Twitter's new identification displays the muddle of on-line life
Twitter has seen a number of ups and downs since it was founded in 2006. In the past year alone, it has been accused of contributing to the spread of pandemic-related misinformation and has been the focus of high profile cancellations, including JK Rowling and most of the rest of the world, including Donald Trump's account for inciting violence following the storm on the US -Capitol locked for good.
After a tumultuous 2020, the social media platform unveiled a new visual identity and design system – the first update in five years – designed to reflect the nuanced reality of the Twittersphere.
The updated branding, described as "intentionally imperfect" in a new blog post by Donna Lamar, Twitter's executive creative director, was developed by the company's in-house team in collaboration with Paris-based studio Irradié.
While the new branding retains some of Twitter's key design features, including the bird logo and blue color palette, the rest of the identity feels a little more unpredictable.
“We started with tweets in the center. We then tore things apart and superimposed them again. We threw paint on photos, ripped posters, scratched out words, and faded pictures. We added textures and pixels, motions and memes, ”said Leslie Berland, Chief Marketing Officer, in an accompanying Twitter thread.
The design system is a call of the platform for heated debate and viral moments and can be dialed up or down depending on the situation or conversation to which it is applied.
Twitter's in-house team also worked with Swiss foundry Grilli Type to create the first bespoke font, Chirp. The font blends American Gothic and European grotesque styles and adds handcrafted quirks of early woodcut patterns. It should be a contemporary and versatile addition.
Twitter's in-house team is designed for a global audience and is currently in the process of expanding Chirp to languages outside of the Latin alphabet.
"Twitter tweets the balance between chaotic and sharp to add to the fun and disrespect of tweeting, but it can also carry the weight of seriousness if necessary," Lamar adds.
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