Instagram

Hello.

When i would be living in San Fransisco, i probably would try to work for instagram, a small and nice app-developer known for the famous instagram photo-taking, -editing and -sharing service. Actually one of the biggest around the iPhone with about 15 million users registred. A community dedicated to photography. What better can there be? But i am living abroad. So i’ll have to make my fortune here. But don’t blame me. I’m german. I love instagram to the fullest, use it since the first version but also got my thoughts about the web service they provide. So, here we go.

instagram sucks at some point – on the web not on the phone.
Let’s come to the point. Besides i cannot work for instagram doesn’t mean i cannot write my ideas down just because i am having them and want this app to be best. I think instagram should overthink their homepage. Bam. Because, when coming from a link (e.g. twitter), to a photo on instagr.am, i really dislike the setup. For example take my photo here: http://instagr.am/p/ZFJej/. I know instagram is pretty much about the app, but i, as an internet-user klicking it, i want to click on all of the icons and not get mad by searching google for the real instagram page because the only two links redirect me to the app-store. And there i don’t want to be. I want the names to redirect me to the instagraphers – directly. It’s not by all means user friendly and a bad experience (talking about UX, right?). If i would not know instagram i would skip ahead and go to some other web-service from now on. Yes. You might think “But its for iPhone, douchebag” but i have to say that i’m pretty often surfing the internet clicking on instagram links and then get stuck on a photo-page.

Clickable applicable.
For example take the logo: Why in the world wouldn’t you let me click it redirectiong me to the instagram homepage so i can see what it is all about? This is basic. And it needs to be there. You loose many users here, who were interestes at first.
For example take the name of the photographer: Why can’t i look at the peoples profiles showing off their photography or at least some samples? Why can’t i surf through more photos from the photographer in a small gallery? Perhaps the latest eight pictures or something. Would be enough to tease me into the app.
For example the real homepage instagr.am: I can’t see any content. The interesting thing about instagram is the community, tagging their photos, making it accessible, making contests like the weekend hashtag, presenting photographers from around the world. I love this about the app but it’s not to be seen until i click the smallish text-link on the bottom of the page “blog”. I would never have clicked it when i would not have been stumbled upon the hashtag project per accident. This page is important to keep it all alive and has to be reachable by one little click. Perhaps make a big link on the top of the homepage “Experience instagram”. DO it. In case you, instagram, overthought all of this steps: Why isn’t it fixed yet?

Loving.
As you see, i’m concerned about this app. I really love it because it brought me back to photography. I’m not a big photographer on instagram but i use it every day, creating photography and my coffeemonsters. And here you can watch it: @dontblameme (instagram) / @dontblamemeger (twitter < not everything but the coffeemonsters)

best regards,
Stefan Kuhnigk, @dontblameme(instagram), @dontblamemeger(twt) for kuhnigk.com

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