Overview
As a UX Researcher at ShareChat, I led foundational research to improve content creator retention and engagement across India’s regional user base. It demonstrates how understanding creator needs and motivations can lead to successful strategies for platform growth and user retention.
My focus was on addressing onboarding friction, platform accessibility, and socio-cultural barriers, particularly for female creators in smaller towns.
Challenge
ShareChat, a vernacular social platform, had low content creation and retention from rural areas, Tier 2 and Tier 3 city users, especially women. Despite high app adoption, creator engagement remained limited due to usability issues, security concerns, and socio-cultural hesitations.
Approach
I expanded the initial scope of general engagement research into a focused investigation of creator behaviour, placing a particular emphasis on underrepresented users.
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Ran vox pop interviews to gather spontaneous user perspectives on brand perception and platform alignment.
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Designed and conducted a survey to explore the mindsets of content creators and consumers, analysing motivations, platform perception, and alignment with the brand's value proposition.
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Conducted 30+ in-depth interviews and contextual inquiries with regional language creators to uncover behavioural patterns and barriers.
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Facilitated usability testing to identify friction points within the content creation workflow.
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Developed personas and journey maps to visualise user motivations, challenges, and decision-making paths.
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Led co-design workshops with design and product teams to collaboratively ideate inclusive solutions.
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Executed A/B testing to refine and validate improvements to onboarding experiences.
Key Insights
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Female creators hesitated to post due to privacy risks and fear of judgment in close-knit communities
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Language inconsistencies and an overwhelming UI created high dropout rates
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Many creators desired a safer, more guided and clearer content creation pathways
Impact
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20% increase in overall creator retention
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5% rise in female creator participation through inclusive design changes
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Improved NPS by 15%, reducing onboarding friction
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Insights influenced company-wide strategy for content moderation and female safety features
Reflection
By taking initiative beyond the original scope, I demonstrated end-to-end ownership—from identifying an unseen problem to delivering tangible, measurable improvements. This case reinforced my belief that equity in digital design is not just ethical—it is essential for platform growth.
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