No. As far as I recall the Add contact icon has always been there (although it used to be a generic contact icon with a + sign without the Add text). You really didn't see it before?
The new contacts bar widget allows for up to 20 contacts on a side scrolling contacts carousel. The icons for the Telephone (dialer) and Contacts will be text when using the Contacts Bar home screen. I believe that was done to make room for shortcuts at the bottom of the screen, because you now can have both contacts and shortcuts on the Contacts Bar home screen.
If you change to the Basic or Shortcuts Bar home screen then you will get the old icons.