Instagram’s Unforgettable, Yet Forgotten Rebranding Success
When Instagram unveiled a new logo in the spring of 2016, the entire Instagram world was in chaos. As for myself, I had trouble finding the app and thought my mom had deleted it off my iPhone because of my addiction to it, but that wasn’t the case. It had a completely new look and initially I hated it, just as most people my age feel with any new update to our beloved phones. If you forgot what changes Instagram went through, here’s a quick look:
The app’s entire look has a new vibe and people were not loving it. When Sensor Tower analyzed 740 reviews of the rebrand they found that 70% were negative. Yet while everyone was hating on the rebrand, it was also becoming a success.
The New Look
Instagram’s new minimalistic look may have not been loved, but it quickly became one of my favorite new logos. Although Instagram’s previous Polaroid-styled logo was iconic and perfect for the original app, it has since become outdated.
Their new modern camera with a rainbow gradient background screams “less is more,” which correlates to their goals for user experience. An easy logo for an easy-to-use app, it couldn’t be more suitable.
What They Did Right
Designs That Reflected the Updated App
Instagram is no longer a simple photo-sharing app; it represents much more, so the old logo needed to go. A Polaroid camera represents one thing: photos, but Instagram isn’t just photos anymore. The new look needed to match the growing app.
Another big design change would be the different color palette within Instagram. Before the change, Instagram’s token color was blue, but now everything is in black and white.
“While the icon is a colorful doorway into the Instagram app, once inside the app, we believe the color should come directly from the community’s photos and videos.”
— Ian Spalter
This design change also helped better the user experience. With more focus on your photos, a feeling of importance rises. And who doesn’t like feeling important?
Their Heightened UX Focus
The decision to focus on user experience instead of just rebranding an outdated logo was a smart move that many companies should take into account.
People want the easiest and fastest EVERYTHING, whether it’s cars, the Internet, or navigating through an app, everyone wants the best. So updating their app to be geared towards users’ needs was a MUST. The app was easier to use, so their suite of sub-brands, which were not on my radar prior to the rebrand, could stand out.
The Direct Communication with Users
Another successful component would be the communication that Instagram had with its users. The Head of Design, Ian Spalter, posted an article explaining the design process and the reasoning behind it. Instagram was able to keep some of the chaos under control by addressing its users directly and answering pressing questions.
The Outbreak of Conversation
Although “any press is good press” is controversial, I think it fits Instagram’s rebrand perfectly. Everyone was shocked by the new logo, but it created a thread of discussion that overpowered our lives. Everyone was talking about Instagram’s rebrand regardless of whether they were positive or negative comments. The controversy ultimately led to its success and, as a bonus, was free word-of-mouth marketing.
Lessons Learned
By focusing on the things their users craved, Instagram turned a shocking rebrand into a major success. Its logo didn’t represent Instagram as a whole anymore, so they built one that did. User experience is key to the success of a brand, so focusing on it while rebranding can make a major difference. And if you’re communicating the reason for your changes, you’re on the road to success.
