Social networking and event platform Meetup has a new look – “bright, bold, energetic, and a little quirky” – to complement its newly relaunched apps. The design firm is Sagmeister & Walsh. According to design director Jen Gergen: “Now our logo represents why Meetup exists in the first place – to bring people together to do the things that matter most to them. We call it the Meetup swarm, and it’s created when individual dots unite to form the ‘m’ symbol.” The former logo was a nametag which, explains Gergen, had considerable equity but was ultimately ditched because “the nametag represents the most awkward moment in the entire Meetup experience – the moment you have to say hello to a complete stranger.”
Beyond the swarm, all aspects of the new branding system are meant to capture energy and spirit of people coming together. This includes many iterations of the swarm concept, a bright color palette, duotone photo treatments, and unique photos for each Meetup group. A reimagination of the company is said to have been in the works for more than a year; it is built around redesigned and rebuilt Android and iOS apps as well as the graphic look.
Coming soon, each Meetup group will be able to pick a symbol, customize it, and make the Meetup swarm their own. Concludes Gergen, “a company like ours can’t upgrade our branding without giving everyone in our community the chance to participate.”
