Kijiji is a Canadian online classifieds marketplace that has operated since 2005. Its visual identity centers on a multicolor wordmark whose dotted letterforms are designed to evoke a village of people, a direct reference to the platform’s name and community-focused purpose.
Design and History
Kijiji launched in February 2005 as part of eBay’s classified advertising initiative. For the first time since its creation, Kijiji Canada completely transformed its visual identity in October 2018, deploying the new look across its website and mobile app on October 1 of that year.[1] The update followed roughly 18 months of significant platform changes, including a full site redesign, personalized purchase recommendations, and new seller tools.[1]
The rebrand was a collaboration between Kijiji’s internal team and UX team and its agency of record, CloudRaker.[1] CloudRaker also commissioned motion designers Vincent Raineri and Rémi Vincent to create the logo reveal animation.[2] The new identity was described as a sign of the brand’s evolution that respects the visual heritage Canadians appreciate while adopting a more modern and forward-looking approach.[1]
In January 2019, Kijiji launched Kijiji Autos, a standalone app and site dedicated to cars and trucks. The Kijiji Autos branding drew on the vibrant blue from the parent Kijiji identity and was also developed by CloudRaker.[3][4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The name Kijiji derives from the Swahili word for village, reflecting the platform’s emphasis on local community transactions. The 2018 logo redesign made this meaning visual: the dotted characters in the wordmark represent a village of people, reinforcing the importance of community.[1] The renewed logo was described as offering a clean, simple design while preserving Kijiji’s original, fun personality.[1]
Typography and Design
Kijiji’s wordmark uses lowercase letterforms with a dotted treatment applied to the characters. The multicolor palette includes blue, yellow, red, green, and purple tones across the letterforms.[5] The brand refresh was designed to ensure the identity could live consistently across online and offline platforms.[1]
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