The problem: In early 2025 Instagram changed the aspect ratio of images on the profile grid to a magazine style 4:5. This meant that images posted in the standard 1:1 square aspect ratio to that point looked strange when viewed in the profile view. At the ABA key stakeholders would be shown, or view our instagram in this view, making it a key way to display content internally.

The process: At first, I wanted to avoid throwing out our old library of images, as we frequently resurfaced them. I considered creating a new fork of images going forward, but that would double the work and likely cause issues where instagram had less ideal crops than the others. This led to a research process where I compared and contrasted platforms restrictions, looked at our current approach and considered a question that had been on my mind: If we broke down our current treatments for every campaign, could I build something more universal that felt better to look at on a profile grid, and by itself?

The Solution: A whole new design system that takes into account the best elements of the ABA’s brand, while being flexible enough that we could build out new treatments for campaigns that feel distinct but aligned thanks to colors and shared design language. Over the course of 2025, I brought in color options, patterns, and have built something that is quite robust, and has been very successful for audience growth, contributing to ABA social channels triple digit growth in 2025.