Hey, have you noticed something's changed on Instagram? No, it's not a new feature or a feed redesign. It's something smaller, but if you're the type to notice these details, you probably saw it as soon as you opened the app. That name in italics up there, the one you've been seeing for 10 years without anyone touching it, has changed. And as expected, the internet already has its opinions on it in a matter of hours. It was announced by none other than Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, this Thursday. He posted it on his account with a photo of the new design and a pretty simple explanation: he described the new logo as cleaner and more modern, with references to the original and the same simplicity as always. No three-paragraph corporate spiel, just that. Note: it's not the logo, it's the signature. The camera icon with the color gradient, the one you have on your home screen, is exactly the same; that one wasn't touched. What changed is the wordmark, that is, the word “Instagram” written at the top when you open the app and browse your feed. It’s the signature, not the logo/icon. The two are often confused because we colloquially refer to both as “the logo,” but they are different things. That cursive signature had been there since 2016, when Instagram underwent its major rebranding and left behind the retro camera icon we all remember from its early years. Since then, that handwritten font was practically untouchable… until now. And who created Instagram’s original signature? This fact struck me as the most “did you know” of this whole story, and I thought it was interesting to share. The cursive font we knew until yesterday wasn’t created by an algorithm or a faceless branding committee. It was designed by a typographer named Mackey Saturday back in 2013, seeking a balance between a fresh look and the familiar style that millions of users already recognized. Basically, that cursive stroke you grew up seeing at the top of your Instagram screen has a name and surname behind it. The new version retains the handwritten feel, but blends cursive strokes with more print-like features: the curves are less ornate, and the letters are easier to read when the logo appears small, which is how most people actually see it, in the top bar of their phones. The joke that's here to stay: “Instagzam” As with any self-respecting logo update, the public reaction came almost as soon as Mosseri posted it. The specific problem lies in how the “r” is drawn; many people think it looks like a “z,” and that's how the meme that's sticking with Instagram for a while was born. In the comments of his own post, one user summed up the feelings of half the internet with a simple “Oh yeah, Instagzam.” And from then on, it was a festival: people swearing they were saying "Instagwam" (like a baby would pronounce it, according to some comments), and even someone joking that Guam (the Pacific island) was finally getting its due with the fanciful "Instaguam." Typical internet stuff, I guess. Brands like Metricool also jumped on the bandwagon with humorous comments about the extra work that awaits whoever manages the community and has to update Canva assets. Because yes, for anyone who works in digital marketing or social media, these kinds of changes mean extra hours updating templates, brand kits, and style guides. However, although the initial buzz on social media was mostly mockery, it wasn't unanimous. From experience, we know that in a year nobody will remember the old logo, because, for example…do you remember what ours looked like before the rebranding? That's how our eye works with these things; we get used to them incredibly fast. Although those of us who are nostalgic still remember the little Polaroid camera in the Instagram logo, Instagram is preparing a makeover. According to the Meta blog, they're working on a broader overhaul of Instagram's entire visual system: new fonts for the whole platform, including an updated version of Instagram Sans, as well as a new handwritten font called Instagram Pen and Instagram Mono. In other words, what you've seen today is probably the first chapter of a larger visual identity update that will gradually appear in layouts, animations, and even the overall look of the app. For now, Instagram hasn't confirmed whether the rollout of the new wordmark is global and immediate or if it will arrive regionally and in stages, as with previous redesigns. So if you haven't seen the new signature yet, don't worry: it's just a matter of time.