, they've expressed a strong need for enhanced control over content and permissions. Specifically, users want the capability to dictate who can contribute media to albums. They also seek more straightforward ways to revisit specific photos or access others' reactions quickly.
Robust responses
Sorting and filtering
Granular permissions
Better notifications
Editing photos
Home screen widget
As a result, we decided to adopt Shared Albums as our primary format, outlined by the main functions below. It offers a nuanced solution for sharing selective memories with a wider circle—yet not as vast as that of a social network—while accommodating diverse user needs for content and people management across various social scenarios.
Information architecture
Design for ALIVE MEMORIES

An Alternative Way to Provide the Feel of a Social Network

Shared Albums are perfect for sharing daily snaps with close friends or family but aren't the best at telling a story or highlighting an event since everything is just lined up by date.

However, people often want to spotlight those extraordinary moments from their routine days. That's where posts shine in the world of social media. They're great at drawing attention with engaging content, getting everyone talking in the moment, and touching on the personal experiences that make us feel something deep.
I rarely post, maybe just once a month, and it's always about the major events in my life. Looking back at them helps me remember the big moments from before.
- By Crystal Torres
Post
Eye-Catching Content
Designed to grab attention and get immediate responses.
Individual Memory Cues
‍Encourages instant replies and engagement.
Eye-Catching Content
Evoke specific emotions tied to a moment.
Shared Album
Timeline-based moments
Shows a series of moments in order.
Thoughtful Browsing
‍Invite users to browse through content at their own pace
Immersive in the past
‍Provide a broader context, allowing fora immersive dive into the past.
We've blended Posts and Shared Albums to offer a richer photo-sharing experience. Whether you're someone who enjoys curating photos with engaging backstories or someone who likes to silently contribute to our shared memories, this mix caters to all within the shared intimate space.
Exploration of post form factor.
The majority was crafted by me, with the three elements in the bottom left corner credited to Jiawei Chen.
Design for LIVING IN THE MOMENT

Elevating User Interaction

Initially, we defaulted to a basic comment feature, not fully considering our users' needs. The observation that users preferred sharing photos in private chats led us to reevaluate this choice.

Comments, while suitable for asynchronous replies, fell short in supporting dynamic exchanges and lacked the privacy many users sought.

Realizing this, we introduced a real-time chat box, enhancing our platform with interactive elements like an action tab for quoting images, using emojis, and having direct conversations.

We're exploring further enhancements, such as gaming and group editing functions, to make communication instant, more interactive, and truly engaging, fostering a tighter-knit community.
We've blended Posts and Shared Albums to offer a richer photo-sharing experience. Whether you're someone who enjoys curating photos with engaging backstories or someone who likes to silently contribute to our shared memories, this mix caters to all within the shared intimate space.
Interaction design in real time chat box
The Impact

The New Horizon for Meitu: From Image Editing to Enriching Interactions

Through our competitive analysis and user research, we inspired Meitu's team to reconsider their global position as merely a photo editing tool, urging them to tap into deeper user needs for recognition and connection. This initiative might seem ambitious, but it has opened up expansive opportunities for exploration, signaling a future where photos are more than just beautifully edited—they're conduits for more profound life experiences.Following our insights sharing, Meitu initiated an internal meeting to strategize on incorporating more social features into their app. The discussion revolved around transforming Meitu from a singular tool into a comprehensive platform, fostering user connections and interactions.
PREVIOUS
Philips
next
SeeDAO