Flattr was a Swedish micro-donation and micropayment service launched in 2010 by Peter Sunde, a co-founder of The Pirate Bay, and Linus Olsson. The platform allowed users to set a monthly budget and distribute it to content creators by clicking a Flattr button on their websites. The service was acquired by AdBlock Plus in 2016 and shut down in November 2023. [1] [2]
Design and History
The most recognizable element of the Flattr visual identity was the Flattr button, a small icon that website operators embedded next to their content. Contemporary press coverage consistently described this button as green-orange in color. [3] [4] A 2010 Forbes profile of Peter Sunde described the embeddable icon as a “brown-and-yellow icon,” suggesting the exact shade perception varied across early coverage. [5]
The name “Flattr” derives from the English verb “to flatter,” meaning to compliment or praise someone. [4] The service’s slogan was “We aim to make people share money on the internet.” [1]
Flattr AB registered the “Flattr” trademark in Taiwan in 2017, with the application filed on September 13, 2017, and registration granted on May 16, 2018. The trademark was registered as a plain word/figurative mark in black ink (墨色). [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Flattr button’s green-orange color scheme was widely noted in German media coverage of the service’s launch period. The button functioned as a visual cue for users to “flattr” a page, meaning to click and thereby allocate a small donation to the content creator. [7] [3]
Typography and Design
No official documentation has been found identifying the specific typeface used in the Flattr wordmark or the designer or agency responsible for creating the logo. The visual identity is best documented through the widely distributed button icon, which appeared in green and orange and was embedded across numerous blogs and media sites during the service’s operation. [4]
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