Instagram stands out as one of the most popular social media platforms in the world with millions of users. This platform, which was first released in 2010 and later acquired by Meta, has managed to attract attention with its innovative features and visual-oriented structure.
The logos of social media platforms are very important for memorability. At this point, Instagram’s logo also attracted a lot of attention with its design, colors and the message it reflected. In this content, we will discuss the change of the Instagram logo from the past to the present.
Change of Instagram logo from past to present
Instagram has changed its logo several times so far. But he never gave up on the camera shape that represents the identity of the platform. This is because the camera represents the platform’s focus for sharing photos. So, let’s move on to the change of the Instagram logo from the past to the present.
2010: Polaroid camera
The first logo that Instagram used was a front view of the Polaroid camera. Designed by Kevin Systrom, one of the founders of the platform, this logo clearly conveyed the message that Instagram is focused on photo sharing.
However, it can be seen that there is a small text on which the name of the platform is written. This logo of Instagram may have looked a little bad to you. However, it should be noted that; In accordance with the trends of the period, it was considered a very impressive and beautiful logo by the standards of that time.
2010: Revamped Polaroid camera
Instagram achieved significant success in the same year and started to be used on thousands of phones. The founder of the platform, Kevin Systrom, thought that the logo he designed did not have a professional look.
The Instagram team decided to work with an outside expert for a more professional logo design. He signed with designer and photographer Cole Rise, a close friend of Kevin Systrom. Rise, on the other hand, appeared before the company with a more minimal and simple design compared to the first logo.
The second logo featured a rainbow stripe and the inscription “INST” written using a sans-serif font. This font and rainbow stripe are placed in the upper left corner of the logo. In the upper right corner of the logo was a second camera. This represented the selfie trend that was just beginning to spread at that time.
2011: Brighter colors
When we came to 2011, there was no revolutionary change in the Instagram logo. The platform’s logo was still in the shape of a Polaroid camera, and the overall design was largely preserved. But fine details stood out.
While the third logo of Instagram, which you see above, was designed, the logo was made more vivid by making light tones in the colors. In addition, minor changes were made to the shading. Of course, these did not go unnoticed.
2016: The minimalist logo that we all remember
In 2016, a revolutionary change was made to the Instagram logo. So much so that a more minimalist design was adopted. The logo used a blue-orange-pink transition tone. Also, the Polaroid camera image has been removed and replaced with a minimalist illustration representing it.
The fourth logo of Instagram, designed by Mackey Saturday, gave the brand a more modern and simple look. This logo was also an important source of inspiration for the logos of other social media platforms at that time.
2022 – present: The current logo
There was no significant change in this logo, which was designed in 2022 and used today. Only the blue color used in the background took on a simpler tone, while the pink and yellow colors became more vivid and bright.
Cynthia Pratomo, Creative Director of Instagram, explains this design as follows;
In a spirit of innovation and discovery, we approached the evolution of design and came together with a mindset of global typographers, artists and creative technologists to push our boundaries. Together we filled it with a new energy and expressiveness while preserving the best of the brand.
Cynthia Pratomo
Companies are constantly updating their logos in order to be in line with the trends of the period and to keep their brands up to date. Logos representing a brand are very important to present an innovative look. In this direction, social media platforms are constantly changing their design.
So what do you guys think about this issue? How do you find the current logo of Instagram? You can share your views with us in the comments section below.