Netflix Keeps Logo, But Unveils New Icon: Did It Learn From Instagram's Mistake?

Lauren Keating, Tech Times 21 June 2016, 11:06 pm

Users on Netflix's social pages on June 20 have probably noticed a change in the company's profile photo. However, before the internet starts freaking out, Netflix has not redesigned its logo.

Instead, the streaming service unveiled a brand new icon that will be used specifically for other reasons.

"We are introducing a new element into our branding with an N icon. The current Netflix logo will still remain, and the icon will start to be incorporated into our mobile apps along with other product integrations in the near future," a Netflix spokesperson told Tech Times in an email.

Everyone is familiar with the flat Netflix logo that features the company's name in red letters against a fading white to gray background. While simple, it is extremely familiar at this point, making it one of those iconic brand logos.

While the logo will remain the same, the company has decided to also incorporate a new and more modern-looking icon to also represent the brand. This new logo features a red letter "N" that flows like a ribbon against a black background and stands more vertically instead of horizontally, perfect for fitting inside an app icon box.

The new logo gives some dimension and movement so that it's more visually appealing, especially as an app icon. However, the app icon is currently the same as the logo and will be changed to the new one in the near future. For now, the logo appears on Netflix's Facebook and Twitter accounts, but the company will still use its logo for press materials and the like.

Introducing a new icon does not mean there is an app redesign in the works, since nothing has been announced.

Maybe Netflix wants to slowly introduce a new look for some of its products to create a design that is more appealing, without freaking out its users. Let's face it, the Netflix logo as an app icon has a bit of a dated look, so it was time for a change.

@nikhilwad Not a new logo! The N is an icon and a new creative element to live with our logo. The current Netflix logo is here to stay :)

— Netflix US (@netflix) June 20, 2016

@J_Mendoza8 We just got a new 'do- keeping it fresh. Our logo isn't going anywhere, the icon is just a new piece of our overall look. — Netflix US (@netflix) June 20, 2016

There's a good chance that the company learned how important not changing a logo can be after the whole Instagram meltdown. Instagram received lots of backlash after releasing a new logo with its app redesign that is so different from the icon logo with which everyone was so familiar. Instagram chose to ditch its brown and tan color scheme for pinks and yellow — like a setting sun, but at least Netflix's app and social media "N" icon looks like it still has the Netflix feel to it. This new icon is more stylish without being in the user's face like Instagram's. Paradoxically, while the new Instagram logo is so loud it tends to get hidden on a smartphone's home screen, the Netflix one feels like it will still stand out against the pack of other installed apps. This is not the first time Netflix made changes to its appearance. In 2014, the very old-school Microsoft Word effects-like text with shadow was eliminated to make way to the now flat and simple design.

In other Netflix news, some subscribers reported having service issues and complained on Twitter after, presumably, their Orange is the New Black season 4 binge got disrupted. The company addressed the issue and said it was working on it, with the streaming service up and running by Monday night.