Designing for Instagram
Do you know how many times a day you check your social media accounts? How about how many times you look at an image online? I bet if you actually tallied the number of times you looked at images you would be shocked. Whether we like it or not, social media is slowly engulfing every aspect of our day to day life. From how we shop to how we view government, almost everything is now presented in a 1080 x 1080 pixel square. But it’s what lies beyond the square that tells the real story.
Today, designers are faced with more than just creating spaces that are enjoyed by the user. They are creating an unlimited supply of marketing. How many times have you seen a picture on Instagram of a destination that made you want to visit? Every corner of a room has the potential to attract millions by a single post, but how do you achieve an instagramable space? The design goes beyond the walls and begins to transform the space with keen attention to the smallest of details. Once overlooked, the interior of buildings are as much of an architectural element as the exterior. Clients have begun to see the benefits of having an architect involved in more than just the design and construction of the building. In addition to selecting interior finishes, architects and interior designers are now being asked to assist the client in furniture selections, wayfinding, and super graphics. These extra design touches help tie everything together and allow the architect to fully design the space with the highest level of detail. To further enhance the details in a space, lighting has also become a key player in creating that picture perfect scene. With the evolution of social media, the lighting industry has begun to recognize the need for a new form of lighting: lighting that will enhance the physical and online environment. For example, a chef can create an amazing dish but if that dish is captured in dim lighting, how is a blogger going to accurately share it with the world? As the designers, we are able to assist the clients visual needs to make sure that the product is not only well presented in person, but online as well. Keeping up with ever-changing design trends is half the battle, but creating cohesive designs from concept to end user is key in forming what many call ‘instagram bait.’ The goal is to be able to have a space that goes beyond what has been done before, pushes the envelope, and inspires others to be influenced in their own designs. To be successful on any social media platform, posts need to appeal to not only the client, but also the audience of millions online.
Social media has also helped the client push standards by expanding their knowledge on what’s available. With the growing interest of independent designers in the marketplace, clients are exposed to more styles of design than ever before. Styles and trends are no longer only influenced by their immediate community or region. In fact, with a quick search the client has an endless supply of design choices. This can sometimes become problematic in narrowing down a design concept, but the challenge of merging several ideas together is ultimately how we are able to develop new and innovative designs.
Instagram and other social media platforms are evolving every day and being able to use international platforms to express designs and ideas are priceless to the design world.