Rob'sInstagramRedesignConcept

His proposal is a new interaction concept for the Instagram app. And since not only is the result more than impressive, but we also had a few questions about it ourselves, we quickly grabbed him for a short interview. But read for yourself what he had to say about his work.

Hi Rob, why did you even create a new Instagram design?
For one reason only. When I use something daily and love the core function of it but see enormous potential for improvement – it makes sense to change something about it.

What was the biggest challenge for you?
The improvement. Many redesigns are merely about beautifying. My goal was to improve the app. To highlight the important functions and downplay the less important ones.

So it's not just a "reskin," but you've overhauled the entire UX. How far did you go in the conception?
Initially, I questioned every function and ranked them in a hierarchy. My focus was definitely on revising the user guidance, which in turn required adjustments in the design. It was important to me to optimize the app's functionality and initiate new paths. An example of this is the gestures on all touch devices, which in my opinion are often still underutilized in UX. It rarely goes beyond a swipe-left for the menu or a swipe-down for scrolling – yet there's much more potential there.

How much time did you spend on it?
Since it was and is a project alongside work, it's hard to talk about workdays, but roughly I invested 2 evenings in the concept, a Saturday in the design, and 2 evenings in the presentation. However, I was already aware beforehand of which screws I needed to turn to achieve my desired result.

Instagram has now initiated a redesign themselves, do you think they are following a trend that you also saw, or where do you see the opportunities for flat design?
Yes, about 3 weeks later a much-needed update came, which, however, was merely reduced to the UI and thus, I guess, stems from the "iOS7 redesign wave." Certainly, this style follows a trend, but before deciding between flat design, skeuomorphism, etc. – especially with applications – the focus is always on the actual function. And this is exactly where I see great potential for flat design. Fewer distracting elements and details, more focus on content and function. However, this also results in a higher demand for the right proportions and the appropriate weighting of elements. Therefore, we can be excited to see where this trend goes in the near future.

Have you received much feedback on your work?
The first week was really interesting, and I have to admit that during that time I opened the Behance app about four times as often, and my display rarely went more than 10 minutes without a notification. Such positive feedback is, of course, great and further justifies the work you put in.

Are there also critical voices?
There certainly are – which pleases me because it shows that people are really engaging with it and not just skimming over the case.

Apart from the redesign, you use Behance as a platform for yourself. Why?
Behance offers an enormously developed base of professionals from various disciplines and a comparatively easy way to make your work accessible to many. For example, almost 8600 people have viewed this case to date, and more than 800 have liked it. When I received the email that the case was featured as a "Featured Project" on "Behance App Design Served," it made me even happier.

What project is next for you? Or was this just a one-time thing?
The launch of my portfolio is planned for the end of the year, which is currently taking up most of my time. However, I still have several projects on my to-do list. The order and timing of the next ones are not yet determined.

Great, thank you very much.
You're welcome.