Watch the following video, in which Snap CEO Evan Spiegel [1] talks about the Snapchat update, then read on below and follow the instructions to complete the exercise.
Snapchat case study
In 2017, Snap, the parent organisation of Snapchat, went public [2] and nine months later, CEO Evan Spiegel, announced that Snapchat would undergo a significant redesign. Among the many changes, the redesign entailed separating celebrity content from one’s friends and close connections. It also entailed several updates to make the app easier to use.
However, Snapchat users did not receive the changes well and so, after continued and growing criticism, Snapchat eventually rolled back some of the updates. This redesign cost Snapchat many of its customers and Snapchat has since seen a steady decline in customers.
In response to the product’s alleged redesign failure, Spiegel acknowledged that users were frustrated over the updates and revealed that the design felt rushed. [2] While the update solved one problem, it subsequently created many others. He further acknowledged that the product improvement plan was also complicated by the fact that Snap had gone public. In other words, going public had meant more stakeholders to manage, align, and get buy-in from. Since the redesign, many of Snap’s executive-level employees, such as its chief strategy officer, left after the public disapproval of the redesign.
However, Spiegel claims that ‘innovation really is about taking risks. It’s about doing things that are different’. [2] He explains that this thinking is encouraged at Snap so that employees can take risks each day and not feel at risk of being judged. He goes on to say that they make time for employees to connect in small groups and share their ideas. Through this type of thinking and these practices, Snap makes continuous improvements over time.
Instructions: Key lessons from Snapchat
- Post a brief reflective paragraph in the discussion below that answers the following question: What key lessons can we take away from this real-world example? Make sure you cover topics such as:
- What mistakes did Snapchat make with regards to its product improvements?
- How should communication have been handled?
References
- The New Snapchat in 60 Seconds [Video]. Snapchat; 2017 Nov 30. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx1R-eHSkfM
- Yurieff K. Snapchat always proved critics wrong. Then Evan Spiegel pushed for a redesign – CNN [Article]. Edition; 2019. Available from: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/10/tech/snap-ceo-evan-spiegel-profile/index.html
I feel one of the main issues that snapchat faced was understanding the end users needs.Not being able to do a proper market survey to understand the needs of the end-users affected the acceptance of the product when it went public.For me,understanding the clients needs when it comes to product design is very important and must not be taken with levity.
The product is for the users; Snap communication channels with its users were not effective enough, and the lack of user involvement in the redesign process made a mess of their seemingly great plans.
Their communication should have been such that should have carried the users along.
At first, snap came public and that meant higher expectation from their users. And when these expectations weren’t met, it brought about a decline because their users felt disappointed and frustrated.
Secondly, their innovations were rushed. They should have taken it a step at a time while encouraging reviews from users. And these reviews would have served as a stepping stone to the next level since they already know how their users perceived their first move.
In business, effective communication in the form of review or feedback is key and that’s what snap overlooked.
The mistake was that the redesign of Snapchat was not from customer’s feedback hence, customers withdrawal.
Effective communication would have been achieved had he use the various form of customers feedback to know what they want!
What mistakes did Snapchat make with regards to its product improvements?
Their major mistake was not making heavy campaign for designing snapchat and also not sampling of users opinions about the redesigning plan.
How should communication have been handled?
The use of survey or questionnaires.
For any product to win heart of her consumers or users, one of the major to consider and prioritize is effective consideration. One of the biggest mistake Snapchat made was to roll out update without communicating with her users or proper notifications.
What mistakes did Snapchat make with regard to its product improvements?
Their first mistake was a redesign of the already existing product without carrying out adequate research to know how users were going to feel before the redesign was rolled out. And users also felt overwhelmed with several other updates that took place even though it was meant to make the app easier to use.
How should communication have been handled?
Communication could have been handled better by carrying out adequate user research, surveys etc to find out what users want, their overall experience from using the product, and if they would like to see ‘other changes’. Doing this would have saved the company and its employees lots of time, and resources
This real-world example highlights the importance of balancing innovation with user feedback. Snapchat’s mistake lay in implementing a significant redesign without adequately considering user preferences and expectations. Rushing the redesign and failing to effectively communicate the changes led to backlash and a loss of customers. Communication should have been transparent, involving users in the decision-making process and explaining the rationale behind the changes. Additionally, Snapchat could have utilized beta testing or gradual rollouts to gather feedback and iterate on the redesign before fully implementing it. Ultimately, the key lessons revolve around the significance of user-centered design, transparent communication, and iterative improvement processes in product development.
Snapchat made a rushing update of their app without effective communication to their users. They fail to put their users/customers into consideration when making changes which is paramount if business want to succeed.
Notification are expected to be sent to users in advance before changes are made so customers are not just aware but also be prepared for new features.
Reasons for their failure are: The redesign made
Users were frustrated over the updates and revealed that the design felt rushed. [2] While the update solved one problem, it subsequently created many others.
Product improvement plan was also complicated by the fact that Snap had gone public. In other words, going public had meant more stakeholders to manage, align, and get buy-in from.
The public disapproval of the redesign was not taking into consideration.
Communication should be effectively done and stakeholders, customers and staff carried along and their decision and inputs should be considered. Infact conflicts of this nature should be handled amicably.