Is the Instagram update picture perfect?

Instagram has today unveiled its new look logo, leaving the iconic image of the retro Polaroid camera in its wake.

Ironic when you think about it, the Polaroid camera being left behind for something jazzier…

The new logo is a simplified version of the camera, with the rainbow living on in gradient form. Head of design at Instagram, Ian Splater explained the new design in a Medium Post, “We realized we needed to move past a rendered camera to get a flexible, scalable glyph…after a lot of refinement, we landed on a glyph that still suggests a camera, but also sets the groundwork for years to come.”

With the visual nature of the app, of course colour is going to be a really important part of a new design. Moving away from browns and creams of the original design the whole space is taken up with a bolder range of pinks, purples and oranges.

The updated palette is said to represent the community that gives Instagram it’s ‘life and colour’ with the stories they tell through the imagery they share. Everything from style inspiration, to a lunchtime sandwich set up and sharing adventures from around the world.
Inside the app, not much has changed, there’s a new muted black and white design which aims to help photos and videos stand out more, Instagram has said “it’s simpler and cleaner, putting the focus on users photos and videos”.

This is the second time the app has shaken things up, they caused a stir at the end of March with a new look feed. Did you notice the many posts reminding you to ‘turn on post notifications’? This was because the Instagram was leaving the chronological timeline behind, following in the footsteps of Facebook and displaying what it thinks you want to see first.

In the office I think it would be safe to say we’re of the same mind-set, there were comments buzzing around that “it looks like a washing machine!” and “if I didn’t know it was Instagram I wouldn’t know what it was for”. Yes, but isn’t that the point? With over 400 million users everyone does know what Instagram is and I’m sure they could all find it on their phones with their eyes shut, redesign or not.