New App Review: Instagram’s Layout

Image courtesy of the author’s Instagram.

★★★★ out of 5

Layout is an app where you can easily combine multiple images to create a collage or, if you want to be more creative, create abstract, symmetrical or surreal photos from single or multiple images using up to nine photos to stretch your creativity. For more spontaneous moments, there’s also a photo booth option. This review is strictly for the collage function of the app.

When Instagram first announced that their new app Layout was available for download on all iOS devices, I immediately went to the app store to download it and promptly deleted Pic Stitch from my phone.

Like Instagram and Hyperlapse, Layout has a sleek and intuitive design. It’s simple with just the bare necessities. I love the ability to customize the individual frames with the sliding bar and that it’s easy to rearrange the images mid-edit.

In addition to the customizability, the flip and mirror features are probably just as exciting as the ability to compile multiple images into one frame. You can use a single image to create a mirror image or use several images with a combo of the mirror and flip capabilities to create a new piece of abstract photography. It’s definitely a fun, new tool to get creative and easily create custom collages straight from your phone.

Image courtesy of our Digital Strategist Isel’s Instagram.

Down sides? I think users will complain about is the lack of borders, but for me personally and the clients I’ll use Layout for, it’s a plus. The absence of visible borders gives the image a more seamless and sleeker look more suited for luxury and lifestyle clients. I also think some users will feel limited by the nine picture limit, but frankly, why do you need more than nine images in a single frame?

One thing I hope that comes out with the next Layout update is a more organized photo selection drop down of the photos already stored on my phone. For someone with 1,500+ photos on my iPhone, I want the same option as in Instagram to be able to access photos from different albums on my phone directly through the app. Currently, there are only three options; All Photos, Faces and Recent – how am I ever going to find my Favorite photos from my congested and unorganized Camera Roll for those on-the-go, spontaneous moments? Hey, Layout team, you listening?