A Rant on Grid Layouts on Instagram

I thought I'd give you my two cents on these so-called perfect grids that people strive for on Instagram, and why they're a disaster for your creativity.

A few Examples of these pre-planned Grid Layouts

• Three similar pictures in a row - It looks really good, though, I won't lie. But have you ever thought about all the amazing moments you're missing out on just by adhering to this absurd rule?
• Patterns in your grid - Checkerboard, rows, columns, diagonals even... "Creativity" really has no limits. Only this is not creativity, it is the exact opposite. Is our storytelling so one-dimensional that we have to follow a predetermined pattern?
• Thumbnail puzzles - Combining three (or God forbid even 6 or 9) thumbnails into a single image? It might be visually interesting on your profiles, but guess what? It's a disaster on your followers' home feeds. Are we showing off our skills or creating puzzles that no one asked for?
• Adding borders to your photos - Not the deadliest of sins, but definitely a limitation is adding borders to your photos to make them look more spread out in your feed. Ever heard of dark mode? Exactly what color are your borders?

Let's make a few things clear:

1. No one sees your Profile Feed twice

Your profile feed is a one-time visual. The only time someone sees your profile grid on Instagram is when they start following you. People only open the app to consume content, they scroll through posts and stories and that's it. If they come across a badly cropped photo that might look great in your feed, they might only see indistinct parts of your image, and they might just unfollow you at a glance.

"Oh while I'm at it, let me search for that random creator I've been following to see what cool new stuff they've done with their grid layout recently. It must look super interesting!"

2. Instagram is Not your Portfolio

It's just one tool among hundreds of social media apps where you can showcase your work and connect with your audience. If you think of it as your portfolio, where only your best work goes in an orderly fashion, you're seriously missing out. What if one day, with the rise of ever bigger smartphones, Meta decides to change the layout to a 4-column one? They already tested this once back in 2017. Ain't gonna be a fun ride to have to start all over again.

3. It's a Lot of Wasted Time

Whether you realise it or not, you spend a ridiculous amount of time scheduling your feed manually, or in all the different apps. Why don't you use that time instead to go out and create stuff that you like and learn something new in the process?

I've been there, too!

Yes, I am guilty of doing this myself, too. In fact, I've done ALL of the above, believe it or not. I quite enjoyed doing it, until it bit me in the butt-butt.

• There was a time when I would post 3 photos at once that were similar in theme or style. If I posted three at the same time so that my profile grid didn't break, my followers would see three posts in a row. I also experienced lower reach, because my individual posts didn't get as many likes if I were to post them as one post. It also wasn't great to live with this limitation when I only had one great photo to share and not three. Not to mention having to explain to a model who wants to do a collab with you that you can only do it in 2 days when your series is finished is just ridiculous and the absolute opposite of professional.
• In a galaxy far, far away, I used to put borders on my pictures because it was "unique" *chuckles*. It was restrictive in two ways: The first photo of each gallery had to be a square crop, which was frustrating at times. But the real kick in the teeth came when a fairly large account I was working for wanted to collaborate with me, but my pretty borders didn't fit their feeds. So I was left out and lost tens of thousands in potential reach.
• I used to have a panorama account where I'd post three photos as a panorama. It only looked good on my profile for myself; when these photos came up in your feed, you'd see weirdly cropped landscapes that didn't make sense as a photo. I'm so glad I don't do that anymore.

The sooner you stop caring, the better

Seriously, it's time to rethink what's better. To conform to the stupid limitations of the 3-column grid and try to be unique in no one's eyes but our own? Or unleash our creativity without limits and post whenever you have something to show the world. A photo that will touch people. A story that will touch someone deeply. A piece of work that will get noticed.

Finish your current series, complete your current diagonal pattern and then just let go. I can't put into words what it feels like when that creative weight is lifted from your shoulders. But I think you'll thank me yourself later.

Thanks for reading.