Reddit’s visual revolution: a leap into the future with Snoo and the new brand identity
An innovative and bold approach in Reddit’s rebranding, led by Pentagram, marks a new era for the social media platform.
Founded in 2005, Reddit has always played a crucial role in shaping how online communities interact. Today, this influential platform is moving towards a new era, marked by a completely renewed brand identity. This transformation, realized in collaboration with the Pentagram studio, reflects the dynamic landscape of social media, where significant visual changes are commonplace, as demonstrated by the recent redesign of the Twitter logo.
The recent repositioning of Reddit has sparked various reactions among its users, known as redditors. Many have questioned the reasons behind this decision, especially considering the feelings of attachment and familiarity that tie users to the platform’s historic design.
Behind the scenes of the change
To understand the origins of this renewal, we need to look back to last year. In response to exponential growth and the challenges that stemmed from it, Reddit turned to Pentagram. The brand had reached a level of complexity that made it necessary to rethink and simplify its visual and verbal identity. Starting in 2023, the collaboration between the two entities aimed to strategically redefine Reddit’s position in the digital market.
The new face of Snoo
Snoo, the alien mascot of Reddit, has always been a distinctive symbol of the platform. Originally a simple black and white drawing by co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Snoo has been transformed into a three-dimensional, colorful, and expressive figure. This evolution is not just an aesthetic change; it represents the growth and adaptability of Reddit. Pentagram’s work on Snoo aimed to elevate this friendly figure to the level of cultural icons like Super Mario, thus paving the way for new expressive possibilities.
Revolution in typography and design
The overhaul of Reddit did not stop with Snoo. A fundamental part of this renewal has been the evolution of typography. Starting with the DNA of the accessibility-focused Reddit Sans, the designers created the complementary Reddit Display typeface, which dominates the new mark. Particularly notable is how the lowercase letters evoke speech bubbles, mirroring the user interface of Reddit and emphasizing the importance of dialogue and interaction.
Another significant change has been the simplification of the color palette. The chromatic variety has been reduced from over 100 colors to a range of 15 shades, divided into five primary colors with three nuances each. This strategic decision not only makes Reddit’s brand more cohesive but also provides moderators with greater customization options, maintaining alignment with the overall visual identity of the platform.
What’s next?
In conclusion, the new brand identity of Reddit is much more than a visual transformation; it is a significant strategic step forward for the company. It reflects Reddit’s uniqueness, its active and curious community, and underscores its role, as defined by Pentagram, as the “heart of the internet.” While it remains to be seen how this new identity will be received by its vast and diverse user base, it is clear that the change marks a continuous evolution of this dynamic platform, a key element in the ecosystem of social media.
