Instagram's new logo: A controversial wordmark change

Instagram's New Wordmark

Instagram has unveiled a new wordmark, moving away from the recognizable cursive typeface it’s used over the last decade. The updated wordmark is a strange mix of half-cursive, half-print that’s somehow less legible than its predecessor. Like, that totally says “Instagzam,” right?

“The wordmark at the top of the app hasn’t changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh,” Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced on his account. “Cleaner and more modern, with references to the original and the simplicity and craft that’s always made it Instagram.”

Mosseri is seemingly aware that this will be a controversial change, because he also posted it to his Threads account to “see what the hot takes might be.” Instagram’s design account on Threads also showed off some of the other typefaces the team explored — many of which are more legible than the one the platform settled on. Plenty of commenters have already flagged that the updated version looks like it says “Instagzam,” but the general consensus otherwise is difficult to parse, with some users mourning the loss of the now iconic cursive wordmark.

Why the Change?

According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, the decision came down to time. “The wordmark at the top of the app hasn’t changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh,” he announced on his account. He described the new design as “cleaner and more modern, with references to the original and the simplicity and craft that’s always made it Instagram.” This rationale points to a desire to honor the platform’s heritage while shedding the visual weight of a decade-old typeface. The new wordmark, which blends cursive and print styles, is meant to evoke that foundational simplicity. However, the execution has raised eyebrows; many commenters have noted that the updated version appears to read as “Instagzam,” a legibility issue that seems at odds with the stated goal of a cleaner aesthetic. Mosseri appears to anticipate the backlash, as he also posted the update to his Threads account to “see what the hot takes might be,” acknowledging the risk inherent in such a significant brand shift.

Public Reaction and Alternatives

Mosseri is seemingly aware that this will be a controversial change, because he also posted it to his Threads account to “see what the hot takes might be.” Instagram’s design account on Threads also showed off some of the other typefaces the team explored — many of which are more legible than the one the platform settled on.

Plenty of Instagram and Threads commenters have already flagged that the updated version looks like it says “Instagzam,” but the general consensus otherwise is difficult to parse. Some users are mourning the loss of the now iconic cursive wordmark, while other responses — many of which look suspiciously written by bots — are a jumble of positive affirmations and emoji-vomit.

I don’t personally think it has the same charm, but I’ll leave the rest of you to be the judge of that.

Author's Take

I don’t personally think it has the same charm, but I’ll leave the rest of you to be the judge of that. This is a controversial change, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri seems aware of it, having posted the new design to his Threads account to “see what the hot takes might be.” The updated wordmark, which moves away from the recognizable cursive typeface used over the last decade, is described by Mosseri as “cleaner and more modern.” Yet, for me, that rationale often translates to “boring and more like everyone else’s branding,” as the source article puts it. Plenty of commenters have flagged that it looks like it says “Instagzam,” and while some users mourn the loss of the iconic cursive, other responses look suspiciously like bot-written affirmations. Ultimately, the general consensus is difficult to parse, so I’ll simply note that this refresh lacks the charm of the original and let readers form their own conclusions.