LinkedIn is a professional networking platform whose visual identity centers on a single wordmark: the name “Linked” followed by a lowercase “in” set inside a blue rounded square. This “[in]” element functions as both part of the wordmark and as a standalone icon used across app stores, favicons and social media buttons. LinkedIn’s official brand guidelines describe the preferred logo presentation as blue on a solid white background, with the logo required to stand alone with clear space maintained around it. The minimum size for the [in] Logo portion is 21px tall on screen or 0.25 inches in print. [1]
Design and History
LinkedIn’s most significant visual change came in June 2019, when the company unveiled a refreshed brand system after a two-year internal effort code-named Project Otis. The refresh was led by Melissa Selcher, LinkedIn’s VP of brand marketing and corporate communications, who described the brand as “not marketing” but rather “every experience you have with us.” [2] The 2019 update changed the logo from a three-color treatment to a single color, with the previously black “Linked” text now rendered in blue. The simpler finish was intended to help readers see the company’s name as one word. [2]
LinkedIn described the updated branding as designed to convey “warmth, humanity, and community,” with the company stating that its illustration, typography and colors were chosen to express those qualities. [3] The new elements were first introduced on LinkedIn’s brand website and its signed-out welcome page, with plans to roll out incrementally across the platform. [4]
Prior to the 2019 refresh, the logo had used a three-color scheme with black “Linked” text alongside the blue [in] box. The 2019 change unified the wordmark into a single blue color. [2]
Meaning and Symbolism
LinkedIn’s 2019 brand system introduced two core shapes, the circle and the rectangle, which the company said were inspired by the letter “i” in the LinkedIn name, making them “unique and ownable.” These shapes were used as design elements to help frame the platform’s people and messages. [2] The [in] icon itself, a lowercase “in” in a rounded blue square, functions as the brand’s compact mark, naming the company while fitting within the constraints of small digital contexts.
Typography and Design
As part of the 2019 refresh, LinkedIn introduced a custom typeface called “Community.” The company said the font incorporates elements of handwriting and rounded, more organic letterforms. [3] The refresh also changed LinkedIn’s color palette to become “warmer and more approachable,” with blue complementing the palette rather than dominating it. [2]
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