Instagram Logo: History and Evolution

Are you on Instagram? – Is the first question many of us ask when we meet someone new. After all, Instagram is currently one of the top and most used Social Media platforms.

Though there still is Facebook, the photo-sharing platform has slowly made its way out of the herds of competitor platforms and grasped the attention of the masses thanks to its one-of-a-kind photo-sharing structure.

It is hard to imagine a world without Instagram. A world without fancy filters or the umpteen selfies. Today, we discover friends, follow our favorite personalities from across the globe, and share our life instances with ease on Instagram. Not just that, even businesses are pivoting their attention towards Instagram due to its high number of users. Through Instagram, it has become extremely easy for companies to promote their products to a vast audience. All they need is a registered Instagram business profile.

All of this is because we have completely moved to the digital world in the past few years. Be it for work, leisure, or entertainment; we automatically grab our smartphones.

Though many other photo-sharing platforms have debuted before and after Instagram. What makes Instagram stand out? Does the Instagram Logo play a role in promoting the app to its users?

History of Instagram

In 2010, Kevin Systrom started Burbn, an app to connect people around the globe by publicizing their check-ins whenever they traveled to somewhere new. In just two weeks since its launch, Burbn helped Systrom earn a whopping amount of $500,000 funding from a venture firm. In the same year, he met and collaborated with Mike Krieger and created a new and creative app “Instagram,” a platform where people will be able to upload and share pictures of their daily lives. 

In October 2010, the photo and video-sharing social media application was launched on Apple’s mobile operating system, following eight weeks of development. Less than two years later, Facebook (FB) acquired the company for $1 billion.

Compared to its parent company Facebook, Instagram is a much easier platform to share and develop content, connect with other users with a click or download videos with ease.

Today, Instagram not only boasts of sharing photos but also videos in its feed. The IGTV and Instagram reels features soon became an instant hit among users. Launched in 2016, the Instagram story is another feature with the most support from users and businesses. With Instagram stories, you can be connected and share memorable snippets of your daily life with your friends, family, and followers, which disappear after 24 hours.

As of 2023, Instagram has about 1 billion monthly active users and about 500,000 million daily active users worldwide.

In October 2016, Instagram had about 500 million monthly users meaning about 18% of the user base visited the app each day. Today, over 50% of users interact with the app daily due to the incredible features that have been introduced over the years, 

In the growth of Instagram as a well-loved and one of the most downloaded social media platforms – Instagram Icon plays a significant role.

History of the Instagram Icon

Since its inception, the Instagram logo has gone through a few design revamps. But, most people are only aware of the last two design changes. Why? Because the first logo design change happened right after the launch of the app.

It’s safe to say that Instagram’s logo laid the foundation for its success. Each Instagram logo version is modeled after an instant camera, reflecting the network’s key designation – sharing photographs.

Here’s a lookout at all the changes the Instagram logo has gone through,

The Original Instagram Logo: Knock off Polaroid camera

Kevin Systrom, the co-founder, designed the original Instagram logo. He had wanted the logo to represent what Instagram stood for – a photo-sharing application. Thus, he chose a polaroid camera design with a rainbow stripe running through the middle.

The design icon looked unique and made the brand stand out in the crowd of other social media platforms. Though the logo stayed in use for just a few months, it was a great beginning of the iconic cam logo era.

The Second Instagram logo

Given their understanding that Instagram was not going to be just a photo-sharing app and might grow into something much more, Kevin and his team chose to go with the assistance of designer and professional photographer Cole Rise, who designed the new Instagram logo inspired by Bell & Howell’s camera style from the 1950s.

Before this logo, there was a new Instagram Logo designed, but it was changed soon. Also, the change between these two designs was minute. The previous design was flatter than the current logo, and the rainbow stripe too was thinner than now. Explore the Instagram highlight covers at All Time Design.

This design was much loved and was the official Instagram logo until 2016 when the team chose to change it again.

The Current and New Instagram Logo

When Instagram rolled out its third logo, the internet was in splits, as many users felt that the logo was not related. The changed logo in 2016 was completely different from its predecessors.

Designed by designer Robert Padbury, the new design was just an outline illustration of the previous logo’s polaroid camera. The rainbow stripes were also removed from the logo in the new design.

Despite the backlash, there was no change in the minimalist logo design. Check ou the guide for how to find contacts on Instagram.

But if we look closely, the said elements that we thought were gone are still in the new logo. These elements have been simplified into the new icon: the rainbow stripes now live as the three-color gradient, while a dot and circle represent the viewfinder and lens. Also, the logo still represents a camera, staying true to the brand’s roots.

Modern trends in graphic design are reflected perfectly in this minimalist icon.

Apart from the logo’s trademark color, there are also a few other color options that the new Instagram logo uses.

Design Elements of the Instagram Logo

The company has decisively managed to keep up with the changing trends throughout the years while also not losing on its roots while changing its logos.

Still, each of Instagram’s logos has received a positive response from the public, but the new logo was far from anything positive. In their defense, the graphic design trends change a lot every few years, and this time, the minimalism and flat icons took over. And many companies have turned over to changing their logo to keep up with the trend.

We can conclude that the shocking change Instagram exposed us to was a great business and design decision. In retrospect, the app’s logo was actually ahead of everyone else and almost set the trend for subsequent branding. You can easily view Instagram without account.

Instagram’s second logo designer, Cole, shared his thoughts during the launch of the new icon. His point of view is definitely true not just for this app but for any other company changing its rebranding: “It’s like the Uber redesign – at first people freaked out, but now it’s totally fine.”.

Logotype & Color

With the changing insta logo, the logotype, too, had seen a subsequent change. An essential part of logo design is the choice of appropriate fonts, especially when the wordmark is prominent or stands alone. For example, in the case of Instagram, the wordmark is regarded as an integral part of the graphic.

The cursive script used in the Instagram logo was custom-designed to order by the graphics design agency Mackey Saturday. It is determined by a much smoother design resembling well-lettered calligraphy and was used to create the second iteration of the wordmark in 2013.

The font style of the logo is similar to popular typefaces like the Billabong Regular, the Bluestar Regular, and the Avangard Regular, which have rounded letters with smooth edges and soft lines, designed to be elegant.

2010

The original wordmark included a handwritten cursive typeface in black, with each letter well-balanced and having a fun feel.

2013

The social networking site changed its typeface and color scheme again in 2013. The brand removed the curves in the letters “I” and “G,” and changed the font color to sea-blue, making the Instagram wordmark look more professional.

2015

There was little difference between the 2015 and 2011 versions of the wordmark. There was only a change in the color palette, switching from sea-blue to a deeper shade of the same color, and the lettering was untouched. 

2016 – Present

The current version of the logotype is similar to the previous version. However, the online platform has switched back to its original color, black, as opposed to its previous counterpart. Additionally, the font type looks more professional in this color and complements the badge. Check out the finest guide for how to change background on Instagram story.

Final Thoughts

Easy to remember, logos make life easy – not just for the brand but also for the users. Thus it is imperative that you have engaging, fun, and intriguing logos that make users remember your product.

These types of modern and interactive logos are encountered everywhere. After all, a good logo cannot be neglected, lost, or forgotten by the masses.

And Instagram does this the best way. Be it the app version or website. Plus, Instagram does not need to go over a separate advertisement plan for its promotion since the colorful logo and its popularity is already enough to gain the audience’s attention.