Last week, Instagram users noticed that the app icon had become much brighter at random. Well, now we know why – it’s all part of Instagram’s biggest brand change in years. But it seems that the Internet is broken by the new look of the platform.
Instagram, owned by Meta, has revealed a new visual identity that includes a new custom typography and the brightest logo mentioned above. Perhaps the most notable change is the brand new word, now represented in “Instagram Sans” typeface. (Looking for more inspiration? Check out the best free fonts.)
The old icon (left) vs the new (right) (image credit: Instagram / Future owns)
Instagram says (opens in a new tab) that the update is designed to help the platform “create more immersive and inclusive experiences.” In a blog post, the company divides the brand change into three basic areas:
- The gradient is reimagined with “vibrant colors to make it feel bright and alive, and to signal moments of discovery.”
- The new font, Instagram Sans, is “designed with Instagram’s legacy in mind and includes multiple global scripts.”
- The new design and layout system is “content-forward and celebrates creativity, simplicity and self-expression.”
Instagram Sans (image credit: Instagram)
We’ve already seen the tweaked icon (designed by Rose Pilkington (opens in a new tab)), which seems to blind some users. But now they have given us a much more complete view of the new brand identity. “Instagram Sans (opens in a new tab)” is a fun new typeface based on what Instagram calls “lovingly” “squirrel” – the rounded square of its logo. Typography is also available for use in stories and reels.
The evolution of the word brand Instagram (image credit: Instagram)
But the most notable use of the font is in the brand new font (above). Replacing the “handwritten” style that has been around for a long time than Instagram, the brand new word is a much more contemporary issue, and considering how long we’ve had to look at the latest, I’m a fan of it.
But on this other social media platform, reactions are mixed. Yes, Twitter, as Twitter does, is sharing its feelings about the new look, and the answers range from loving it to not loving it.
I hate the new Instagram font, which works with UI / UX back there May 20, 2022
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why does instagram insist on giving us the ugliest fonts that exist? what is this new source May 17, 2022
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ok, it wasn’t completely sold with the new gradient, but this new Instagram font is 👁️🫦👁️ 24, 2022
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And the answers to the new icon have been circulating for a few days now. “I’m going to have to reduce the screen brightness for this,” complains one Twitter user (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab), while another adds: “The new Instagram is very oversaturated. Gross. ” And many users have shared iOS screen recordings that seem to have issues with the new icon: when you close the app, the icon seems to fall apart between the old and the new design.
You can learn more about branding in the detailed Meta case study. In the meantime, if you want to improve your Instagram game, check out these top 10 creative Instagram tips.
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