Web/Mobile App Critique

 

I am really not into my phone as much with mobile apps unless it is kid games for my two-year-old but, the only one I am somewhat in tune with is TikTok as sometimes I just find myself scrolling and scrolling! What can I say it is somewhat addicting. TikTok took the world by storm in 2017 but started as “Douyin” in 2016 originating in China (Curry 2026). It gave creators a dynamic platform to create, share, and discover others by ranging from educational to funny videos. TikTok is still growing and will continue throughout 2026.

Usability

When using the app, you can see it is simple to use as far as accessibility and navigation. Whenever you open the app, users are sent to the “For You” page and videos go based off of your recent views, likes, and the interests you set once creating your account. Swiping vertically brings you to the next video which allows quick browsing, while the bottom of your page has your home screen (which resets your “For You” page), friends, create, inbox, and lastly your profile. At the top of the screen you have a “LIVE” page showing you creators who are actively engaging with their audiences, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) which is educational videos, “Explore” which allows you to view different creators, “Local” which are creators in your community or close by, “Following” are the creators you followed, and lastly the TikTok shop where you can buy items from TikTok.   When creating your profile, it is quite simple in terms of how to access the app which makes it accessible to both “tech savvy” and novice users. 

Design

TikTok’s design is very straight forward with its black and white font and bold letters. This makes it clean and ensures that all the apps uses are quickly identifiable. As you can see from the picture above it does not have too much clutter, which is a big plus allowing the users to view the videos without them being blocked by additional features. The text overlays you see at the bottom of the video contribute to an engaging visual experience without being overwhelming for the user.  Additionally, a plus is that when you search for a video it pops up with multiple giving you options on which one to view by playing the video before you press on it. Overall, the simplicity of the design of the app makes it unique by giving users a modern visual appeal rather than overcomplicating it.

Functionality

TikTok offers a lot of features, including video editing tools, filters, effects, and even music. The performance is generally smooth, which is great as it offers its users quick playback without any sort of issue. Additionally, from what I can gather by being a user the app usually refreshes every 24 hours and your feed gets sometimes based on what you watched or videos you watched from the previous day. Lastly, TikTok reliability is enhanced as updates are pushed out regularly with the last update being on 05 February 2026 and the one before that being in January.

Recommendations for Improvement

There are a few recommendations for improvement I have in mind to consider making TikTok a better platform for its users.

1.      1. When discussing TikToks algorithm, it can sometimes feel inconsistent and unpredictable. As a daily user, I often notice videos appearing on my “For You” page that do not match my interests, almost as if the algorithm has a mind of its own. I believe the users should have more direct control on what their “For You” page brings up as I think that will keep users more in tune with the app rather than just leaving the app out of frustration until it updates again. Maybe placing in your interests every week gives the users the ability for what pops up in their feed. One thing that is there is “content preferences” where you can set it to where more content you want to watch comes up. Additionally, you can manually refresh your feed. I say this because not everyone knows how to go through all of these steps and would make it better for users who are not “tech savvy” and enhance the overall user experience.

2.      2.TikTok adding something in line of making a separate educational model could improve both safety and learning for our youth. Implementing enhanced parental controls that allow parents to set accounts to display strictly educational content would help filter out mature or inappropriate material and reduce exposure to age inappropriate trends. This could also lead to more collaborations with teachers, professors, and educational organizations creating more opportunities for teacher content creators.

3.     3. Another improvement that TikTok could implement is enhancing its caption and translation features. Improving the caption feature and adding real time translation would make content more accessible to users who have hearing disabilities as well as individuals who speak different languages. This would promote stronger community involvement as it would reach a wider audience.

 

References

Curry, D. (2026, January 7). TikTok Revenue and Usage Statistics (2026). Business of Apps.                    https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/