In the world of social media giants, there’s often more to a name than meets the eye. Take Instagram original name, for instance. What we now know as the platform synonymous with stunning visuals and viral trends had a rather different identity in its early days. Before the filters, likes, and influencers, Instagram was first known as ‘Burbn’ – a name that might not ring a bell, but certainly has an interesting story behind it.
The inception of Burbn was intertwined with the taste for Kentucky whiskeys held by its creator, Kevin Systrom. Drawing inspiration from his appreciation of the distilled spirit, Systrom crafted a location-based iPhone app that mirrored the success of Foursquare. However, Burbn was a mixed bag of features that left users scratching their heads. The app’s complex nature and convoluted functionalities made it more befuddling than beneficial. But Systrom wasn’t about to throw in the towel.
How did Instagram original name evlove?
With determination in his corner, Systrom took a step back and began fine-tuning the app. He keenly observed how users interacted with Burbn and identified a pivotal insight: while the check-in features lay dormant, the app’s photo-sharing capabilities were igniting a spark of interest. People were reveling in the joy of posting and sharing photos – a discovery that would change the trajectory of Burbn forever.
Enter Mike Krieger, another programmer who joined Systrom on this creative journey. The dynamic duo embraced data-driven decisions, honing in on user behaviors and needs. Their conclusion was crystal clear: the photo-sharing facet was where the magic resided. With this revelation, they boldly streamlined their focus, leaving behind the excess baggage of unnecessary features.
Simplicity was their North Star. After scouting the landscape of popular photography apps, Systrom and Krieger identified their niche. While Hipstamatic offered artistic filters but lacked seamless sharing, Facebook dominated social networking but lagged in photo sharing. This gap birthed an opportunity – to build an uncomplicated app that effortlessly combined the best of both worlds.
Their vision crystallized into reality. The cumbersome aspects of Burbn were discarded, and the app’s essence was distilled down to photos, comments, and likes. Filters were introduced to enhance the visual experience, but the paramount principle remained simplicity. In its final form, posting a photo on the platform took a mere three clicks.
Months of trial and error culminated in a pivotal moment on October 12, 2010. Systrom and Krieger unleashed their creation upon the world, christening it not ‘Burbn,’ but ‘Instagram.’ The name change wasn’t just a superficial rebranding; it marked a shift in focus and purpose. Systrom acknowledged the process, stating, “It’s about going through false starts. Burbn was a false start. The best companies in the world have all had predecessors. You always have to evolve into something else.”
Instagram’s original logo was also different
Back in its early days, the inaugural Instagram logo didn’t adhere to the conventional logo norms. Kevin Systrom’s first take was more reminiscent of a captured moment, showcasing the straightforward shot of a Polaroid camera. It wasn’t your typical logo, but rather a snapshot of a moment frozen in time. The modest “Instagram” text was delicately etched in a diminutive font, accompanying the visual.
A standout feature of the 2010 design, which continued its journey through subsequent logo iterations alongside the Polaroid camera, was the vibrant rainbow stripe that elegantly traversed the length of the visual. Another enduring element was the logo’s rounded square shape. While today’s standards might consider the logo somewhat busy and crowded, it’s worth noting that back in 2010, it managed to distinguish itself amidst the sea of other social media icons.
Interestingly, like that of its logo’s, Instagram original name’s path from Burbn to Instagram wasn’t a linear one. A prototype named ‘Scotch’ occupied the interim space between the two, showcasing the iterative nature of innovation and naming.
In the ever-evolving landscape of tech and creativity, the story of Instagram original name’s metamorphosis from ‘Burbn’ to a photo-sharing powerhouse stands as a testament to the importance of adaptation, user-centricity, and the art of simplification. It’s a reminder that even the mightiest platforms have humble beginnings – and sometimes, a dash of whiskey-inspired creativity can lead to an unexpected journey towards global prominence.
Bridging the gap from the past, the new innovations of the platform sometimes may not be as successful as the initial ones such as Instagram original name, like how nobody liked the new Instagram like animation.
Featured image credit: Thomas Park / Unsplash
