When a big brand changes its visual identity it draws a lot of opinion, especially when it is a popular photo application. So when Instagram announced its logo change we asked some of our visual branding experts at CTP what they thought. The company says its community has evolved but how about the look?

“They simplified their logo, which was long overdue. They needed it. But I think they went too far. The design of the old camera was dated but at least it was unique and ownable. The new camera shape is much cleaner, simpler and flatter, but in simplifying the shape, they lost their uniqueness. The new camera looks like a generic camera mark you’d find on The Noun Project or Google Images.” – Chris Dunn, Art Director

“The new logo glyph does a good job of bringing IG and its peripherals (Boomerang, Layout, and Hyperlapse) closer together. It does seem to be a bit general for branding, feeling like an icon more than a logo, but I’m for it. I think it will open a lot of doors to a more flexible brand identity moving forward as they continue to expand their toolset.” – Jonathan Schoeck, Senior Art Director

“I waited for what felt like a decade for Instagram to change its logo so that the app icon might match the rest of my beautiful flat iOS app icons. But now it loses the vintage camera, which was truly the essence of the Instagram filter empire, as well as the perfect retro rainbow that made it so love-able.” – Kara Day, Art Director

What do you think? We’d love to hear your opinion.