1. Saving takes one tap, so saves pile up
P2 saves about 20 reels a day. P1 has 2,162 screenshots, mixing useful things with things only useful "for the next 10 seconds".
If I like something, I can just save it and continue scrolling.P4
Project 01 · UX research
Pixel Hunters
Saving something online takes one tap. Finding it again can take fifteen minutes, or never happen at all. We researched how people, especially designers, save things online and why they can't get them back.
01
Problem statement
UI/UX designers who save screenshots for inspiration struggle to find a specific reference when they need it during a design task. Their saves are scattered across the gallery and other apps, and can't be searched by what they look like. They end up scrolling through hundreds of images or searching online again, which costs time and breaks their design flow.
What we wanted to learn
- Why people save, and in what formats: static screens, interactions, videos or links
- Where saves end up, how scattered they are and how many there are
- What triggers someone to go back, and what they remember about the item
- Whether the real problem is finding saves or never returning to them
- Whether it happens often enough, and costs enough, to be worth solving
How the plan evolved
Our first guide focused only on designers and their screenshots. We broadened it to cover anything people keep for later, so we wouldn't assume the problem was specific to designers. We also added a timed live task where participants try to find a save while we watch, and a question on frequency and cost to test whether the problem is worth solving.
02
User interviews
Five one-on-one interviews, about 15–20 minutes each, with people who regularly save content online. Three of them work in design.
Interview guide
- Tell me about the last thing you saved for later.Why people save, and what formats
- Walk me through what you did when you saved it.Where saves go, how scattered, volume
- Tell me about a time you went back to find something.Trigger and retrieval behaviour
- Live task: find something you saved while I watch.Real behaviour, not a remembered story
- Tell me about something you saved and never went back to.Finding vs. never returning
- How often do you need to find a save? What does it cost?Is it worth solving?
- What works and what doesn't about how you keep track?Pain points, failed attempts
- Anything we didn't ask that matters?Catch what we missed
Participants
| ID | Role | What they mostly save | Where they save |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | Instructional designer | Finance tips, products, places, quotes, news | Screenshots, WhatsApp self-chat, Pinterest, Google Keep, Chrome tabs, YouTube, Amazon wishlist |
| P2 | Not recorded | Travel reels, poetry, quotes (~20 reels a day) | Instagram saves, screenshots, gallery favourites, WhatsApp |
| P3 | UX & graphic designer | Design reels and inspiration | Instagram collections, Pinterest, screenshots, WhatsApp |
| P4 | Hobbyist (photography, pottery, drawing) | Creative references and techniques | Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube |
| P5 | UX designer | UI/UX inspiration, recipes | Instagram, WhatsApp, screenshots, Notion, Google Sheets |
03
What we heard
Saving isn't the problem. Getting things back is.
5 / 5find saving easy and finding hard
5 / 5have saves scattered across many apps
4 / 5give up and look for something new instead
2,162screenshots in one participant's gallery
Themes at a glance
- Saving is easy, finding is hard5
- Saves are scattered across many apps5
- They look for saves only when a task comes up5
- Screenshots used as a quick save4
- Links or screenshots sent to self on WhatsApp4
- Many saves are never opened again4
- Gives up and finds something new instead4
- Has to remember which app it was saved in3
- Tried organising, but didn't keep it up3
- Saves went missing without warning2
Key findings
2. Finding starts with memory, not search
People first have to remember which app they saved it in. If they can't recall it, search is no use.
It was not easy, like finding needles in a haystack.P2
3. They go back only when a task comes up
Nobody browses saves for fun. They return when they start a design, cook, revisit investments, or feel a creative urge after work.
When I'm doing UX work and remember I saved something related, I try to find it. It costs me time.P5
4. When they can't find it, they give up
The cost is time, and sometimes motivation. P4 searches for 10–15 minutes, then settles for something similar.
By the time I've finished searching, I don't feel like doing the thing anymore.P4
5. Organising tools get dropped
P5's Notion page hit its free limit. P4 has Instagram collections but doesn't use them consistently.
Forget it, I'll make something else.P3
6. Some saves vanish without warning
P3's Instagram saves stopped showing up. P1's shoe screenshot was gone, and she couldn't tell why.
Workarounds people built
| Workaround | Who | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Send links or screenshots to themselves on WhatsApp | P1, P2, P3, P5 | Newest stays on top, works on phone and laptop. P1 adds a word or two to search later. |
| Screenshot instead of saving in the app | P1, P2, P3, P5 | One tap, no typing, survives the post being deleted. |
| Notion page or Google Sheet of links | P5 | One place for links. Notion dropped after hitting its storage limit. |
| Gallery favourites | P2 | Keep saved audio easy to reach. |
| Chrome tabs left open | P1 | A reading list: read it, then close it. |
04
Competitor analysis
We compared five direct competitors that save most of the formats our participants use: reels, links, videos and screenshots. We rated each one on saving, finding, context, resurfacing, trust, platforms and cost.
| App | Screenshots | One search across saves | Reason at save time | Resurfacing | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mymind | Yes | Yes AI search | No | Partly | $4.99–12.99/mo |
| Raindrop.io | Partly | Yes titles & tags | No | No | $3/mo |
| Snug | Yes | Yes keyword, topic | No | Yes | Free |
| Save for Later | ? | Yes keyword, platform | Partly | Yes | $1.99/mo |
| Recall | Yes | Yes natural language | No | Paid | $10/mo |
Gap 1: Why you saved it
Only Save for Later partly captures why something was saved. No one else does.
Gap 2: The moment of need
None of them bring saves back when a task starts, which is exactly when our participants go looking.
Gap 3: Everything, affordably
Only Recall and Snug are confirmed to save reels, articles, videos and screenshots. Recall puts most of its AI behind a paywall.
05
User journey map
From scrolling past something good to giving up on finding it. This map combines all five interviews into one journey.
1. Discover
2. Save
3. Pile up
4. Need it
5. Search
6. Give up
Doing
Scrolling Instagram, Pinterest or Dribbble with no goal
Taps save, screenshots, or sends the link to WhatsApp
Saves spread across 4–7 apps and the gallery
Starts a design, recipe or purchase and remembers a save
Tries to recall the app, then scrolls through it
After 10–15 min, searches online again or starts over
Thinking
This could be useful later.
I can just save it and continue scrolling.
I think I'll go back and look at them.
I saved something exactly like this…
Like finding needles in a haystack.
Forget it, I'll make something else.
Feeling
InspiredSatisfiedUnawareHopefulFrustratedDemotivated
Pain points
Nothing captures why it was useful
No context added. In-app saves aren't trusted, so they duplicate
No single place, no organisation that lasts
Must remember where before searching
Can't search by what it looks like; saves may have vanished
Lost time, lost motivation, lost work
Opportunity
—
One-tap save with optional context
Pull every source into one library
Resurface saves when a task starts
Search across apps, by look and topic
Warn when a save is deleted or fails
On small screens, scroll the map sideways →
06
How might we…
- …help people find a saved item without remembering which app they saved it in?
- …bring saves from different apps into one place, without adding extra steps when saving?
- …show the right saves when a task comes up, like cooking, shopping or starting a design?
- …let people add a little context when they save, such as why or what for, in one tap?
- …tell people when a saved item is deleted or fails to save?
07
Initial wireframes
Low-fidelity first passes at the opportunity areas above, one screen per HMW.
Saved to Pixel Hunters ✓
What's it for? (optional)
DesignRecipeShop+
Done
All saves
AllInstagramPinterestGallery
⌕ dark login screen
Matches by look, text and topic
Starting something?
Designing an onboarding flow
12 saves you might need
⚠ 2 saves were removed from Instagram. A copy is kept here.
—
Limits & next steps
- Small sample. Five people, mostly designers. These patterns are signals, not proof.
- Uneven notes. Some participants skipped questions, so blanks in the themes may be gaps in the notes rather than real differences.
- Mixed satisfaction. P1 said "all of my methods work well" while also describing lost items.
- Not yet asked: whether reminders would help, whether people would pay, and how often they need to find something.
- Next: interview people outside design (students, shoppers, cooks), then test the wireframes with users.