Most people probably don’t give much thought to the Instagram icon that greets them from their phone screen every day. But the platform is betting some users want a more personalized version of the familiar symbol — and it’s asked artists to help make that happen.
“The result is a collection of bold, original icons that bring their distinct artistic perspectives to something you interact with multiple times a day,” Instagram said in announcing its new artist-designed icons, which are available to subscribers of its new paid service, Instagram Plus.
Instagram commissioned six artists and designers to imagine new icons. Each reflects its creator’s signature style, while echoing the current symbol: a stylized retro camera rendered in vivid pink, purple and orange.
An app icon is, of course, a tiny speck in the complicated landscapes of our lives. Still, we’re spending more and more time in digital spaces, and the sights we regularly encounter in them — sometimes for years on end — become part of our visual environment. Our phone, tablet and desktop screen not only offer an avenue for self-expression, they can shape our mood.
The challenge in reworking Instagram’s instantly recognizable icon, said participating artist Haruko Hayakawa, “was finding balance between transforming the glyph into something new while keeping it recognizable.”
For her interpretation, the CG artist and creative director opted for flowers and wildlife. Titled “Garden Mode,” the symbol features a bee, a butterfly and a ladybug alighted on a square-shaped floral wreath. The interlinked flowers border another garland of blooms.
“I was given space to explore the mark from my own perspective so I ran with it,” the artist said in an interview. “I’m in a place where while I live in the insanity of New York City, I often find myself wishing I was more in nature, so I took that feeling and brought it into the project.”
San Diego contemporary artist Humberto Cruz assembled whimsical, multicolored bunnies with manga-style eyes. Atlanta graphic designer and art director Pablo Rochat went with a simple black-and-white scheme, while Zipeng Zhu’s “Dazzle” lives up to its name, with sparkly patterns and shapes, including one that resembles a shimmering disco ball. Zhu, who runs a creative studio in New York, “wants to make every day a razzle-dazzle musical.”
The designs are being welcomed with enthusiasm.
“Thoughtful design is all about creating personal connections, even through something as small as an app icon,” architect and graphic designer Natalia Rafa commented on Instagram’s post about the new feature.
Instagram has rolled out alternative icon aesthetics before, including for teen users. But in 2016, when the platform swapped its main icon from an image of a muted leather-clad vintage camera for the brighter one seen today, the internet had strong opinions. Change can rattle people, and some hated it, calling for a return of the throwback design, which is currently an option for Instagram Plus users. The New York Times dubbed the reaction nothing short of a “freakout.”
For the artist edition, however, an icon swap is up to users. Instagram says it wanted to give them something that better matches their “current vibe.” To browse options, Instagram Plus users need only long-press the Instagram icon on their home screen and decide if they’re in the mood for cartoon rabbits or spring blossoms.