Instagram Defends New Logo After 'Instagzam' Memes
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- Instagram rolled out a new wordmark on Aug. 13, its first logo change in a decade, which drew immediate user mockery over the cursive 's' looking like a 'z' (dubbed 'Instagzam')
- Jasmine Probst, Instagram's director of product design, told Variety the new mark is 'simpler and bolder' while retaining a 'handmade feel' and preserving the warmth users love
- Probst said the team gathered external feedback through multiple rounds and 'very much take input to heart,' but stressed balancing research with 'creative conviction'
- May Hartono, Instagram's director of brand design, co-led the redesign alongside Probst, supported by a small core team of internal designers and cross-functional partners
- On Meta brand alignment, Probst said the Instagram refresh 'fits well in concert with the broader Meta ethos' while remaining focused on Instagram's community
- Probst described the redesign's emotional goals as 'creative expression, quiet confidence, the warmth of something crafted with care'
Why it matters: Instagram hadn't refreshed its wordmark in 10 years despite the platform's enormous evolution, making this a rare brand-identity moment. The design team publicly framed the change as community-driven and feedback-informed, yet the immediate reception was dominated by memes — a reminder that logo refreshes now unfold as participatory public spectacles where the discourse often outruns the design itself.
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