In the spirit of playing to one’s strengths, I’m going to start this post by sharing one of mine.
A comment I hear frequently from design peers and friends is how consistent I am with sharing my work on social media. People tell me that they’ve watched me evolve over the years, and I’ve inspired them to share their own work. To me, that’s the ultimate compliment.
As a creative professional, I’m always working toward building a sustained presence for myself and my work online. One of the more intimate platforms for this is Instagram Stories. It allows us to engage with our audience in real time, and it alleviates some of the pressure we might feel to present ourselves perfectly.
That said, even if sharing lo-fi content, we needn’t do it in a chaotic way. As mentioned in my earlier post, 21 Tips for a Better Portfolio Website, polished presentation doesn’t hurt.
Here are 10 user-friendly design tips that don’t require any additional apps or software —
10 quick design tips that will instantly elevate your stories
To start, think of each story as a composition. If using all the features available— text, tags, filters, emojis, gifs, music — you’re crowding your composition. My general rule is to keep all those elements to a minimum. Because it’s meant to be absorbed quickly, a simple story says more than a complicated one.
When you share a grid post to Stories, Instagram automatically pulls a gradient of colors from the post to display in the background. Change it to a harmonious, solid color — either a neutral (like black or white), or a color pulled directly from the post. It’s easier on the eyes.
HOW TO — In the top right corner of your story, click the three-dotted icon. Then select Draw. With the eyedropper tool, select a color from the palette at the bottom of the screen. Or pick a color directly from the post. To see the color change, hold your finger down for a few seconds anywhere on the background.If you’re taking photos specifically for Stories, take them in your camera’s preset 9:16 format. I suggest that you always take a few photos this way, in case you want to share them later. If a photo fits awkwardly in 9:16, skip sharing it in Stories.
Don’t over-explain what you’re doing or where you are. Create a sense of intrigue and, hopefully, get some good conversations going in your DMs with those who are curious.
Keep text to a minimum. Long captions are a great way to engage your followers on grid posts, but stories are meant to be light and ephemeral.
If you must add text, prioritize legibility. Choose a simple font, and stick with it. If placing text on a light background, use dark text and vice versa.
If including multiple lines of text, always align them to the left. This makes your text much easier to read.
Avoid placing anything at the very top of your story. It’ll get obscured by the app’s interface and will likely be missed.
Tag accounts that are likely to share your story. Say, you want to share a book — tag the author and the publisher. If it’s a clear and visually-pleasing story (not crammed with a ton of text/emojis/gifs, etc), they’ll be more inclined to share.
Most of the time, your tags don’t need to be visible. To hide tags, drag them out of the frame. This gives your story a cleaner look.
BONUS TIP
Create continuity with Instagram’s Highlight feature. For each category, choose a brief title, and upload your own cover image. I prefer to keep mine simple, so I used an image of the same color for each one. I pulled the color directly from my logo.
WHAT I SHARE IN MY INSTAGRAM STORIES
On my public Instagram Stories, I mostly share things that relate to my work or reflect my design tastes. Some people seem to blend their personal and professional lives effortlessly. I’m not especially good at this, so I usually avoid it. Again — know your strengths!
My approach to Stories is to invite my audience in a little closer. Give them a peek into my world. This includes —
Previews of professional work. I often share my latest portfolio update, with a link to my website.
The creative process, or a behind-the-scenes look at a project.
Art journal spreads, an essential part of my creative practice.
When traveling — beautiful spaces, architecture, exhibitions, anything my followers might not be familiar with.
Vignettes from my home, especially when natural light pours in. It enhances everything.
Creative classes, workshops or events I’m participating in.
New books I’ve added to my design library.
Resources that my followers might find useful or interesting.
I prefer my stories to have a sense of thematic progression. I share what I like. When my audience also likes it, I’m encouraged to share it more often. With each story, they learn a bit more about me and anticipate seeing more stories like it in the future.
EXAMPLES FROM MY INSTAGRAM STORIES
PROFESSIONAL WORK
Stories relating to my job as a color designer at Nike.
Promoting a book project in 2022 — Palette Perfect, Volume 2.
RESOURCES
Books from my design library. My collection of books on color grew when I started research for my upcoming book, Fashion Palettes.
CREATIVE PRACTICE
Pages from my art journals.
TRAVELS
Museums and art spaces I saw while traveling in Amsterdam.
HOME
A peek into my apartment, which I’ve been furnishing slowly over the past year.
As a relative newcomer to Portland, I like sharing details that make the city feel unique.
Any tips to add? Please share in the comments —