The logos of Web 2.0
[Stephen Coles]
Stephen Coles identifies and classifies the fonts used in some of the best web-specific brands. He declares lime green to be the official color. His categories are - The Softies: A clear trend in new identities is the use of soft, rounded typefaces dominated by VAG Rounded (aka Rundschrift) [ClipShack, Zimbra, Wayfaring, Kajeet], but also including Helvetica Rounded [Skype], Arial Rounded [MySpace, TracksLife, Eventful, Spongecell], Bryant [Zopa, Pando], and FF Cocon [ShoZu, Tabblo].
- The Futurists: Some sites are reflecting the technological breakthroughs of Web 2.0 with a look that says tomorrows techno. Pixel typefaces, hard edges, and ultra simplified forms are not as common as the cozy shapes from the group above, but they represent a good portion of the latest internet startups. Here he cites Last.fm [ITC Ronda (customized)], Photobucket [Digital Sans], Plazes [Base 9], NewsGator [ITC Bauhaus], ReminderFeed [FF Dot Matrix], Technorati [Neo Sans], TagWorld [Handel Gothic], Shoutwire [Agency Bold].
- The classics: Safe standbys like Trade Gothic [Xanga, FeedBurner] and News Gothic, Frutiger [DropSend, Flickr], Avenir [PureVolume, Shutterfly], Interstate [Podzinger, Campfire], FF Meta {Newsvine], FF DIN [StandPoint], and the always ubiquitous Helvetica [9rules]. YouTube uses Alternate Gothic No. 2, Bloglines uses ITC Officina Bold, Weblogs Inc employs Syntax Bold, and Wikipedia is into Hoefler Text.
- New classics: Just as there will always be trends, there will also be those designers who break from them. The following logotypes eschew the popular styles mentioned above and use new typefaces that have the potential to become timeless classics. The typeface is then used throughout the site in headers and graphics. It is a great way to reinforce a brand and set it apart. Examples Coles uses for this include Socialtext [Lisboa sans], Facebook [Klavika], and Joyent [Proxima Nova].
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The logos of Web 2.0
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