Instagram’s wordmark is encountered billions of times each day. It carries enormous cultural and emotional importance. It also needs to perform across an increasingly complex ecosystem of products, platforms, and experiences.

Redesigning one of the world’s most recognizable wordmarks presents a unique contradiction: every change matters, yet too much change risks losing everything that made it renowned in the first place. At the same time, the new wordmark needed to establish a closer relationship with Instagram’s iconic glyph and wider brand identity—creating a visual system that felt unified without sacrificing the distinct character of either asset.

To create something new, we first had to understand what people already loved.

The original Instagram wordmark spoke to the era of early mobile apps—designed to convey personality and nostalgia. Its quirky flourishes and bespoke handcrafted characteristics made it unique and memorable. Despite countless shifts in technology, culture, and visual trends, it had outlived most identities designed in the same era. That longevity felt significant.

Working alongside the Instagram team, we explored hundreds of variations. We studied handwritten forms, calligraphic gestures, and the subtle imperfections that make human expression feel authentic. Every curve and connection was scrutinized. The process became one of calibration: how much could change and still be remembered?

Here, Instagram’s recognition lends a unique advantage; an opportunity to evolve the brand with great intention, and some measured liberties. For example, the distinct, simplified ‘r’ in the ‘gr’ ligature was refined to recall the original script and build a new iconic feeling for the brand.

The future of Instagram’s identity could not be designed purely through optimization. It had to feel authored.

The final challenge was ensuring the mark felt like it had always belonged.

The redesigned wordmark was built to work across the entirety of Instagram’s ecosystem—from product experiences and global marketing campaigns, creator programs to new apps from Instagram. It also established a closer relationship with the Instagram glyph, allowing both marks to operate as part of the same visual language.

Designed to celebrate the creativity of the community, the new wordmark builds upon its legacy. It preserves the familiarity and recognition that billions of people associate with Instagram, while reintroducing the humanity, personality, and expression that had always existed at its core.

It's a new mark with old memories. One that upholds Instagram's heritage of creativity: setting up the brand to continue growing along with its community for years to come.