Welcome to the new FACEBOOK!

Design goals behind the all new uppercase logo

Dheeraj Nanduri
Nov 5 · 5 min read

The new Facebook wordmark (a logo which is just a word) from the company Facebook is, actually just, FACEBOOK. No, I did not scream at you. In traditional writing, all-caps letters does imply shouting or an attempt to be loud. But but, that’s not quite what Facebook was going for here.

A beautiful example in recent times of a similar move was by Google where they put themselves under the umbrella of Alphabet. However, Facebook didn’t choose to take the route. There’s no official reason why they did this because the company didn’t release any statement, but I am guessing that they did it because the Facebook portfolio of companies, according to the company, was too tightly knit and small. (Namely — WhatsApp, Instagram, and Oculus).

Whereas, in Alphabet’s case largest subsidiary is Google. Its other subsidiaries include Calico, DeepMind, GV, CapitalG, X, Google Fiber, Jigsaw, Makani, Sidewalk Labs, Verily, Waymo, Wing and Loon. This is quite a diverse and large portfolio, perhaps a completely new parent made more sense. Again, I am just guessing.


Let’s get into design dissection

This is the clear demarcation of the logos according to the company. They expect us to think of Facebook, written in lowercase, as the App and FACEBOOK, written in uppercase, as the parent company. Well, it’s a pretty far-fetched goal. I still believe, people remember / associate with the name itself than the way it looks but I guess we should give it a while to see how it exactly pans out.

Three theories, I generally believe in, in about going all-uppercase in typography and how it is played out in the logo design:

  • To create an impact and/or to assert it’s place in the design — They clearly want the word to be subtly loud and not get lost in the fineprint of the page.
  • To create a heading or category name where it implies it encompasses some entities under it — That is their ultimate goal, to say that FACEBOOK is the parent and the app you’re using is a subsidiary from the company.
  • To make small design elements (stuff which occupies less space) gain more importance — Anything put in the uppercase does get some special attention from us and considering that they’re going to put it in some corner, they want to increase its impact

With these three points in mind, I request you look at the images below. You should be able to see it in a different light.

A quick look at some comparisons…


According to the company, the three meanings Facebook’s new wordmark or logo seeks to convey are clarity, empathy, and creating space.

In the company’s own words, they mean as follows:

  • Clarity: a brand that simplifies and builds understanding
  • Empathy: a system that is respectful of context and environment
  • Creating Space: design that supports people and their stories

The rest of the blog page was pretty much the logo being animated in a bunch of ways and didn’t really explain how the logo achieved the same besides some corporate/design/business/typographic terms.

I took the liberty of retracing the logo in its bare design form on a design software and illustrate what they were trying to get at. Here goes!

The very simple, clean, and boxy profile with very simple curves does make it very simple on the eyes. Do note that this is custom typeface they’ve created and is not available to use for us.

This is a pretty straightforward move. It is a common assumption to associate colour with feeling and/or some worldly identity — red with success, white for innovation and such. They’re myths and associations created by us basis the examples around us at best. I honestly don’t think colour alone talks about the entire story at any point. A smart move eliminating that entirely by making this logo a chameleon.

I spent quite a while trying to do this to illustrate how the logo has achieved giving a sense of airy feeling inside. Have also juxtaposed a version with uniform spacing to illustrate how it would be if it were tight!

These are the ways, I think, that the new wordmark seeks to evoke their goals.


This story was merely an exploration into what the FACEBOOK logo means and taking a design perspective on the same.

The question on whether the company actually stands for it is not something under my purview of thought. Considering the past history of the company and people’s awareness about their motives and activities, I am sure the answer is clear for most.

What do you think of the new logo? Is it effective? Do you like it?

ThroughDesign

How brands, products and businesses affect our life through design

Dheeraj Nanduri

Written by

Observer by habit, Designer by nature. I write on products, advertising, marketing and the design philosophies behind them. *nanduri.dheeraj@gmail.com*

ThroughDesign

How brands, products and businesses affect our life through design

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