Rethinking controls in a privacy-first world

Creating reusable frameworks for content and design that supported users making decisions about their experience.

Facebook was at the forefront of the response to the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements. We had to allow users to not only make choices about their privacy settings, we also need to allow them to access and change them later. That meant a radical re-design of out existing "settings" page. I was brought in to organize our current settings and controls. I also created repeatable patterns and frameworks that could be applied immediately and to future iterations.

At a glance

Goal

Update our current Facebook settings experience to make it easier for users to find the settings they want to control.

Challenges

Compressed timeline to launch meant limited design and rev time
High level of scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders
No existing guidance or framework for content, design or hierarchy

Solution

A cleaner information architecture, defined naming conventions and simplified copy and imagery.

Impact

Shipped with other scheduled GDPR changes, reducing press cycles and user thrash
Neutral to positive metrics impact
No regressions or rollbacks
Led to creation of centralized "Settings" team for ownership

Process

Audit current settings

Understand available controls and product team needs

Conduct grouping exercises

Find common connections between settings

Identify naming and content needs

Create rules for how we name and describe settings

Create framework and patterns

Build easy-to-follow standards for all products

Get feedback

Validate our decisions with leadership, regulators and users

Iterate and refine

Focus on surfacing the right information at the right time

Design iterations

1 / 3

Original settings screen

Settings had been treated like a junk drawer, with little design, naming or IA consistency. UXR showed that users often struggled to find the controls they needed and would rely on help documentation or Google searches to understand where to do.

Regulators required that we make it easier for users to manage their privacy settings, specifically. This opened an opportunity to rethink the entire settings experience.

What shipped

A functional design with clear information architecture, naming conventions and content patterns.

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