Medium is an online publishing platform developed by Twitter co-founder Evan Williams, and launched in August 2012. Medium is a host to both amateur and professional writers' publications and blogs.
Anyone can publish on Medium, and everyone’s posts look the same. There are no themes or customization, and the only thing that separates one post from another is the quality of the content. It is primarily a place to read, write and interact with the stories that matter most to users.
Medium’s original logo was a bold letter ‘M’ that played with a classic black and white combination. Two versions of this logo were used -- a black letter ‘M’ on a white background, and a white letter ‘M’ on a black background.
Medium rebranded in 2015 with a more flexible interchangeable identity, based on the idea of the “overlapping strands of a conversation.”
The new identity included a logo that featured an abstracted letter ‘M’ -- designed with a 3D effect -- in green shades that ranged from forest green to neon green (above left). While the new logo gave Medium a fresh and creative look, the company has redesigned its logo again (above right). Earlier in 2017, Medium revealed a new logo, which resembles their original identity.
Created by Medium's in-house designers and San Francisco-based design and branding studio Manual, the new black and white logo throws users back to the original look of the website from 2012 through to 2015.
This new logo resembles a traditional publisher identity, with a classic black and white color scheme. While it includes a monogram initial ‘M’, the new logo also has a version with company’s entire name. In it, the first letter is capitalized, while the rest of the letters appear in lowercase.
The refreshed logo design has a more mature and recognized look to it, with flat, sleek and modern letter shapes. It retains its heritage while also staying contemporary and relevant, achieving a certain editorial authority for the brand at large.
The full Medium logo features black letters on a white background. The letters are well-spaced and easy to read, providing a very visually appealing effect.
The corresponding monogram logo is intended for use on the company’s social platforms, paving the way for a more digital identity. The new logo also includes more tiny tweaks, like a reduced contrast and a slightly blunt shape, to ensure that the design does not feel weak or blurry at smaller sizes.
Medium’s new logo gives the platform an authoritative editorial look that also manages to appear more modern and sophisticated than the previous designs. It borrows from the company’s history, but is also indicative of the brand’s desire to move forward. The new design has been tastefully implemented, using a classic color scheme, contrast and shape, making it one of the best logo designs we've seen in a while.
Medium is a simple logo design in the Arts & Recreation and Entertainment industries.
