This past May, Instagram did the unthinkable, the unimaginable, the shocking—they updated their software to version 8.0. Gone is our beloved retro brown camera logo, replaced instead with a gradient rainbow that looks suspiciously similar to an old Microsoft background (see stage left). Like saying goodbye to an old friend whose presence is comforting and familiar, Instagram users now find themselves overwhelmed with emotion as they frantically search for the app among the hundreds of other brightly-colored icons crowding their phone screens.
While many others covered the change immediately after its initial inception, we here at Green Group Studio needed a moment to get out of our feelings—and let the internet’s uproar settle down into a gentle purr of resignation—before we decided to address them.
Instagram’s New Logo
While compared to a majority of other apps that updated their logos back in 
2013 (spurred by Apple’s release of IOS7), Instagram’s 8.0 update made them the latest app to jump onto the proverbial bandwagon and embrace a flat design logo. Instagram’s head designer cited the change as a “reflection of the apps evolution.”
Instagram’s designers’ major struggle though (like most companies attempting to rebrand) was in keeping the recognizable and nostalgic elements of the original logo, while creating a new logo that embraced the colorful community that inspires them. The iconic rainbow is now visible in the gradient background of the icon, while the camera is inferred with simplistic shapes. Designing a new logo that successfully encompasses the passion and viewpoint of an established brand is an art that requires a deep understanding of the company’s culture, as well as where they want to position themselves in the future. To learn more about logo design, CLICK HERE.
Instagram’s New User Interface
Instagram’s changes didn’t just stop with their logo, the inside of the app received something of a major makeover as well. Instead of a blue bar spanning the top, the app is now extremely minimalistic with its black and white layout, void of any ornament that could potentially detract from users’ posts. This change is said to be caused by a desire to put more focus on user-uploaded images and videos, allowing them to take center stage.
Although the appearance has changed, the functionality has remained the same—allowing users to navigate the app as they always have. To learn more about App Development Services, call today at 561-594-7336.
The Final Stage: Acceptance
After watching the initial rocky introduction of the 8.0 Instagram update, and then the sudden cooling down, we picked up on something rather interesting about the company’s approach. In addition to shocking us with a new logo and UI, Instagram announced its decision to implement a feed based on an algorithm (similar to Facebook).
While some users were privy to the update back in May, the rest 
of us had to wait until the end of June (anxiously hoping that the next update wouldn’t make us this features latest victim). This upgrade would create a non-chronological feed that would show users the most popular posts on their feed, or what Instagram thinks you will be the most interested in, before the newest posts.
We suspect that even the thought of an impending update to their feed was enough to distract most people from Instagram’s rebranding efforts, allowing for an unintended acceptance of the company’s changes. Touché Instagram, touché!
In the end, Instagram users will get used to the new logo, user interface, and feed—just as they’ve done with every update before it. Instagram’s rebranding is a message of hope to all companies interested in an evolution of their own, it is possible to successfully rebrand your company! To learn more about Green Group Studio’s Rebranding Services, CLICK HERE or give us a call at 561-594-7336!
