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Instagram is testing a new black-and-white design

Instagram is testing a new black-and-white design

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So fresh and so clean

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Of all the major social platforms, Instagram has evolved the slowest. (Insiders might say "the most thoughtfully.") Long after the rest of the world has moved away from skeuomorphism, Instagram continues to use a realistic camera as its icon. But there are signs that the app is modernizing: new screenshots show Instagram moving away from its blue-and-orange aesthetic into plain old black and white.

Tipster Anton Abramov sent us screenshots from the redesign, showing an increased use of white space and some redesigned icons throughout the app. The camera icon has been changed from a square with a circle inside it to something more closely resembling a camera, and the notifications feed is now represented by a heart, instead of a heart inside a dialog bubble.

instagram redesign

The result is a design that feels more modern, but also perhaps less distinctive than the current version of the app. It's unclear whether the design will roll out more broadly. "We often test new experiences with a small percentage of the global community," an Instagram spokesman told The Verge. "This is a design test only."

So long as Instagram is soliciting feedback, what do you think? Is the new design an improvement over the original?

Instagram black-and-white design test

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