LinkedIn undergoes brand refresh unveiling new logo and colours

LinkedIn has undergone a brand refresh, unveiling a new logo along with changes to its typography, colours, shapes and illustration, which all intend to convey the brand's warmth, humanity and community.On its new branding website, LinkedIn said that while internally the team knows its brand is warm and inclusive, it has not always expressed it that way externally. The new logo (pictured on top) features only its trademark blue instead of three colours (pictured at the bottom). The simpler and modern finish the logo helps in reading the company's name as one word.Its new custom font, Community, incorporates elements of handwriting and rounded, more organic letter forms. LinkedIn's colour palette has also changed to become "warmer and more approachable", with blue complementing the palette instead of dominating it. As for its core shapes, LinkedIn's new branding website said that the circle and rectangle were inspired by the "i's" in LinkedIn, making them "unique and ownable". As design elements, the company said that the core shapes help frame its people and messages. LinkedIn's illustrations also show people connecting in the interactions that take place on a daily basis.[gallery link="file" ids="262286,262285,262284,262283"]Melissa Selcher, LinkedIn's VP, brand marketing and corporate communications, said in a blog post that the brand refresh is a result of a two-year brand evolution code-named Project Otis."We believe strongly that our brand is not marketing. It is every experience you have with us, in the pages you visit and the content you see when you land on the site, in our voice and on social handles, in the outdoor and TV advertising we started for the first time, in your interactions with our customer support and sales team, and in all the other places you experience us," she said.She added that "more and more people" are commenting that LinkedIn feels different. According to her, the sentiment is positive and the individuals have spoken about seeing LinkedIn more in the world, finding more value and inspiration in their experience on the platform, and feeling a warmer, friendlier vibe from the brand.Selcher also said that the new LinkedIn brand website offers a view into the tools that it has provided to its teams internally and partners to tell LinkedIn's brand story. The tools, she said, enable all ambassadors of the LinkedIn brand to create the real, human experiences that are part of any career journey. In May, LinkedIn was ranked by BrandZ as one of the top 10 fastest growing brands in the US, growing over 41% year-on-year and adding more than US$6 billion in value.Read also: LinkedIn to roll out 4 new ‘expressive’ FB-style reactions Adobe partners Microsoft and LinkedIn to drive account-based experiences