Helping BeReal achieve sustainable monetization
Concept Case Study ❋ Product Designer ❋ Jan 2025
Overview
BeReal is a social media platform that encourages users to share authentic, unfiltered moments of their daily lives.
I designed a monetization strategy for BeReal that supports the platform’s growth while delivering tangible value to keep users engaged.
Timeline: 1 month (Jan 2025)
Team: Solo designer
Toolkit: Figma, User Research, Usability Testing, Product Strategy
🧩 Challenge
Monetizing BeReal while delivering user value
As an avid BeReal user, one issue always stood out to me: how will BeReal continue to monetize without compromising its core mission of authenticity? The introduction of ads and influencer partnerships had risked undermining the very essence of what makes BeReal unique.
🏆 Outcome
BeReal validates my solution!
Shortly after completing this case study, BeReal rolled out a significant UI update (Feb 7th, 2025) that validated one of my key insights. The Explore tab was replaced with the ‘Friends’ tab, reinforcing my decision to replace the Explore tab with the Events feature.
On August 29, 2025, BeReal Challenges was released where users could post under a theme/prompt.
🔎 Insights
I conducted preliminary research by consulting online resources and through interviews with five BeReal users. The research showed three key issues that have stunted the platform’s growth:
Value misalignment
BeReal emphasizes authenticity but overlooks that its purpose for users has shifted to connectivity.
Monotony
Users are growing bored of the redundancy in content and desire diversity.
After synthesizing this research, I reframed the problem statement from the user perspective:
How might we design a monetization strategy for BeReal that generates more engaging content for active users and keep them connected with their peers?
🚀 Process
Resolving value misalignment
I brainstormed strategies to solve this conundrum. I ultimately narrowed it down to the one that best aligned with the key insights I gained from initial user interviews. The focus was on translating BeReal’s business needs into user needs, identifying opportunities to enhance the overall user experience.
Ultimately, I landed on the solution of BeReal Events, which targeted all three key issues while providing tangible value to both the users and the business. Skip to the final product
Separate feeds or one main feed?
I transposed my wireframe sketches into Figma so that I could test the usability of this integration. Through testing with four users on an initial wireframe with two separate feeds, I wanted to understand if I should incorporate BeReal Events into the main feed, or create a new feed.
The majority of users expressed a preference for a separate feed so that they could have more control over the type of content they wanted to view. However, one user recognized that having a second feed would make these posts harder to discover. To strengthen visibility, I decided to integrate BeReal Events into the main feed. This decision was key to boosting user engagement and addressing the limited time users currently spend on the app.
Synthesizing user feedback
Overall, users found the navigation straightforward and the integration intuitive. However, I also delved into their feedback on the concept itself.
Users confirmed that they don't use the existing Explore tab.
Thus, I could confidently replace the Explore function with the new Events feature.
Events posts should be integrated into the main feed.
Otherwise, users might not check a separate feed and would miss out on the feature.
Users will only use this feature if it is relatively effortless.
Challenge prompts and the in-app experience should be easy, accessible, and quick to complete.
The camera button needs to also capture event-related photos.
Userr were confused if the camera button in the navigation bar could capture both regular and Events-related BeReals.
Translating user feedback into design improvements
I referred to the existing app design to ensure branding remained consistent throughout the prototype. (Note that the UI has changed since the completion of this case study, so the current UI may look different.)
Users can access the Events page through the nav bar and toggle between past and current events.
I learned how to use Figma overlays to create an expandable camera button…
…and learned Figma conditionals to demonstrate how the camera posts to both normal and Events BeReals.
💡 Solution
Brand partnerships that provide user rewards
The final theme, "Where ideas take flight".
Introducing BeReal Events: partnerships with brands for authentic, interactive challenges rather than traditional ads. Brands create prompts encouraging users to post themed BeReals, rewarding them with perks like discounts and exclusive in-app frames.
For example, Amazon could host a “Unbox the Real You” challenge, inviting users to post photos/videos unboxing their latest Amazon package. All posts under this event will be posted with a limited time frame, highlighting them within the feed.
🎯 Metrics
KPIs
The final theme, "Where ideas take flight".
I would track the following KPIs to evaluate the success of this feature:
Amount of time users spend on the app per day
(mins/day)
Amount of time users spend on the app per visit
(minutes/visit)
Interactions per day (eg. reacts, comments, tags)
(interactions/day)
Posts per day
(posts/day)
💭 Reflection
Not all user research is relevant!
The final theme, "Where ideas take flight".
Throughout this project, I discovered that while user feedback is incredibly valuable, not all insights are relevant or actionable. As I sifted through the data, I realized that some comments were based on personal preferences or isolated experiences that didn’t align with the broader user base.
This taught me the importance of prioritizing feedback that aligns with the core objectives of the design and focusing on patterns that reflect the needs of the majority. Understanding which insights truly matter has helped me create a more focused and effective design that addresses the most pressing user needs without overcomplicating the process.