Instagram Updated With Brand New Icon and Flat Design

[MacRumors]

Instagram has been updated today with an all-new colorful icon, moving away from its iconic brown and beige logo that still had an iOS 6-style skeuomorphic design, long after many popular developers have since adopted flatter aesthetics.

"Today we're introducing a new look," the company wrote in a blog post. "You'll see an updated icon and app design for Instagram. Inspired by the previous app icon, the new one represents a simpler camera and the rainbow lives on in gradient form."

The app itself has also received a major redesign with a flatter black and white appearance in line with the overall look of iOS 9. Instagram says "the simpler app design puts the focus on your posts and keeps your features in the same place."

Instagram is free on the App Store for iPhone. The version 8.0 update should be rolling out worldwide for all users today. Instagram's other apps Layout, Boomerang, and Hyperlapse have also received new icons.

Article Link: Instagram Updated With Brand New Icon and Flat Design

 

[Joseph C]

Can I have some of what the designers were taking when they chose to make and approve that icon?

The old icon was iconic. Should have been flattened to this:

 

[captain cadet]

I just wanted it flattened

 

[Paradoxally]

Terrible. How are you going to have a colorful app icon (that looks bad) with a black and white app color scheme? The icon should be consistent with the app's color scheme.

Pinterest - red icon, red/white
Twitter - blue app icon, blue/white
Facebook - blue app icon, blue/white
Instagram - tutti frutti app icon, black/white....mess.

 

[smacrumon]

Hmmm. When the Facebook clan gets involved...

 

[Dydegu]

That icon looks like something you'd see for a cheap knock-off photo app. Older icon was great.

 

[Xavier]

Poor Instagram. It used to be a lot more fun.

 

[mbh1976]

Can I have some of what the designers were taking when they chose to make and approve that icon?

The old icon was iconic. Should have been flattened to this:

View attachment 630908

Like x1000
[doublepost=1462976431][/doublepost]That icon is terrible! (new UI is great)

 

[designaholic]

Can I have some of what the designers were taking when they chose to make and approve that icon?

The old icon was iconic. Should have been flattened to this:

View attachment 630908

Agree with you. The new icon is incredibly boring and indistinct. They have also updated their Hyperlapse and Layout apps to the same low standard. Uninspired, simplistic brain dead design.

 

[lazyrighteye]

That is an excellent flattening of their original (and yes, iconic) logo.
Instead, they went to a "looks like everyone else's flavor of the moment" aesthetic.
Seems so short-sighted. Shame.

 

[Montymitch]

They're throwing away a lot of brand equity by tossing the old iconic icon for a generic neon gradient. There is nothing about the new design that references IG. I guess it makes sense--IG has gone from a quirky, photos only app to a generic, nearly advertisement only app.

 

[JosephAW]

Nobody will recognize the new one. Everybody will still use the old one. Don't they understand the term "branding"?

 

[Joseph C]

The UI looks perfectly ready for a system dark mode in iOS 10 (wonder if this app will be in the Keynote?) but the icon... it's disgusting, almost demands a petition!

 

[KoolAid-Drink]

Hate the new icon AND the new layout. I missed the blue header bar; it's what made Instagram so iconic.

 

[vmachiel]

 

[Paradoxally]

Like x1000
[doublepost=1462976431][/doublepost]That icon is terrible! (new UI is great)

The new UI is horrible imo, both icon and inside.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

The old icon was iconic. Should have been flattened to this:

View attachment 630908

Was. It's dead. To move things forward you need to more aggressive than your half-way design. But the new icon is hideous.

 

[SMIDG3T]

Poor Instagram. It used to be a lot more fun.

"Used to be a lot more fun"? The functionality hasn't changed, just the colours.

 

[Paradoxally]

"Used to be a lot more fun"? The functionality hasn't changed, just the colours.

It has ads now. No thanks.

 

[Jessica Lares]

Ehh. The background is a sunset, and it's an outline of the original camera without the Polaroid stripes. It works across all platforms, which is what they were probably aiming for.

 

[macduke]

My icon disappeared after the update…

 

[Paradoxally]

My icon disappeared after the update…

Even iOS can't deal with that mess, and rightly so.

 

[Macrolido]

Instagram is no longer the funny app that used to be. Too sad.

 

[Futurix]

Same concept as the icon for Flow (unofficial Instagram client for iPad)
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/flow-for-instagram/id766462439?mt=8

 

[mcfly88]

The outline of the camera is fine... but that color scheme, yikes.

edit - Why didn't they use this version? So much better! For whatever reason their twitter image uses this one.