Instagram rolls out controversial new logo after decade-long change

Instagram has taken a hit online after quietly swapping its logo this week. The Meta-owned app introduced its first new design in ten years, yet many users are rolling their eyes at the change.

Company officials insist the move represents a forward-looking evolution that reflects individuality. Jasmine Probst, Director of Product Design at Instagram, explained that referencing personal expression felt right for them. She noted the new wordmark is bolder and simpler while keeping unexpected touches in mind. The design aims to cue individual expression and a personal voice which have always been core to the platform's identity.

May Hartono, Director of Brand Design at Meta, added that this refreshed system puts community creativity front and center. Her team spent time exploring hundreds of directions before settling on their current choice. They looked at all-caps options, camera concepts, and even literal handwriting sketches. The final pick features a rounded font with fewer letters joined together compared to the previous iteration. Hartono said the design is meant to spark courageous action and give people confidence to show up as themselves freely.

However, the public reaction has been mostly miserable. Across social media platforms, users claim the new logo is difficult to read because the letter r looks like a z. One person on X asked if everyone was reading it as InstagZAM right now. Another user joked about how growing up they thought the Disney logo said Disnep instead of Disney.

Critics are not holding back their opinions either. Some simply state the new design is ugly while others call it an absolute abomination. One commenter suggested the old logo had charm but the new one looks like a startup for a hipster coffee brand. They even questioned how much money people get paid to make corporate logos uglier these days.

The mockery spread quickly as other brands joined in by posting their own fake versions using Instagram's font. ChatGPT, McDonalds, and KitKat were just a few companies that participated in the fun. KitKat specifically wrote that one thing will never change which is the importance of having a break.