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Instagram's story swipe and tap protocol

Instagram has had Stories for a while now, but many users might still not use this feature much. For users new to viewing Stories, Instagram displays a quick menu of the finger actions required to successfully navigate the Stories feature.

Why this is really good UX:

  • Instagram accompanies text with visual illustrations of each finger action, which help clarify what is required in each motion. While simple, they aid the user in visually absorbing the new information.
  • The screen is kept minimal in design so that the main focus is on the instructions. A short list of white text and illustrations against a dark grey background work here because it's straightforward.