What Makes Instagram’s UX So Good?: A Beginner UX Designer’s Perspective on Everyday Design

As someone just getting started in UX design, I’ve found that one of the best ways to learn is by paying attention to the apps I use every day. Lately, I’ve been taking notice of Instagram’s strong UX. While it’s not perfect, it does a lot of things well when it comes to design and user experience.

Here’s what I think Instagram gets right and what a beginner UX Designer can learn from it:

1. It Feels Simple and Easy to Use

Even with so many features, Instagram’s layout stays clean and focused. When you open the app, you know what you’re there for: to see your friend’s and follower’s posts. The white background and minimal icons keep the user interface (UI) from feeling overwhelming. Learn more about how UI can affect the UX of an app here.

This simplicity is a big reason why people of all ages use it so comfortably. It’s a great example of how simple design helps people feel at ease.

Meg's Moment: A clean user interface helps people focus on what matters most.

2. The Little Details Make It Fun

Have you ever double-tapped a photo and seen that heart pop up? Or refreshed your feed with a quick pull? These small actions feel smooth and satisfying. That’s not an accident, it’s just good design.

These are called microinteractions, and they make everyday actions feel enjoyable without being distracting. Microinteractions within an app help the user come back every day for more.

Meg's Moment: Small touches can make a big difference in how users feel while using an app.

3. You Always Know What to Do

Instagram doesn’t really need instructions. You just… know where and what to tap. That’s because it keeps things familiar. The buttons stay in the same place, and the icons are easy to understand.

This fits with a simple design rule: people like intuitive apps. Instagram follows that rule well. (Here’s a quick explanation of why familiarity matters).

Meg's Moment: Don’t make users guess. Keep things consistent.

Although Instagram’s UX is Great... A Few Things Could Be Better

Even though I like Instagram’s design UX overall, it’s not perfect. A few things could be improved:

• Messages can get messy. The chat area can get busy, especially with added features.

• Too many content types. Stories, Reels, Lives, Posts… it can be confusing to know which one to use and when to use it.

• Your feed can get cluttered easily. Between your follower’s newest post, sponsored content, or Instagram’s suggested posts, it’s not always clear whose content is whose and why you're seeing certain posts.

These problems are common in big apps, especially when new features keep getting added. You can read more about how that happens in this article about "feature creep".

Meg's Moment: It’s easy to lose clarity as an app adds new features and updates. Simpler is usually better.

Final Thoughts

As someone new to UX design, I’ve learned a lot just by observing how Instagram works. It shows how good design often feels invisible—it just works. And by paying attention to what works (and what doesn’t), I’m becoming a better designer one app at a time. Take a look at how the simple and intuitive UX of Instagram has inspired my designs!

Thanks for reading!

What app should I break down next? Let me know. I also share design thoughts, real-life UX observations, and behind-the-scenes lessons as I grow in this field. You can follow me on LinkedIn or learn more in my other blog posts.