NHN Corporation is a South Korean information technology company headquartered in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. The company’s visual identity has undergone two documented corporate identity (CI) changes since its founding in 1999, with the most recent redesign unveiled in August 2024.
Design and History
NHN’s first CI change came in 2009, when the company marked its 10th anniversary. The new design emphasized the typographic characteristics of the uppercase letters “NHN,” merging the six vertical strokes of the N-H-N letterforms into four strokes. This was the first CI change since the company adopted the NHN name in 2001 following the merger of Naver.com and Hangame. [1]
In August 2024, NHN unveiled a completely new corporate identity, its first full CI overhaul since the group’s launch as an independent entity in 2013. The redesign was applied uniformly across the entire group of companies. [2] The new CI was created with the participation of Japanese graphic designer Kenya Hara, known for his role as art director for Muji. [3] The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) credits Kenya Hara of Nippon Design Center, along with Jaeyun Ha, Youngsun Lee, and Dahee Jung of NHN Corp., as the designers of the rebrand. [4]
The 2024 redesign was carried out to strengthen the company’s identity and reaffirm its commitment to sustainable growth and innovation as it prepared for its next decade. [3] NHN’s Japanese subsidiaries adopted the same new logo, with the word “JAPAN” added beneath the NHN wordmark for regional distinction. [5]
Meaning and Symbolism
NHN’s official corporate site states that the CI motif of paper folding (origami) symbolizes connection and boundless possibilities. The form, created by continuously folding a single sheet of paper, visually expresses NHN’s corporate value of “connection.” [6] The IDSA describes the origami concept as leading to the formation of the letters “N” and “H,” symbolizing connectivity, scalability, and infinite possibilities. [4]
NHN’s official announcement explains that the new CI embodies the company’s future direction of creating infinite possibilities through multidimensional connections. [7] The company introduced an achromatic color scheme, rooted in the philosophy of simplicity and clarity, which blends well with any color and expresses a solid foundation for everything. [3]
Typography and Design
The new NHN wordmark uses letterforms with subtle origami-like elements. According to Kenya Hara’s explanation, the letters “NHN” incorporate delicate paper-folding characteristics, with the corners of the letter “N” cut at a 27-degree angle to enhance the letters’ distinctiveness. The letter spacing represents “a space that can accommodate anything.” [8]
NHN moved beyond the fixed color schemes commonly used by IT companies, adopting a monochromatic palette that allows seamless adaptation across both online and offline environments. [4] The company also launched a dedicated website, new2024.nhn.com, to explain the purpose and background of the CI renewal. [7]
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