My love-hate relationship with Instagram’s user experience: 3 things I love and 3 things I hate

When I was first introduced to Instagram, it was love at first click. The first post was really magical. Before long it became my favorite place to connect with my friends and share some of the best moments in life. We shared everything and had a nice thing going on. It was perfect. But today, several years and thousands of posts later, I am finding it hard to keep the magic alive in this relationship.

So, here are the three things I love and hate about Instagram’s user experience.

3 Things I Love About Instagram

Keeping it simple

Okay, let’s start with the obvious. When it comes to keeping it simple, no one does it better than Instagram. Unlike other large apps which are bloated with features, Instagram focuses on one thing and one thing alone -content, which is more important for the user. On the outside the interface is as basic as they come but who cares when it is as cool and easy as the end product. Right?

Consistency

I really love how consistent they are about their user experience. Be it my tablet, PC, or smartphone, despite the devices, I am able to get the same seamless experience with all of them. Even when the devices change, the IG interface seems to stay the same. This eliminates any confusion while changing from the mobile app to the desktop version, unlike many other apps we know.

Finger-Friendly Design

In a relationship, it’s the small things that matter the most. And it seems the Instagram UX/UI team understands this. In IG everything seems to be in the best position it can be. All the important touch controls are within a thumb’s reach and thanks to this I can use the app single-handedly.

3 Things I Hate About Instagram

Positioning of Elements

The sad truth is that no app is perfect, and Instagram is no exception. The simple interface has its own disadvantages. Like the placement of tags, gifs, and other elements result in trapped elements and unintentional posting.

Editing

First of all, editing has never been my long suit. And sometimes Instagram doesn’t make it any easier either. So if you are someone like me my advice for you is patience is the key. Sometimes you will have to start from scratch again.

The Algorithm

The biggest bummer of them all came as an algorithm change. The switch from the chronological feed to one driven by algorithms made matters worse. After that things were never the same again. My feed was filled with the same posts that keep repeating themselves making me miss some other posts completely.

#Ok, I’m out!

The best thing about Instagram is that, even now after 10 years, we can still see it evolving in front of our eyes. And this gives me hope for reconnecting with my Instagram account in the future.