VKontakte (ВКонтакте), commonly shortened to VK, is a Russian social network founded in 2006 by Pavel Durov. The name translates roughly as “in contact” or “in touch.” [1] The platform’s visual identity centers on a white monogram of the merged letters “V” and “K” set within a blue rounded square. Since October 2021, this mark has served not only as the social network’s icon but also as the corporate logo for the entire VK technology ecosystem, after parent company Mail.ru Group rebranded itself as VK. [2]
Design and History
The VK monogram has undergone several documented changes since the platform’s early years. In 2016, VKontakte introduced a redesigned desktop site and replaced its Cyrillic “ВКонтакте” wordmark with the international “VK” icon as the official logo. [3] [4]
In October 2020, ahead of the platform’s 14th anniversary, VKontakte updated its logo and introduced a custom font. The familiar icon remained but was rendered in a brighter blue, and the Cyrillic wordmark “ВКонтакте” returned as part of the logo. [5] The company stated that the new font and Cyrillic wordmark created a visual connection between the logos of all its products and projects. [5]
In October 2021, Mail.ru Group announced it was rebranding the entire company as VK, with the VKontakte name retained as the product brand for the social network. [2] The VK logo was updated to become the base of the design system, serving as both the social network symbol and the corporate brand logo. [2] The company’s working group created the new architecture, positioning, and identity together with international consulting firm Saffron Brand Consultants. Russian studio TypeType worked on the new logo, and Tigers Moscow studio developed the corporate identity for the sub-brands. [2]
Meaning and Symbolism
VK Chief Brand Officer Violetta Silenina explained the rationale behind the 2021 monogram update: “We have dropped the ‘beak’ in the center (in order to put a bigger focus on its typography: now V and K, used as a base of the logo, can be seen more clearly. In addition, this makes the sign look cleaner even in small sizes.” [2] The company described the new monogram as “simpler, more geometric, and more balanced,” with the blue color updated to be “brighter and more noticeable.” [2]
The 2021 rebrand also expanded the color palette beyond the traditional blue, allowing the use of both strict and bright expressive colors. According to the company, this technique was intended to emphasize the expansion of the brand’s traditional space and to help distinguish various projects within the VK ecosystem. [2]
Typography and Design
In October 2020, VKontakte introduced VK Sans, a custom signature font created by the company’s designers together with the TypeType studio. The company described the font as expressive, easy to read, and neutral across texts of varying styles and tones. [5] The Cyrillic “ВКонтакте” wordmark in the 2020 logo was set in this new typeface. [5]
VK’s official brand page describes the VK glyph as the company’s “most recognizable asset,” optimized for use as the main graphical element and a design code component. [6]
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