Instagram’s Redesign — New Icon and UI

Earlier this week Instagram introduced a redesign with a colorful new app icon and a not so colorful, black and white, user interface. This is the first time Instagram has updated their icon since launch in 2010.

The icon is updated from the skeuomorphic camera icon to a flat design with rounded corners and a brightly colored purple, pink, yellow, and orange gradient. The new icon, inspired by the original, features a simpler camera design and the gradient representing the iconic rainbow.

Here’s what Instagram says about the new icon, “The Instagram community has evolved over the past five years from a place to share filtered photos to so much more — a global community of interests sharing more than 80 million photos and videos every day. Our updated look reflects how vibrant and diverse your storytelling has become.”

While the new icon is bursting with color, the user interface has been updated with a simple black and white design, no longer competing for attention with what’s being shared. The blue bar at the top has been replaced with a plain white bar with black text / icons. The square buttons at the bottom have been simplified with borderless black icons.

This design puts focus completely on the content without altering the app’s workflow, as the user will still navigate the app the same way.

What are your thoughts on the newly designed Instagram icon and user interface?

Video Link: https://vimeo.com/166138104