youtube brand guidelines
When YouTube launched in 2005, it was a singular platform that supported one video format, 320x240, at 4:3 aspect ratio, built for desktop internet users. Fast forward to today and YouTube is no longer a single brand or service. YouTube has evolved into a family of services that allows users to watch any combination of SD, HD, 4K, 360, 3-D, and live video on nearly every device with an internet connection – from desktops to phones, tablets to TVs, game consoles, and even VR headsets. Over the last few years YouTube has spawned YouTube TV, Kids, Gaming, Music and Premium to name a few. With the evolution of YouTube and its new services, the internal team at YouTube decided it was time for a rebrand that would tie together a host of products with very different audiences and uses. The result: an updated logo combining a cleaned up version of the YouTube wordmark and cherry red icon, removing the icon from ‘Tube,’ and creating a more flexible design that works better across a variety of devices and a stylistic fit in branding the family of YouTube services.
With the new rebrand launching at the end of August 2017, YouTube quickly realized an outstanding problem – how would they ensure the consistency of their rebrand across the internet, marketing and their family of services. Taking 1.5 years, I worked with a very small team (2 designers, 1 creative director, 1 producer) to do extensive research and analysis to determine the best rules and guidelines across the core brand and its affiliates. During this time I worked in conjunction with a variety of teams at YouTube to establish a robust, concise and consistent brand guidelines resource. Using the Google Spec website platform, I created a very extensive internal guidelines website with over 60 pages of brand guidelines that included: logo usages, color palettes, typography, copywriting, photography, illustration, events, Yoodles, video and animation, partnerships, endorsements, digital marketing and over 600 downloadable assets.
