Changes in Social Media Icons – An Overview

The advent of the internet and rapid progress made in the field of digital media has accounted for the fast rate of growth of social media. It helped both people and businesses across the globe in coming closer to each other; reconnecting, etc. Social media networking has almost taken the form of a massive revolution that spawned across companies like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. The companies are allowed to carry out promotional and branding activities to make the people aware of the latest developments taking place in the organization. These networking sites have allowed people to unleash their creative talent and uniqueness. With each passing day, the technology is becoming more refined, enriched, better and simpler for the busy professional to use in a shorter span of time. With the innumerable benefits, more and more social networking platforms are emerging and becoming highly popular amongst the global citizens as they help to transcend the physical or geographical boundaries and help people to know each other easily.

In the recent years, the social networking sites have brought several changes in their logos. Modification of the brands and logos is not a big deal for small companies but for bigger organizations like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest with over a billion users across the globe, it involves public attention. This is due to the fact that the old icons have stayed on the website for a significant span of time.

The logo of a company serves as a tool of recognition by people and serves the purpose of linking their products or services to the same. The logo also serves the purpose of branding the goods and services provided by an organization. Branding, thus, helps people in differentiating between the goods and services provided by different companies falling under the same category.

Facebook

The blue line that lay under the Internet-ubiquitous symbol of “F” that all the internet users have become acquainted with has been removed in the new logo. The letter still maintains the lower case while being closer to the edge of the confining box as can be seen in the new logo of the social platform. This change can be described as Facebook’s attempt in redefining, enhancing and refocusing on the social networking activity. Facebook opines that the new or updated logo actually helps in emphasizing the simplicity and cleanliness of Logo design that is highlighted so much across the chosen platform. With the newly designed logo, Facebook wishes to de-clutter the user interface and go in for a more organized one.

Twitter

Twitter that has become popular and internationally identifiable because of the bird logo. Of late it opted for a symbol only strategy by redesigning its logo. The ubiquitous blue bird logo named Larry of Twitter underwent a change from the feather headed one to a plain one. The new bird logo is said to have been crafted from three sets of circles overlapping one another. The use of symbol only strategy is helpful and appropriate for global brands since these strategies allow the visual identities of the company to hold a position above the language barrier that it may come across the globe.

The bird has been described by Twitter as the ultimate symbol of possibility, freedom and hope and has been announced to be the universal symbol of the fledging social networking site. The newly designed bird logo has few feathers, is less chubby and seems to be more inclined towards the sky than its predecessor. The new logo has the omission of the word ‘twitter’ with the letter ‘t’ in the smaller case.

The bird is the sole representation of Twitter across the globe. The three overlapping circles out of which the bird logo is created represent the connection of the networks, ideas and the internet and intersection of the same with friends and peers. The bird in flight according tom Twitter represents boundless possibility, freedom and limitless hope. The updated icon is simpler and is named as the Twitter Bird.

Flickr

With the redesign of Yahoo, the Flickr website is also expected to go in for a logo change in order to get more inclined towards Yahoo. The change is visible mainly on its app with a small difference between the past and the present icon. The difference lies in the fact that instead of the widely common pink and blue colour, the Yahoo Purple is added as a new colour. The color pink has now moved on to the “is” dot while the Yahoo Purple has taken over its former place.

YouTube

YouTube is reported to have been using a newly designed logo for its social network accounts and apps. It’s very recently that the video viewing service has updated its social media profiles of Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook with a new logo. It is the first time that it has vastly redesigned its logo apart from making some cosmetic changes to it as has been observed earlier.

Often changing logos become necessary to add even more functionalities to the website and convey the same to the users. Logo change is also carried out to keep ensure keeping the organization updated and abreast of the latest changes. Logos are also changed to make it more simple, understated, and apt to the changing times.

On designing effectively, a logo is potent enough to highlight the unique selling aspects of a company that sub-consciously leads to an inevitable promotion of the same.