Instagram, the hugely popular online mobile photo sharing social media network (now owned by Facebook), recently introduced its newest application called Layout. This creation tool is decidedly standalone (which means it is separate from Instagram's flagship photo sharing app), and is designed to enable users to create collages out of the photos they took using their mobile devices. Of course, they can then share those photo collages through Instagram or Facebook.
Since photography was invented, people have always been fond of building collages. In the social media age, collage-making is as popular as ever and shows no sign of slowing down. Indeed, the folks at Instagram surmise that for every selfie nut out there, there is a corresponding collage fanatic. The wide range of collage apps available today are certainly evidence that people are using mobile software tools to build their own photo mashups. Apps like Pic Stitch, Pic Collage, InstaCollage, and PhotoGrid are just a few examples. These apps basically function in similar ways -- they provide users with blank photo grids to choose from, and then users fill those grids with their own photos, along with text elements and stickers.
Instagram's Layout may be joining in on the fun only now, but it is far from being just a knock off. It actually tries to provide a new and more fun way of building collages. Instead of providing blank photo grids, the app employs a different approach -- it lets users view their Camera Roll first. The purpose here is to let users choose which photos they want to include in making their collage.
As the customers pick the photo they want to use, the app provides previews of custom collage layouts at the top of the screen. Users can choose a maximum of nine photos on Layout, and each time users tap and add another photo, the collage layout options automatically change to reflect the new photos to be added. When users finish selecting images, they can browse through the presented layout options and choose whichever one they like best.
Another cool feature of the Layout app is the Faces button located at the bottom of the screen. People can use this feature to filter their Camera Roll and only show images that show faces in them.
Then there is also the Photo Booth button. When users tap this button, the Layout app activates a countdown timer, and then captures a series of photos that it automatically generates into a collage layout.
For now, the Layout app only works on the iOS platform. But Android users should have their own version in the next few months.
