Going behind Instagram’s new logo

Facebook’s Million Dollar baby is out with a new flashy logo. Replacing its vintage camera icon with a “colourful doorway,” Instagram built its new logo basis its users’ fondness for the rainbow, lens, and viewfinder – the app’s key identifying points.

“With this insight, we decided to translate these elements into a more modern app icon that strikes a balance between recognition and versatility,” revealed Instagram in a blogpost.

The blog further explains that while Instagram had evolved as the one stop spot for editing and uploading pictures, however, the logo didn’t reflect the diverse community that now used upgrades such as Boomerang and Layouts.

“We started with the basics, removed ornamentation, and flattened the icon. And we arrived at a brighter, flatter option,” read the blog. Nonetheless, it still didn’t feel right.

The team then started working on the insights that people loved the rainbow and the camera lens was a key visual element. As a part of our process, they also asked people at the company to draw the Instagram icon from memory in 5 seconds. Almost all of them drew the rainbow, lens, and viewfinder.

The solution here was to use the rainbow and camera lens as bridge. “We decided to translate these elements into a more modern app icon that strikes a balance between recognition and versatility,” the blog further described.
As a part of the package, Instagram also updated the icons for Boomerang and Layout.

The next change was in the Instagram UI. The photo-sharing app stripped the color and noise from surfaces where people’s content should take centre stage, and boosted color on other surfaces like sign up flows and home screens.

Is it a winning stroke?

Like any legendary logo redo, Instagram raked mixed reviews for its colourful splash. According to a report by The Wallstreet Journal, Tim Nudd, Creative Editor, Adweek called it a “Travesty.” In contrast, various designs blogs have gone ahead and lauded the change.

“Instagram has been making a lot of changes off late, but this one comes out to be the most noticeable one. The new logo is simple and brighter than the erstwhile “retro” logo and the interface looks much cleaner,” said Swati Nathani, Co-Founder & Business Head, Team Pumpkin.

Twitter took no time to express its views on the bright new Avatar of Instagram.

Meanwhile, this new Instagram icon is destroying my home screen aesthetic.

— JT Welsch (@jtwelsch) May 12, 2016

How the new Instagram logo was made. pic.twitter.com/cYVaA6slu9

— UH-OH MONKEY (@UhOhMonkey) May 12, 2016

not sure yet about that new #instagram update ?

— #prettymofo (@cezarblvck) May 12, 2016

The new log comes close on the heels of Instagram’s announcement of adapting an algorithm based feed. While the news didn’t really go well with its users, it seemed to statistically work well for the platform, especially, to battle it out with Snapchat.

Let’s see what the new logo has in store for Instagram.

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