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I want to talk about how your Instagram feed looks and three ways to style the aesthetic. This will also get you thinking about your grid and planning your posts in advance. Advance planning is really the key to having a great looking feed and it’s also a great time saver.
I’ve created some feeds using images from Unsplash to demonstrate three simple layout styles.
Layout 1 – Checkerboard
I’ll start with this one because I think it’s the easiest as I’ve sorted my images into an alternating dark and light grid. This is easily done using a preview app as it will allow you to bulk upload images and sort them using drag and drop.
FYI my favourite app for managing Instagram is Later. Usually I plan at least nine posts in advance so I can plan my pattern.
Layout 2 – Colour Bands
Arrange your photos in similar bands of colour.
- red
- brown
- blue
- purple
- yellow
You could use your brand colours or even the whole rainbow, it’s up to you. In my example below you can see that I’ve also used images with a similar tone so even though they’re from different photographers there is a cohesive feel to it.
Layout 3 – Tonal
This layout has a strict style and colour pallet and because of that this one takes a little bit more thought and time to prepare. My rules for this one are:
- On-brand quote every sixth post
- Close-up image every sixth post
- Photo with lots of white space
- Always use a green colour pallet with brown as a secondary colour
This might seem not simple but if you create rules and follow them you know exactly what you are going to post. A little bit of planning means less work overall.
TL;DR
Get organised! Use a preview app and start planning how your feed will look at least 9 posts in advance. Put your gird design into your workflow every week and it will save you time. You can organise by colour bands, alternating light and dark images or decide on a few simple rules like alternating quotes, colour and photo style. Remember to follow the rules you make.
Last updated: July 2019
