Grid design
Social media design by platform: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
Graphic design and trends
The same post does not look the same on every network. A square that looks great in an Instagram feed feels tiny on LinkedIn, while on TikTok, buttons and descriptions cover it from all sides. That is why a visual made for one network should not simply be copied and pasted to others.
In this guide, I will walk you through the four networks that clients manage most often: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. For each, I explain what formats exist, what the audience expects there, and where the most common mistakes are made. If you are interested in the actual process of creating a post, from a blank canvas to the finished file, I have described that in a separate text, while here I will focus on the differences between networks.
What is the same on all networks
Social media design has two jobs: to make you recognizable and to make the message understood effortlessly. If posts look like each other in terms of colors, fonts, and photo style, a follower knows the post is yours even before reading the profile name. If there is one clear message on the image, even someone who lingers only for a moment will understand it. This applies everywhere, regardless of the format.
The basics are therefore the same for all four networks: 2 to 3 fonts, a palette of 3 to 5 colors, one main message per post, plenty of white space, and high-quality photos. I explained these principles and the entire process in the guide how to make a post step-by-step, so I will not repeat them here.
Three things change from network to network: the format (aspect ratio and areas covered by the interface), the tone (how relaxed or professional the post is), and the role of the text on the image itself. The rest of the text is about that.
Instagram: feed, carousel, Story, and Reels
On Instagram, a profile is viewed as a whole. Anyone who visits your profile first sees the grid of posts, and only then opens individual ones. That is why it pays off to plan ahead here.
Planning the feed and post grid
Plan several posts ahead. In planning tools like Planoly or Later, you can see how future posts will look next to each other before you publish them.
Choose a simple rhythm. Alternating between a photo and a text post, or using the same editing style for all photos, is enough to make the profile look tidy. Complex puzzle layouts made of multiple posts look nice, but they fall apart as soon as you skip a single post.
Check how the post looks in the profile grid. It is displayed cropped there, so keep the headline and face in the center, away from the edges.
Carousel
Use a carousel (a post with multiple images) when you have a story, instructions, or a product that needs to be shown from multiple angles. The first image carries the heaviest load: it must clearly say what it is about, as whether someone swipes further depends on it. Keep the same layout on the remaining slides so the reader doesn't have to find their bearings anew on each one.
Story and Reels
Vertical format: everything is done in a 9:16 aspect ratio, across the full screen of the phone.
Safe zone: the profile name and buttons are at the top, and the reply field or description is at the bottom. Keep key text in the center of the screen.
Interactive elements: if you plan a poll, quiz, or question, leave empty space in the design for that element.
Movement: even a slight animation of the text makes a Story livelier. For Reels, on-screen text is useful because a portion of the audience watches without sound.
Formats and measurements
Instagram states that it displays photos up to 1080 pixels wide, so there is no point in exporting wider files (Instagram Help Center). Square and vertical formats are used for the feed, and vertical 9:16 for Story and Reels. Supported aspect ratios change from time to time, so get the exact measurements from the pre-made format in the tool you are working in. How to set them up is explained in the dimensions section of the post creation guide.
Facebook: cover photo, posts, and ads
On Facebook, posts are more often accompanied by a longer description, and the visual often leads to a link: to a website, event, or offer. The design should therefore be clear and calm, leaving the details for the post text.
Cover photo
The cover photo is the first thing a visitor to the page sees. Use it for one message: what you do or what is currently relevant. Facebook states that the cover photo is displayed at 851 x 315 pixels and must be at least 399 pixels wide and at least 150 pixels tall (Facebook Help Center). It is cropped differently on mobile phones, so keep text and logos in the center, and leave the edges for the background.
Link posts
When you share a link, Facebook automatically pulls the image from the page the link leads to. If that image is not properly set up on the website, the preview looks bad, no matter how good the design of other posts is. Before sharing, check what the preview looks like and correct the image on the page itself if necessary.
Facebook ad visuals
With paid ads, every unclear visual costs money, because you pay for impressions that don't bring anyone in.
Clear call to action (CTA): it must be clear from the visual and text what follows after the click, for example "Book an appointment" or "See offer".
Little text on the image: the former rule of maximum 20% text no longer acts as a restriction, but in my experience, ads with a single short message on the image perform better than those with a paragraph. Write the rest in the description.
Multiple formats of the same ad: the ad is displayed in both feed and Story formats, so prepare a vertical and a square version instead of letting one get cropped.
LinkedIn: professional tone and content meant to be read
LinkedIn is a network where people read with a professional goal in mind. Design here serves to showcase expertise, so the tone and content are different from Instagram.
Calm appearance: clean lines, moderate colors, and readable fonts. A playful style only makes sense if it is part of your brand identity elsewhere as well.
Data and processes: a chart, a short infographic, or a display of steps in a process perform well here, as people come for useful information.
Multi-page document: a post in the form of a PDF document that can be flipped through does the same job as a carousel on Instagram. Keep one thought and large text on each page.
Quotes and tips: these can also be placed here, but with the person's name and position, and in the company's visual style.
Employees also frequently publish on LinkedIn from their own profiles. If you give them two or three templates in the company's colors, the posts will look connected even when they are not created by the same person.
TikTok: design is the entire video
There is no static post in the classic sense on TikTok. Design here consists of framing, on-screen text, and pacing.
Vertical video: shoot and edit in a 9:16 aspect ratio. TikTok's ad specifications list vertical 9:16 as the recommended format, with a resolution of at least 540 x 960 pixels (TikTok Business Help Center).
The beginning: the first frame should immediately show what the video is about. An intro sequence and a full-screen logo only delay the content.
On-screen text: short, large, and displayed long enough to be read. It also helps those who watch without sound.
Safe zone: icons for likes, comments, and sharing are on the right side, and the video description is at the bottom. TikTok offers downloadable safe zone templates for ads on the same help page. For regular posts, the safest bet is to keep text in the middle.
How to adapt one visual for multiple networks
You don't have to create a new design for every network. It is enough to adapt one idea, in this order:
Create the main visual for the network that is most important to you.
Make a copy in the format of the other network and rearrange the elements. Do not just stretch or crop the image.
Adjust the amount of text: more can fit on LinkedIn, while in Story and TikTok formats, only a headline works.
Check the safe zones on your phone before publishing.
Write the post description separately for each network, as the tone is not the same.
Where to start
If you are just setting up your social media presence, start with one network where your audience is and create a few templates for it. Once you get the hang of it, adapt those same templates for the next network. Colors, fonts, and logos remain the same; only the format changes.
A practical example is the work on Instagram campaigns for MerchKing.
If you don't have time to set this up yourself, I offer social media design services: templates and ready-to-use posts in your visual identity, tailored to the networks you manage. Get in touch with me and let me know which networks you use and what currently takes up most of your time.
Can I use the same design for Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn?
You can use the same idea, but not the same file. Formats vary, so a visual made for an Instagram feed might end up cropped or shrunk elsewhere. Create one master visual, then adapt it: change the format, shorten or expand the text, and make sure nothing important is too close to the edge.
Do I need a professional designer for social media?
Not always. With a tool like Canva and a few good templates, you can manage your profile on your own. A designer makes sense when you need to set up a visual identity and templates from which you will later create posts yourself, or when you are preparing ads in which you are investing a more serious budget.
How can my visual identity be consistent across all networks?
Create a basic brand book, even if it's just on one page: primary and secondary colors, 2 to 3 fonts for headings and body text, and rules for logo usage. Also, add a photo editing style. Formats change from network to network, but these elements remain the same.
Do I need to be present on all networks?
You don't have to. It is better to properly manage one or two networks where your audience is than four halfway. For B2B services, this is usually LinkedIn; for products and local services, Instagram and Facebook; and TikTok makes sense if you are ready to record videos regularly.
How often should I change the design of my posts?
There is no strict rule. Keep the core brand elements (colors, fonts, logo) the same, but feel free to change the formats and layouts. An occasional seasonal or themed series refreshes the profile without losing brand recognition.
Senior UX/UI and product designer from Belgrade, with more than 10 years of experience. He has collaborated with clients such as MerchKing, Bex courier service, Balkan Group, Maeti, 502 Solutions, DataWiz, and many others. He holds Google and Adobe specializations and a Uxcel certification in UX/UI design.