The Story of Goldie: How SurveyMonkey’s Logo Became an Icon of Curiosity
As SurveyMonkey turns 20, a look into the power of logomarks and how Goldie became a mascot of our culture
I remember the first time I traveled internationally by myself for work. I was in my mid 20s, still paying off my school loans, and working for a small product design studio in San Francisco. The trip was off to a rocky start from the get-go. I started the journey by missing my flight entirely; misreading my flight time and thinking 12:31 am was the following day. When I finally arrived in Hong Kong, I was greeted with a typhoon that wanted to say hello. I remember sitting in the car with my co-worker as we drove through a veil of rain that suddenly lifted away and revealed sunny blue skies on the other end of the freeway. It was surreal.
A few days into the trip I began feeling homesick. I had just said goodbye to my co-worker after a long day, but wasn’t ready to turn in yet. I began exploring the late night market when something familiar caught my eye… glowing yellow arches. Instant emotions of comfort came my way. For a moment, I didn’t feel so far from home — and I knew a Happy Meal had my name on it. Let me clear the air: This post is not sponsored by McDonald’s.
That’s the power of a logomark — it can transcend language barriers, acting as a bridge to quickly connect you to all the experiences you’ve ever encountered with the brand.
A logomark, also known as the brandmark, is an icon-based logo that doesn’t spell out the business name. It can be an incredibly simple visual form. It has the ability to help companies communicate their identities and how they differentiate from one another with no words.
Here are three examples of instantly recognizable logomarks:
Logo or logomark — what’s the difference?
Just like there are different categories that fall under shoes (boots, sneakers, sandals, etc…), there are different logo types that fall under logos. Here are three main types of logo categories. Each serves a specific purpose to connect with audiences.
Curiosity is the key
I joined the creative brand team at SurveyMonkey in the Fall of 2017. The company had just completed rebranding. Before the rebrand, the logo had evolved a few times over the last 20 years. When Ryan Finley founded the company in 1999, he wanted a name that would feel fresh, speak to the product, and stand out in the Y2K era — and SurveyMonkey was born.
Curiosity led Ryan to create the company. He was in search of a better solution to gather feedback with ease. Dave Goldberg, who stepped in as CEO in 2009, shared this same belief of building a company and culture that valued curiosity. Dave tragically passed in 2015. In 2016, Zander Lurie, a SurveyMonkey board member since 2009 and a dear friend of Dave, stepped in and became our CEO. He continues to instill curiosity in the business and culture. When the company officially rebranded on July 17, 2017, the new logomark, Goldie, was affectionately named after Dave.
Goldie has had a significant refresh since its 1999 logo counterpart. The original logomark had a cartoonish quality, with a wide-eyed curious look and a checkmark as a mouth. For the 2017 rebrand, Goldie — now streamlined and simplified, was optimized for digital formats and mobile responsiveness. The logomark anatomy still stems from portions of the original silhouette, but uses more rounded shapes to create an icon that quickly communicates the identity of the company. The subtle checkmark on the head that mimics the quality of hair, still brings smiles to faces when the discovery is made.
A warm, and familiar, welcome
From the moment you enter the SurveyMonkey headquarters located on 1 Curiosity Way in San Mateo, California — yes, the name was green lighted by the city — Goldie warmly greets you at the entrance lobby. An illuminated panel made up of hundreds of individual LED lights form a backdrop for the glowing mascot.
Once you arrive to the fourth floor, Goldie continues to guide you through the rest of the building; from colorful branded walls adorned with Goldies to small die cut acrylic Goldies sprinkled around the office. Throughout the week and occasionally on the weekend, you can find employees sporting the logomark on clothes and accessories.
Staying curious 20 years later
Since SurveyMonkey’s inception, curiosity has always been at the core. It’s our superpower. Goldie embodies our brand identity, who we are, and what we stand for: “Power the curious.”
This year marks our 20th anniversary. To highlight this milestone, we invited our designers, across brand and product, to come together and share a common canvas — to create their own artistic expression of Goldie. This creative project allows us to step outside of our typical stakeholder-driven projects and find time to create and celebrate our time with the company.
I’ve been with SurveyMonkey for a little over two years now, and it’s really the people at this company who keep me inspired, and of course, keep me curious. Thank you to all the designers who contributed to giving Goldie a fresh new take. Here are 20 designs we’ve created to celebrate our 20 years of innovating and growing alongside you. Cheers!
