Redesigning Instagram for Eye Gaze Device Users
Billi Aspinwall
Redesigning Instagram for people who use eye gaze devices.
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's an eye gaze device?
An eye gaze device is 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 Injury
Eye gaze devices make it possible to surf the web, open applications, and much more.
The Current Instagram Experience & Its Challenges:
Key Challenges:
As depicted above, the current instagram layout makes it difficult for eye gaze device users to utilize it, for many reasons including:
Hover interactions that don't work with eye gaze control
Small clickable targets that are hard to select accurately
Complex navigation requiring precise movements
The User Flow
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Posted Dec 5, 2025
Redesigned Instagram for eye gaze device users.
