Before most of us Sydney-siders had rolled out of bed yesterday morning, the Instagram logos on our phones changed overnight to a very unfamiliar bright rainbow hue.
The new colour scheme is bold, encompassing gradient colours and minimalist design, similar to those recently embraced by Microsoft, Google and Apple.
Immediately, the logo was slammed online by critical Twitter users comparing the new logo to a gradient option offered on Microsoft PowerPoint.
Source: Twitter users are comparing the new logo to a gradient option offered on Microsoft PowerPoint.
There are two main questions to ask here.
Firstly, was there really anything wrong with the original logo in that it needed this serious overhaul? And secondly, is this a total rebranding or logo-evolution?
The reason for the change, Instagram says, is the need for a ‘the simpler design (that) puts more focus on your photos and videos without changing how you navigate the app’.
Instagram dubs it a ‘distillation of the original’. Their answer to why such a simple logo was decided on, as described by Instagram’s Head of Design, Ian Splatter, is this:
“We 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.”
I remember my advertising lecturer used to tell us that a logo redesign should not necessarily mean a rebrand, but more so a facelift of a company’s current identity. I think it’s safe to say that the rainbow logo is a complete re-brand… using the rainbow colour scheme from the old logo.
But why do brands change their logo so often? Evolution? Visual trends? An attempt to stay relevant? It seems that brands don’t want to seem outdated. In saying this, Instagram has only been in our app stores for 6 years, so why would a young company need such a drastic design overhaul? Not like we are counting, but this is Instagram’s second logo-redesign. Many people are not aware that this was Instagram’s first branded logo (below).
Source: Instagram's original logo
Google is the perfect example to use to demonstrate logo evolution. The company has switched up their logo design quite frequently throughout the years.
Source: Google's logo evolution.
So why does Google constantly change their typeface?
Google’s defence for their most recent logo change was ‘a challenge as the company aims to be easily understood on a multitude of platforms, devices and apps which didn't previously exist.’ A fair enough reason to refresh a logo.
Also a quick shout out to the rebranding and website launch of Mumbrella. The media & marketing website hasn’t updated their branding for nearly 8 years. Their new logo is a clean, non-rainbow letter ‘M’, in front of a blue gradient umbrella.
Source: The new Mumbrella logo.
Recharge publicity is another reason why brands might change up their look, and no doubt Instagram’s new logo will cause a stir. However, the company’s recent announcement of the introduction of a newsfeed algorithm will continue to attract critique of the brand.
Similar to Google, Instagram’s new logo may be to create some familiarity across all of its associated Apps. And It’s also possible that Instagram wanted to reflect their business evolution in the creation of a new logo. All in all, Instagram made a good point, ‘It is a big change for folks. It looks different but you can still use Instagram in the same way’.
Source: Logos of Instagram's associated editing apps.
Out with the old, in with the new. It may take us some time to adjust, but we welcome you, New Rainbow Instagram logo.
There are many reasons brands update their image. Maybe their website design is a little 90s. Or maybe they want to follow Instagram’s steps and move into rebranding and evolving their logo. If you or your business need a front-end development/ brand image overhaul thats one of our areas of expertise here at OnQue, so don’t hesitate to contact us at our floating office!