Social Media Design

What does social media design cover?

Social media design is the design of the post, story, cover and profile visuals that make up the face of your brand in the feed. These visuals have to catch attention in a feed that scrolls by quickly, and at the same time give someone looking at your profile the impression of a tidy, recognizable brand. On this page we explain how we handle post and story sets, template systems and platform-specific formats.

Social media design is often confused with two neighboring jobs. The posting calendar, publishing, and comment and message follow-up fall under account management; visuals that announce a specific offer through paid placement are the subject of our ad and campaign design page. Here our focus is the visual language your account will use every day and the templates that carry it.

Not individual visuals but a visual system

Designing a visual from scratch for every post is slow, and over time it leaves a scattered profile. That is why we build social media design as a system: templates for recurring content types, a fixed color and type layout and rules for how photos are treated. Once the system settles in, every new post is prepared faster and looks like part of the brand.

Who is it right for?

Businesses that manage social media with their own team but cannot keep their visuals consistent, newly opened brands that want to look tidy from day one and companies that have renewed their corporate identity and want to carry it onto social media benefit most from this work. In sectors that post often, such as restaurants, cafes, studios, clinics and retail, the contribution of a template system is felt sooner.

Post design: posts that stop the scroll

In the feed, your post appears among dozens of accounts and ads the person follows. A good post design is distinct enough to stop the scrolling thumb, yet consistent enough to show it comes from the same family as your brand’s other posts. To strike this balance, we set a layout that suits each content type.

Single-image posts

In posts made of a single image, such as an announcement, a product introduction, a quote or an info card, you need to decide whether the message goes inside the image or in the caption. The text written over the image should be short, give a summary that can be understood without reading the caption and leave the detail to the caption. During post design, we make sure the image and the text complete each other instead of repeating each other.

Carousel posts

Carousel posts made of several frames suit explaining a process step by step, showing different angles of a product or sharing a list. The first frame works like a cover and should make people want to swipe; the last frame can end with a close that says what to do. A line, color or visual that continues across frames invites the user to the next frame. Keeping the number of frames to what the content needs also helps hold the viewer’s interest to the end.

Typography and hierarchy in post design

Using at most two typefaces and a few text sizes in a post makes the message read quickly. We define levels such as headline, subheading and small note from the start; that way every post design reads in the same order. Keeping the logo small and calm in the same corner of every post gives recognition without overdoing visibility.

The balance between product photo and graphics

For brands that sell products, a post is often built on the product photo. If the photo is strong, graphic elements should step back and carry only the headline and the brand mark. If the photo is weak or ordinary, color blocks and typography take on more responsibility. Post design gets easier when this balance is defined in the template as two different layouts, instead of being rebuilt for every piece of content.

Readability on a phone

Posts are mostly seen on a phone screen and quickly. Small text, low-contrast color pairings and crowded compositions are not read at first glance. Before a post design is approved, we try the visual on a phone, at real size and inside the feed; text that looks big enough on a computer screen often turns out small on a phone.

Cohesion in the profile grid

Someone who comes to your profile sees the latest posts together; consistent colors, text layout and photo treatment keep this view tidy. Layouts that split the grid into parts like a single big picture should be used carefully, because posts need to carry meaning when seen one by one in the feed too. Keeping in mind that visuals may be cropped in the profile preview, we keep important text and faces near the center.

Story design: vertical, full screen and short-lived

Stories fill the phone screen completely in a vertical format, are visible for a short time and are skipped quickly. That is why story design needs different rules from post design: the message should read at first glance, the top and bottom edges of the screen should be left empty and room should be set aside for interactive elements.

Safe areas

At the top of the story screen are interface elements such as the profile name and the progress bar, and at the bottom the reply field. Placing important text and the logo in these areas makes them harder to read. In story design, we gather the main message in the middle of the screen and leave the edges only for background elements. Because screen ratios change with phone models, keeping the margins a little wide helps the visual look balanced on every device.

Room for interactive elements

Interactive elements such as polls, question boxes, countdowns or link stickers are among the strengths of stories. When these elements are added afterward, they sit on top of the design and spoil the image. In story design templates, we set aside an empty area for these elements from the start; that way the composition keeps its balance when your team adds the sticker. Marking in the template which sticker goes where also removes the need to look for a spot every time.

Animated stories

Short animations, text appearing in sequence or a product shown from different angles make a story feel alive. But motion should not delay the reading of the message; because a story passes quickly, the main information should be on screen right away. In animated story design, we think of people watching with the sound off and give the message in text as well.

From story to website

A link sticker can take the person watching the story to your website, a product page or an appointment form. In this handoff, the promise made in the story and the page that opens should match. When the story design and the landing page carry the same color and headline language, the visitor understands right away that they have come to the right place.

Story series and highlights

When telling a product or an event through several stories, building visual continuity between the frames helps the viewer finish the series. Stories that should stay on the profile permanently are gathered in the highlights section, and the cover icons of this section are among the first parts of the profile that people see. We design these covers as a set consistent with your brand’s color and icon language.

Cover and profile visuals

Profile photos, page covers and video covers are the visuals that stay unchanged the longest within social media design. Although there are few of them, they are the first elements everyone who looks at your account sees. Updating these visuals when a new season or an important period begins also shows people visiting the profile that the account is alive.

• Profile image: On most platforms it appears inside a circle and at a very small size; just the symbol or a simplified version of the logo usually works better.
• Cover images: On platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube they cover the top of the page; because they can be cropped differently on computer and phone, important elements should be kept in the middle area.
• Video covers: The covers of Reels and other short videos shown on the profile directly affect the layout of the grid; a simple headline that tells the video’s topic at a glance can be used.

Platform-specific format

The same message does not work the same way on every platform. On LinkedIn, information-dense cards and a corporate tone work; on Instagram, image-led and vertical layouts; and on TikTok the video itself comes first. Social media design takes these differences into account and sets a separate layout and text length for each platform; carrying the same visual everywhere as it is can produce a cropped or unreadable result on some platforms.

Platforms’ image sizes and cropping methods change from time to time. We check the current information for Instagram through the Instagram Help Center and base the templates on these current rules when we prepare them.

Template systems: fast and consistent production

A template system is the structure that lets social media design be sustained in daily work. A well-built template makes it possible even for a team member who is not a designer to prepare a post that fits the brand. A badly built template either goes unused because it is too rigid or produces a different result every time because it is too loose.

How is a template family built?

First we list the content types that recur on your account. Then, for each type, we prepare one template in both post and story formats. A typical family can include these types:

• Announcement and news posts
• Product or service introductions
• Customer review and quote cards
• Event, opening and special-day posts
• Info, tip and frequently asked question cards
• Campaign and sale announcements

The balance between flexibility and rules

In each template, we decide what is fixed and what is variable. Logo position, margins, headline typeface and color palette stay fixed, while the photo, headline text and accent color can change with the content. Talking from the start about who on your team will edit the template and with which tool also shapes the template’s structure. Defining in advance how many lines the headline can have and how the photo will be framed lets the team work without pushing the limits.

Seasonal freshness

Using the same templates for a long time without changing them can make the profile look monotonous in followers’ eyes. The family built for social media design can be refreshed in new seasons or campaign periods by changing the accent color, pattern or photo layout. As long as the logo, typeface and basic layout stay fixed, the profile looks renewed without losing recognition.

Photography and visual language

However good the template is, if the photos placed in it are very different from each other, the profile looks scattered. Setting simple rules for light, color tone and framing brings even photos taken with a phone closer to the same family. If you need a photo or video shoot that follows these rules, we can think about that within the same plan too.

Accessible social media design

Platforms such as Instagram let you add alt text to posts that people using screen readers can hear. Giving the text inside the image in the caption as well, using enough color contrast and leaving room for captions in videos make social media design understandable for more people. These details also make things easier for anyone watching with the sound off or scrolling fast.

Example project: The Menu Cafe & Restaurant

For The Menu in Cappadocia, we brought the brand’s visual materials together under a single identity, from logo use to menu pages and from social media templates to web banners. Photos of the terrace, the view, plates and the interior also formed a shared visual language across the website, the Google profile and social media posts. Details are on the The Menu project page.

Our working process for social media design

Although every account’s needs are different, our work follows a similar order. The steps aim not just for templates that look good but for templates that can really be used in your team’s daily pace.

1. Account and identity review

We review your existing accounts, your recent posts and your corporate identity together. Which posts get more attention, which content types recur often and where the visual language falls apart set the priorities of the template system. At this stage we also look at the visual language of the accounts you take as examples or see as competitors; the aim is not to look like them but to see the area where you can stand out.

2. Visual direction and sample posts

We show a visual direction based on your identity through a few sample post designs and story designs. Presenting the samples inside a profile preview lets you see how the posts will sit side by side.

3. Preparing the template family

The approved direction turns into post and story templates for each of the content types we listed. Profile, cover and highlight visuals are prepared at the same stage.

4. Trial with real content

We try the templates with real content; a long headline, a vertical photo or a multi-line price list can push the template. We fine-tune the layout based on the problems that come up in these trials.

5. Review

After the templates start being used, we look together at which content types get more engagement. The frame at which carousel posts are dropped or the point where story series are left unfinished gives direct feedback on design decisions. We set goals together from the start and review the results regularly.

Scope of the template set

• The number of platforms used and the formats on each platform
• The number of content types that need templates
• The need for carousel posts and animated stories
• Whether you post in more than one language
• Whether regular content production is part of the scope too

Common mistakes in social media visuals

• Writing the entire caption text over the images
• Putting important information on the top or bottom edge of a story
• Using a different typeface and color in every post
• Evaluating the visual only on a computer screen
• Sharing the same visual on different platforms without checking how it is cropped
• Building the templates too rigidly and leading the team not to use them

What to share with us when starting

• Logo, brand colors, typefaces and, if you have it, a brand guideline
• The platforms you use and the account links
• A list of the content types you post often
• Examples of accounts you like and ones you want to stay away from
• The photo and video archive you have

Frequently asked questions

Which platforms is social media design prepared for?

Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube may each need different formats and ratios. We decide together which platforms to focus on based on your audience and your content plan.

What is the difference between post design and story design?

Post design is for square or vertical posts that stay on the profile permanently. Story design is for content that fills the screen vertically, is short-lived and includes interactive elements.

Can our own team use the templates?

Yes. We build the template system so that team members who are not designers can prepare content without breaking the logo, color and type layout.

Can social media design be used in ads too?

The same visual language can be used in ads too. However, ad visuals are built separately for a specific offer and goal and adapted to ad placements.

What happens if platforms change their image sizes?

Platforms update their size and cropping rules from time to time. Templates prepared with wide safe areas are usually not affected by small changes; for big changes, the templates need to be adapted.

Can we start social media design if we do not have a corporate identity?

You can, but the basic color and type rules need to be set first. If you are planning a broader identity project, preparing the social media templates after it gives a more consistent result.

Let’s build your account’s visual language together

Tell us about your accounts, the content types you post and your expectations; let’s plan the post and story system together for social media design that fits your brand. You can reach us through our contact page to request a call.