Years ago in September of 2010 I got an Etsy Conversation from a lady who was interested in a custom illustration.

Her partner was launching a new app and she wanted to give them an illustration of the app icon. That new app was Instagram. 

At the time, I had no idea what Instagram was or how it worked. I didn't even have a smart phone. I was still operating one of those very uncool phones with the pull out keyboard. It was turquoise and white and didn't even take pictures. 

Now, when I hear someone mention Instagram in a song, in a movie, or on a television show, I remember that Etsy Conversation and think back to it. I think back to this little illustration and how I really had no idea just how huge it would become. I doubt the client I was working with really had any idea either.

A few years later Instagram changed their logo slightly to a brown camera vs the white camera. I felt a little twinge of sadness when this happened, thinking back to the little illustration that I had made. But I understand things and logos and apps are always going to be changing. 

But, last week, when Instagram completely changed their logo design, I felt a larger twinge of sadness thinking back to that original design. The new logo is fine, it's just such a large step away from the original.

It's still really fun thinking back on that original Etsy Conversation and thinking to myself how I was in on something so big before it got so big.