Social networks are communities of millions of people. Information resources, including both the network and the companies operating under its brand, are constantly in sight, and they must be recognizable, their logo must be bright and individual in order to be immediately remembered and then perceived at first glance, without mixing with similar graphic symbols …
How social media logos are created and used
The development of a recognizable and positively emotional logo is usually entrusted to professionals who know how to evaluate the impact of a graphic symbol on a wide audience with a heterogeneous composition. When creating a logo, the task is to express with its help the characteristics of the network as an information product that users should appreciate. This can be solved by several means:
• choice of the text of the inscription – full name or abbreviation, selection of the font;
• symbols embedded in the graphic image;
• choice of color scheme.
Often, a well-designed logo draws millions of users to the social media by influencing their sense of beauty and subconscious aspirations.
Logos have their own rules for placement on partner sites, they determine:
• acceptable colors, so the Instaramma logo can be published in black and white, other networks do not allow this;
• location;
• geometry of placement;
• minimum or maximum logo sizes.
Violation of these rules will result in a ban on publishing the logo on a third-party site. It is allowed to download them for use in electronic form on the official website of the social network, no additional permission for use is required. The best known to the user and the best way to illustrate the rules for creating a social logo are Instagram and Facebook icons.
Instagram and its photography-driven development model became popular about 15 years ago. The network icon expressed its essence, the use of a mobile phone camera as a reflection of a particular user’s view of life. A beige and brown camera with a small color insert symbolized the ideology of the network – photographs could be processed in different ways, bringing colorful shades to reality. The beige realistic image has been updated several times, keeping the overall shape and color scheme.
The Instagram logo can be used in color or black and white. Now, starting in 2015, Instagram has become a subsidiary of the Facebook group, but has retained the original logo design. But they abandoned realism, the symbol became vague and futuristic, attracting the younger generation with bright color solutions. It turned out to be a call to creativity and creativity that doubled the network’s audience in a few years. From 2010 to 2016, the logo was changed more than 10 times, while maintaining the general principles of the visual style. Now, despite the maximum level of stylization, it continues to remain recognizable, although the older generation continues to yearn for the familiar camera.
Facebook is the world’s leading social network in terms of the number of users. Several dozen more companies operate under her brand. The first Facebook logo was quite simple, according to Mark Zuckerberg it was supposed to symbolize accessible communication, ease of use, a clear way of using options for anyone. The light blue “The Facebook” lettering, in serrated type, was set against a bright blue background. Until now, blue has remained the official color of Facebook; it symbolizes reliability, communication, and intelligence. Mark Zuckerberg, in response to the media’s question of why blue, remained true to his extravagance. When asked about the choice of the brand’s color scheme, he told reporters that he could not distinguish between red and green due to color blindness, so he chose blue.
Since 2005, the inscription has lost the article, which symbolizes the simplicity of friendly communication, and from blue to white, so it looks more noticeable against the same blue background. The font used is Klavika, modified specifically for the brand by designer Eric Olson. A simplified version of the company symbol is just the blue “F”. The creators begin to lack the typeface for brand recognition, a graphic logo is created in the form of a raised thumb.
It can be noted that the logos of social networks keep their appearance quite stably for many years, despite the change in color and the introduction of vector graphics elements. This allows you to maintain awareness and ensure user loyalty. The rules for their use are designed to protect icons from distortion and fraudulent copying.