15 Instagram Accounts to Follow for Mind-Melting Inspiration

Instagram is by far my favorite social network because it truly is what you make of it. The ability to curate a feed of exactly the type of media you want to see makes it one of my favorite places to go for inspiration. It’s also the greatest when I want to stay up on the latest from my favorite designers.

Here are some of mine and my fellow BMSD’ers all-time favorite accounts right now. These are people who are absolutely killing the Instagram game! If you look to Instagram for Insta-inspiration like I do, start by following these super talented men and women.

@lincolndesignco

This Agency out of Portland uses Instagram as a way to showcase its portfolio pieces and identity work, often posting in suites of threes for a deeper look at the project.

@jcrivera

BMSD Designer Todd loves the feed of local Street artist Jc Rivera, better know as “The Bear Champ.” His cuddly often disgruntled looking bears can be spotted all over the city and are making their way onto the walls of some of the most notable offices, restaurants and hot spots. It’s fun to follow along on this Instagram feed to see his latest projects, from little doodles to vinyl toys to major murals and cool collabs with other artists.

@hamiltonwoodtype

If you are lucky enough to have visited the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum in person, you know it’s a treasure trove of typographic inspiration from a by-gone era. If you haven’t been lucky enough to visit, Hamilton’s Insta-feed brings the museum to you!

@houseindustries

House Industries is famous for its eclectic font collections and beautifully curated online shop. House’s fresh takes on classic type styles is a perfect blend of the old and the new.

@nopattern 

This recommendation is from Josh, our senior copywriter. This is the type of account you can get lost scrolling through for hours.

“I heard No Pattern speak at a HAVAS panel during Social Media Week and have since been continually impressed by how both he and HAVAS integrate, design, social media and brand recognition. Also his photography is dizope.” 

@pilar_zeta

Another Josh pick!

“Pilar Zeta is a creative director, designer and record label owner. She does a lot of work for musicians, most notably Coldplay. Her style is super wild, mixing ancient symbolism, strange ‘80s vaporwave symbology and all kinds of cosmic stuff. Whenever one of her posts comes through my feed, its nearly always guaranteed to get liked.”

@thedesignkids

This account shares the work of talented designers all over the globe. The Design Kids is an online resource for student and graduate graphic designers. They put out great content aimed at helping young-guns get inspired, get connected and get hired.

@draplin

Aaron Draplin is one of the most influential designers working today. His work is smart, clean, bright and a little retro. His simple personal philosophy “Do good work, for good people.” is evident is everything he shares and creates. He is also one of the few accounts I’ve seen that utilize a distinctive frame around all posted photos to further enhance his signature look.

@designsponge

Our copywriter Anna loves Design Sponge, a quintessential home style blog. “Their Instagram is full of really aesthetically pleasing images—everything from interiors to typography to textures and color palette inspiration.”

@gemmacorrell

Anna also gets inspiration and laughs from Gemma Correll, a self-proclaimed infamous anti-socialite and pug lady. “She’s an illustrator who makes me laugh and frequently say, ‘yes. That is me.’ She has a very distinct style that she sticks to, so you always know her stuff when you see it. Plus, her wordplay and puns make me laugh and keep me thinking about fun ways to use words.”

@frenchpaperco

At BatesMeron, we are die-hard paper lovers. Of all the stellar paper brands we love, French Paper Co. really takes the cake when it comes inspiring designers. Two parts eye-candy and one part how it’s made, they continually work with amazing talent to create exciting promotion materials and share beautiful projects people make with their paper. Their feed also gives us a glimpse into the paper-milling world with beautiful photographs of their process and machinery. 

@youngjerks

Young Jerks is a studio I have a major crush on right now. Their trendy work can be spotted all over Pinterest, with beautiful logos, super fun typography and recognizable illustration style.

@joncontino

Jon Contino is a New York designer and illustrator with a distinct and delightful style. His work is gritty and displays influences of historical New York, contemporary street art and the lost art of hand-drawn lettering.

@youbringfire

Scott Biersack is another killer illustrator and type designer with amazing hand-lettering skills. He also has a passion project called Skate Letters, where he sells skateboard decks with beautiful hand-painted typography on them. I love this example of using multiple squares to make a bigger picture.

@stevewolfdesigns

Austin-based designer and illustrator Steve Wolf has an impeccable knack for creating compelling logos, unexpected color palettes and for creating the type of design that just makes you smile. It’s minimal and shape-driven, and just so good.

As you’ve probably put together by now, I really love accounts that have a distinct style, harmonious colors and get creative within the confines of the platform. What are some of your favorite accounts for inspiration? Tell us in the comments below or head to our facebook page to join the discussion!