Instagram testing minimalist black and white design

Unlike other social media platforms, Instagram's layout is known to have stayed the same since its inception. With other platforms changing their look from time to time, Instagram has continued to use the realistic camera as its icon.

This is all set to change however, as signs suggest the app may be modernising and moving away from its original orange and blue aesthetic, and adopting a more minimalist black and white layout.





Screenshots surfaced on social media showing the redesign of the app, which show an increased use of white space and some redesigned icons throughout the app.

The camera icon, should the layout go ahead, closely resembles a camera rather than the square with a circle inside it. The notifications feed would also be represented by a heart, instead of a heart inside the dialogue box we see now.



It is still unclear whether the design will be rolled out, but would give the app a more modern feel which is perhaps, less distinctive than the current version.



"We often test new experiences with a small percentage of the global community," an Instagram spokesperson told The Verge. "This is a design test only."

Just last month, the popular photo sharing app made video sharing a lot more interesting by increasing its video length to 60 seconds. Compared to the 30 second videos previously available on the platform, the minute-long videos enable users to share more elaborate mini-documentaries.

Many took to Twitter applauding the new design.

Instagram appears to be testing black and white interface in its smartphone app https://t.co/stOplOXxA9

— David Papp (@DavidPapp) April 26, 2016

https://twitter.com/ainahilator/status/725165444366106624

Instagram may be testing a flatter, black and white design https://t.co/Q1V9Ykr8aS via @Mashable #TECH #CBPR pic.twitter.com/BXe5gfdz7N

— celiablack (@celiablack) April 27, 2016

I love the new look on Instagram, this black and white design is so clean!!! 🔥

— Pulane (@PulaneMota) April 27, 2016

Some however, were not pleased with the new layout.

https://twitter.com/doney/status/725073439195811842
https://twitter.com/IndieKidHit/status/725228454656905216

This article originally appeared on The Verge