LIZ BEVAN CONTENT DESIGNER
App creation for developers
tl;dr A mismatch between the platform design and developer mental models forced users to navigate a complex, guidance-free setup. This confusion led to over-permissioning and security risks for Meta. Overhauling the platform with clear use cases, updated information architecture, and better tracking successfully simplified the experience to match user needs and lowering Meta's risk.
A full redesign of the app creation experience
The problem:
The app creation process on Meta's developer platform was confusing, frustrating, and filled with complex technical jargon. There was no guidance or help. Because requirements were unclear, developers did not know what they needed or why. Out of confusion, they requested wide access to data they did not actually use. This led to high data permission rates (can_access) but very low actual usage rates (did_access), creating a bad developer experience and high privacy risks for Meta.
The solution:
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Partnered with product design, UX research, data science, legal, policy, and privacy stakeholders to rebuild the end-to-end app creation process from the ground up.
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Researched Meta’s entire product ecosystem—including Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Horizon, Ray-Ban, and LLMs—to unite formerly separate tools into a single platform.
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Grouped an extensive list of raw API permissions, features, and products into organized use cases mapped directly to developer intent.
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Authored a scalable style guide to govern the creation and alignment of all future platform use cases. See more below
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Integrated clear legal and compliance disclosures directly into the selection workflow to surface data access implications early.
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Designed structured to-do lists featuring up-front completion statuses, organizing steps into a logical order of operations that matches developer mental models and implementing error statuses.
Click slideshow to zoom and see screens.
Highlight:
Permissions, features and use cases
Watch the videos for more info
The problem:
Previously, developers had to pick and choose from over 100 unorganized permissions with technical names and 45 products. We heard that devs were relying on incomplete and confusing documentation or outside forums to understand their own data needs. Developers were also required to use multiple Meta platforms to complete simple app integrations, such as running app ads. This led to widespread over-permissioning and a poor developer experience, muddied true developer intent from Meta, and complicated federal data access reporting requirements.
The solution:
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In partnership with Data Science, I synthesized historical app data access information (can_access & did_access rates) and identified patterns in the permissions, features and products that were most commonly used together.
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Aligned with 19 internal product teams (Instagram, Facebook Login, Threads, WhatsApp, App Ads teams and more) on requirements for integrations to work.
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42% increase in did_access rates, indicating an alignment with developer needs.
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Created use cases based on those requirements, reducing the number of choices for developers and reducing cognitive overload, keeping Hick's Law in mind.
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Authored and socialized a platform style guide to govern all future use case content and UI elements, maintaining consistency and predictability as new Meta products were created, like Instagram login and WhatsApp agents.
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Identified and connected existing platforms and terminology style guides to held developers complete common developer objectives.
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App ads creation exoerience was shortened from 46 steps on 4 platforms down to less than 20 steps on 2 platforms. See third video.
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Before: An unorganized list of permissions and features developers had to navigate to get data access.
After: Over 100 permissions and 45 products organized into 19 use cases.
Creating an app ads integration went from 45 steps on 4 platforms down to 20 steps on two platforms.