Reddit Reimagined: Enhancing Usability for a Diverse Audience
A big task - UX/UI transformation for IPO readiness
Reddit has experienced a stagnation in technological evolution regarding product usability and user interface. This is largely due to a strong, protective user base that is resistant to change. However, for Reddit to grow its user base and develop a product strategy that appeals to both its core users and a broader audience, I believe a redesign of reddit.com is essential to creating an experience that caters to everyone.
Originally, the redesign project, "Shreddit," was primarily focused on the mobile web. However, I identified an opportunity to leverage responsive design to effectively accommodate various device form factors, including tablets and desktops. By clearly articulating the technical advantages, I demonstrated how adopting a responsive approach would significantly enhance the user experience across multiple devices without substantially increasing development costs. Additionally, this strategy streamlined the codebase, making it easier to maintain and update in the long run. By clearly communicating these benefits, I successfully secured stakeholder support, contributing to a more flexible and sustainable redesign.
Overview
Timeline & Team
11 Months from Kickoff to Internal beta launch
Director of UX, Product Designer x2, Design technologist, Product Manager + DS Team for component provision
Responsibilities
Program & Stakeholder Management
Product Strategy
Creative Direction
UX/UI Design
Prototype & Usability Testing
Results
Launched public beta within 11 months from kickoff, hitting all key milestones
Established cross-functional alignment through regular reviews, accelerating decision-making
About Reddit
Reddit is one of the world's largest and most influential social media platforms, known for its diverse and vibrant community of users.
A living legacy of fostering open and authentic conversations on the internet.
Thousands of active subreddits (communities) covering an extensive range of topics and interests.
Significant influence on online culture, trends, and news.
Over 50 million daily active users globally.
Annual revenue exceeding $300 million.
Mobile and web platforms account for a substantial portion of user engagement and content interaction.
Recognized for its unique upvote/downvote system, promoting the most relevant and engaging content.
Problem Space
Reddit's platform has evolved over the years with contributions from multiple teams and vendors, resulting in a fragmented user experience and technical debt that hampers overall performance and development efficiency.
UX Issues
Inconsistent User Interface: Different design elements and styles across the platform cause a disjointed experience.
Slow Load Times: Pages and features often load slowly, frustrating users and driving them away.
Complex Navigation: The navigation system is cluttered, making it difficult for users to find and engage with content.
Legacy Codebase: Outdated and fragmented code leading to maintenance challenges and slow updates.
Non-Responsive Design: The initial focus was on mobile web only, with poor adaptation to other device form factors, resulting in subpar experiences on tablets and desktops.
Poor Onboarding: New users find it challenging to get started due to a lack of intuitive tutorials and tooltips.
Technical Debt: Accumulated debts from past design and development decisions blocking efficient planning and delivery.
By addressing these issues through a comprehensive redesign, we aim to enhance the overall user experience, streamline the codebase, and ensure the platform is scalable and efficient, paving the way for future growth and IPO readiness.
Solution Approach
To address these systemic issues, the team pursued a ground-up redesign that prioritized:
Unified Design Language: Establishing a consistent visual and interaction pattern through a refreshed component library and cross-platform alignment.
Responsive Web Architecture: Rebuilding Reddit’s frontend for performance, accessibility, and scalability—ensuring parity across devices.
Simplified Navigation Model: Introducing persistent navigation and streamlined IA to reduce cognitive load and make discovery effortless.
Modern Design System Integration: Partnering with the DS team to align backend implementation and front-end UI behavior for faster iteration and long-term maintainability.
User-Centered Strategy: Incorporating regular prototype testing and feedback loops to anchor decisions in real user behavior.
Navigating a Complex Corporate Environment
IPO Readiness
As Reddit prepared for a potential IPO, aligning UX improvements with broader business objectives became critical. This meant designing not only for users but also for investor confidence—ensuring that product quality, scalability, and platform consistency would hold up under heightened scrutiny.
Design Maturity
Reddit’s design culture was in a transitional phase. Part of my role was to elevate design’s presence in strategic conversations and shift the perception of UX from a service function to a critical partner in product development. This included formalizing design processes, fostering cross-functional rituals, and coaching teams on design thinking.
Shift from Engineering-Driven Environment
Reddit had historically been an engineering-led organization. To create space for user-centered design, I advocated for collaborative workflows that valued input from design and research. This shift required building trust, demonstrating the impact of UX through data and storytelling, and creating shared language across disciplines.
Metrics Win vs. UX Win
Not all UX improvements show up immediately in dashboards. I helped the organization navigate the tension between short-term metric gains and long-term user value. This involved educating stakeholders on leading vs. lagging indicators, championing qualitative insights, and highlighting how sustainable UX improvements drive deeper engagement and retention.