by The TikTok logo may seem pretty simple, but there’s actually more to it than you might think. And while TikTok is the smallest of the social media giants, the TikTok logo has already gone through a few tweaks to arrive at a robust design that looks perfectly suited to the mood of TikTok.
So what does the TikTok logo mean and why does it work so well? Below, we take a closer look at the evolution of the TikTok logo since its creation in 2016, as well as the meaning behind the design. For more logo inspiration, don’t miss our YouTube logo history piece. If you want to make your own designs, check out our tips on designing a logo.
TikTok logo history
TikTok was a pretty unique social media platform when it hit the scene in 2017. A younger generation who wanted to do more than just share images of the dinner on social media, that is, a generation who wanted to perform, clicked on the micro video format. As a result, the app quickly gained followers. But the TikTok logo actually predates TikTok’s existence as a brand.
It all started in 2016 when Chinese ByteDance launched an app called A.me. The app’s name was soon changed to Douyin, meaning something like ‘shaking sound’. What we know as the TikTok logo was originally created for this Chinese app hence why it consists of a musical note that appears to vibrate and also resembles a letter D.
TikTok logo inspiration
While the use of notes might seem a bit misleading as TikTok is a video-based social media app rather than a music streaming service, it lives up to Douyin’s name, and also that one of the app’s main features, at least initially, was lip-syncing videos. What helped the app rise was the ability to add music and reuse audio from other videos on the platform.
The company itself says it wants a logo that “talks to the scene TikTok has created for so many talented people.” The result is “designed to inspire creativity and bring joy to fans and creators around the world”. Ayy.
The designer, who TikTok did not name, apparently “chosen black as the background for the logo to get users excited for the performances behind the app.” You are right. Black also has the advantage of being different from the colors of the major established social media platforms, and maybe even felt a little rebellious. The teal and fuchsia shades seem to have been inspired by the designer’s observation of the contrast between dark backdrops and lighting effects at live music concerts.
The first TikTok logo
In 2017, ByteDance launched its app outside of China as a separate app called TikTok after acquiring Musical.ly, a short-form video app based in Shanghai that already has a user base in the US. But he kept the same logo he used for the Chinese product, after all, the musical note has the advantage of being a universal symbol rather than being limited to a particular culture or language, so there was no problem with the logo not working. West.
The TikTok name was included below the logo and was originally written as two words in a basic sans serif font with square corners.
TikTok logo today
At the end of 2018, TikTok reached 271 million users (over a billion since then). At this point, the brand decided to take some more time to find the right font for the logo and created the TikTok brand, which is still in use today. In the original logo, the text felt a bit of an afterthought, randomly thrown under the sign, which it probably was.
In the redesign, the text was made to appear more aesthetically connected to the glyph with a heavier font, and the spacing between TikTok was removed. Added a cyan and fuchsia shadow effect to the letter “O” to reflect to enhance the connection and create a more coherent whole.
Why does the TikTok logo work?
For most TikTok users, the resemblance of the TikTok logo to a “D” and representing the meaning of “Douyin” is irrelevant as they are unaware of the TikTok logo’s history or even the existence of the Chinese app. However, the logo still seems to work perfectly, even though it was created in-house by an anonymous designer rather than a branding agency.
This is because the designer perhaps unknowingly uses the classic rules of logo design and color theory. The design is simple, clean and easy to interpret and remember. Meanwhile, black and white are bold, clear contrasting colors; Cyan and fuchsia close to magenta are complementary colors that create dynamic highlights around the edges of the logo, adding depth and making the 2D design look more 3D through its anaglyph connotation. 3D images.
Want to improve your own TikTok videos? One of the best ring lights can make a huge difference in getting the right lighting.
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