Does Instagram's new logo click?

A quick look at what our art and design experts have to say about it.

Recently, Instagram launched its new logo. The app is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking service. Recollect the old logo? It had a symbol of camera and Insta written on it. The new logo looks colourful, but has no symbol of camera or Insta written on it as the old logo did.

A quick look at what our art and design experts have to say about it.

Bhupal Ramnathkar, founder, Umbrella Designs

Let's be honest, if you've got something good going on, don't destroy it! When you replace a well-designed and familiar icon, with a simple camera, and call it the symbol for the world's most-used photo app, you have to realise that sometimes change is not the answer! The old logo was iconic and core to Instagram, it stood for instant photos and so did the Polaroid camera in the old logo. The new logo even though modern and minimal, loses out on this core thought that is Instagram's USP. The old logo was an iconic symbol, you see it and instantly recognise it, which is what any good logo does. The new logo feels like any other halftone graphic. In fact, if you unlock your phone right now, you'll find that the logo is very similar to the iTunes logo. So, good luck finding it!

Amrita Chowdhury, president, DY Works

The new Instagram logo, while framing a sunset in modern adaptation along with an abstract rendition of the lens shutter, may not stand out in a sea of app icons on a user's screen. The older Instagram logo was extremely distinctive. At the design level, it cleverly built in old instamatic camera image with the colour spectrum to signify multiple storytelling styles. The lens, almost in 3D, was evocative and brought nostalgia. The square shape was retro modern. It cued in nostalgia, but in a chic modern way. The apps across app-stores are growing exponentially. The old Instagram logo allowed users to distinguish the app in a sea of similar-looking logos.

Hence, while the company is aiming to bring in modernity and diversity, the new logo makes it lose its distinctive edge. It will blend in with other icons. The new logo is certainly modern and colourful. There are many app icons in blues or greens. So, the shaded orange will look different. But, it will also lose its immediate recognition factor. The very fact that the old logo was analog in design, with a hint of digital, made it stand out on the phone screen.

Ashwini Deshpande, founder, director, and practice head, Elephant Design

That Instagram wanted to change as its community was changing is a fair reflection that it cares about its users. But then, it did this clipart rainbow, which is a complete let down. As a brand designer, I have never seen a visual identity going from unique to non-distinct and something that can be easily missed, in one single stroke. But, that's what has happened here.

It's like you are used to seeing someone in classic cool and love them for that. And then, they suddenly turn up in neon spandex... like for everyday!

The old identity had so much going for it. It was so meticulously detailed down to the leather texture on camera case and the tiny rainbow stripes. It was a piece of craft with a soul.

I am sure the new one also has been crafted well from the point of pixels and visibility. But, it hasn't managed to retain the soul.

The new user interface seems friendlier. However, I don't see the relation between the logo and interface. I find the logo rather loud saying 'notice me'. I fail to see why visibility has over-ridden all else when it wasn't an issue with the old logo in the first place. Don't fix what ain't broke.

I wonder if GAP will happen to the new Instagram logo. I am sort of hoping.

Jaideep Mahajan, national creative head, Rediffusion-Y&R

In an attempt to make itself more social, it has jeopardised something so primal about it. This logo can be of any camera app, there's no story to it. The old logo was a character of your life, the new one is a button on your device. Anything that's a square is user-friendly on mobile. But, shouldn't a logo be much more than that?

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