Redesigning Instagram for people who use eye gaze devices.
My Role
Product Designer
What I worked on
Research & Prototyping
My students who use eye gaze devices wanted Instagram accounts. We created them, but quickly discovered:
The Problem
Instagram's interface is not designed for everyone.
More specifically, for people who use eye gaze assistive technology (AT).
Instagram wasn't compatible with my student's devices. Even through browsers that were compatible (Google Chrome), Instagram's tiny buttons and cluttered layouts made it unusable. I knew something had to change.
Background
What is an Eye Gaze Device?
A speech generating tool that allows users to communicate and navigate computers using only their eye movements. A camera tracks where the user is looking on the screen, enabling them to select items and navigate applications hands free.
About the size of a standard laptop, these devices are designed to be portable and practical for everyday use. The device pictured above is the Tobii Dynavox TD I-Series, one of the most commonly used eye gaze devices. Learn more about the TD I-Series specifications and features.
Who Uses These Devices?
Eye gaze devices are designed for people with physical disabilities who cannot use traditional keyboards and mice, such as:
Amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Cerebral Palsy
Brain injuries
Eye gaze devices make it possible to surf the web, open applications, and much more.
User Pain Points
The Current Instagram Experience & Its Challenges:
Key Challenges
Hover interactions that don't work with eye gaze control
Small clickable targets that are hard to select accurately
Complex navigation requiring precise movements
Solutions
The Design Approach
Large, clear navigation buttons (120x120px)
Dwell-based interactions (200ms timing)
Simplified, focused layouts
The User Flow
The Home Page
Users can dwell on large buttons to navigate - eliminating the need to precisely scroll through small icons.
Browsing Feed
Reduces visual complexity and provides direct access to like/comment actions.
Dwell Feature
Dwell timing allows users to activate buttons simply by looking at them for 200 ms. Visual feedback shows the selection process, making the interaction predictable and comfortable.
Browse
Browse
Browse
The Home Page
Users can dwell on large buttons to navigate - eliminating the need to precisely scroll through small icons.
Browsing Feed
Reduces visual complexity and provides direct access to like/comment actions.
Dwell Feature
Dwell timing allows users to activate buttons simply by looking at them for 200 ms. Visual feedback shows the selection process, making the interaction predictable and comfortable.
Browse
Browse
Browse
The Home Page
Users can dwell on large buttons to navigate - eliminating the need to precisely scroll through small icons.
Browsing Feed
Reduces visual complexity and provides direct access to like/comment actions.
Dwell Feature
Dwell timing allows users to activate buttons simply by looking at them for 200 ms. Visual feedback shows the selection process, making the interaction predictable and comfortable.
Browse
Browse
Browse
The Home Page
Users can dwell on large buttons to navigate - eliminating the need to precisely scroll through small icons.
Browsing Feed
Reduces visual complexity and provides direct access to like/comment actions.
Dwell Feature
Dwell timing allows users to activate buttons simply by looking at them for 200 ms. Visual feedback shows the selection process, making the interaction predictable and comfortable.
Browse
Browse
Browse
Impacts and Next Steps
Success Metrics (How I'd Measure Success)
Unfortunately, I am no longer working with these students, but here's how I'd love to validate this design:
Reduce task time
Target: 50% faster posting
Increase independence
Target: 80% unassisted use
Improve satisfaction
Target: 4.5/5 usability rating
What I'd Test Next
Validation Plan
Usability Testing with eye gaze device users
A/B Testing button sizes and dwell times
Long-term engagement tracking
Learnings & Reflection
What I learned:
Accessibility isn't just about compliance - it's about empowering users to express themselves authentically.
What I'd do differently:
Include more diverse disability perspectives in research and collaborate with other assistive technology experts earlier.
Redesigning Instagram for people who use eye gaze devices.
My Role
Product Designer
What I worked on
Research & Prototyping
User Pain Points
Background
Instagram wasn't compatible with my student's devices. Even through browsers that were compatible (Google Chrome), Instagram's tiny buttons and cluttered layouts made it unusable. I knew something had to change.
The Problem
Instagram's interface is not designed for everyone.
More specifically, for people who use eye gaze assistive technology (AT).
My students who use eye gaze devices wanted Instagram accounts. We created them, but quickly discovered:
A speech generating tool that allows users to communicate and navigate computers using only their eye movements. A camera tracks where the user is looking on the screen, enabling them to select items and navigate applications hands free.
What is an Eye Gaze Device?
What is an Eye Gaze Device?
About the size of a standard laptop, these devices are designed to be portable and practical for everyday use. The device pictured above is the Tobii Dynavox TD I-Series, one of the most commonly used eye gaze devices. Learn more about the TD I-Series specifications and features.
Who Uses These Devices?
Eye gaze devices are designed for people with physical disabilities who cannot use traditional keyboards and mice, such as:
Amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Cerebral Palsy
Brain injuries
Eye gaze devices make it possible to surf the web, open applications, and much more.
The Current Instagram Experience & Its Challenges:
Key Challenges
Hover interactions that don't work with eye gaze control
Small clickable targets that are hard to select accurately
Complex navigation requiring precise movements
Solutions
The Design Approach
Large, clear navigation buttons (120x120px)
Dwell-based interactions (200ms timing)
Simplified, focused layouts
The User Flow
The Home Page
Users can dwell on large buttons to navigate - eliminating the need to precisely scroll through small icons.
Browsing Feed
Reduces visual complexity and provides direct access to like/comment actions.
Dwell Feature
Dwell timing allows users to activate buttons simply by looking at them for 200 ms. Visual feedback shows the selection process, making the interaction predictable and comfortable.
Browse
Browse
Browse
Impacts and Next Steps
Success Metrics (How I'd Measure Success)
Unfortunately, I am no longer working with these students, but here's how I'd love to validate this design:
Reduce task time
Target: 50% faster posting
Increase independence
Target: 80% unassisted use
Improve satisfaction
Target: 4.5/5 usability rating
What I'd Test Next
Validation Plan
Usability Testing with eye gaze device users
A/B Testing button sizes and dwell times
Long-term engagement tracking
Learnings & Reflection
What I learned:
Accessibility isn't just about compliance - it's about empowering users to express themselves authentically.
What I'd do differently:
Include more diverse disability perspectives in research and collaborate with other assistive technology experts earlier.
AccessibleInstagramforEyeGazeUsers
Redesigning Instagram for people who use eye gaze devices.
My Role
Product Designer
What I worked on
Research & Prototyping
The Problem
Instagram's interface is not designed for everyone.
More specifically, for people who use eye gaze assistive technology (AT).
My students who use eye gaze devices wanted Instagram accounts. We created them, but quickly discovered:
Instagram wasn't compatible with my student's devices. Even through browsers that were compatible (Google Chrome), Instagram's tiny buttons and cluttered layouts made it unusable. I knew something had to change.
Background
User Pain Points
What is an Eye Gaze Device?
A speech generating tool that allows users to communicate and navigate computers using only their eye movements. A camera tracks where the user is looking on the screen, enabling them to select items and navigate applications hands free.
About the size of a standard laptop, these devices are designed to be portable and practical for everyday use. The device pictured above is the Tobii Dynavox TD I-Series, one of the most commonly used eye gaze devices. Learn more about the TD I-Series specifications and features.
Who Uses These Devices?
Eye gaze devices are designed for people with physical disabilities who cannot use traditional keyboards and mice, such as:
Amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Cerebral Palsy
Brain injuries
Eye gaze devices make it possible to surf the web, open applications, and much more.
The Current Instagram Experience & Its Challenges:
Key Challenges
Hover interactions that don't work with eye gaze control
Small clickable targets that are hard to select accurately
Complex navigation requiring precise movements
Solutions
The Design Approach
Large, clear navigation buttons (120x120px)
Dwell-based interactions (200ms timing)
Simplified, focused layouts
The User Flow
The Home Page
Users can dwell on large buttons to navigate - eliminating the need to precisely scroll through small icons.
Browsing Feed
Reduces visual complexity and provides direct access to like/comment actions.
Dwell Feature
Dwell timing allows users to activate buttons simply by looking at them for 200 ms. Visual feedback shows the selection process, making the interaction predictable and comfortable.
Browse
Browse
Browse
Impacts and Next Steps
Success Metrics (How I'd Measure Success)
Unfortunately, I am no longer working with these students, but here's how I'd love to validate this design:
Reduce task time
Target: 50% faster posting
Increase independence
Target: 80% unassisted use
Improve satisfaction
Target: 4.5/5 usability rating
What I'd Test Next
Validation Plan
Usability Testing with eye gaze device users
A/B Testing button sizes and dwell times
Long-term engagement tracking
Learnings & Reflection
What I learned:
Accessibility isn't just about compliance - it's about empowering users to express themselves authentically.
What I'd do differently:
Include more diverse disability perspectives in research and collaborate with other assistive technology experts earlier.
