“We are at the beginning of the next chapter for the internet, and it’s the next chapter for our company too.” – Mark Zuckerberg
On 28th October 2021, Mark Zuckerberg officially announced the new name and rebrand for the umbrella Facebook company called “Meta”. The word “Meta” comes from the Greek word [μετά] meaning “beyond” which reflects the brands future vision. Zuckerberg quotes that the new rebrand was a must to be able to move the company into the future and for him the new rebrand symbolises that there is always more to build, and there is always a next chapter to the story. He mentions that the original “Facebook” name and brand was not enough to represent everything that they’re doing today, let alone the future! Zuckerberg hopes that over time, the company is seen as a metaverse company and hopes to anchor the work and identity they’re building towards.
Sounds cool yeah. So, with a new name and focus comes a new rebrand and look… but is the new logo effective enough?
As for any new rebrand comes a new logo/ symbol. For Meta the symbol forms a continuous loop that works seamlessly between 2D and 3D contexts. It is designed to be experienced from different perspectives and interacted with. It can resemble an M for “Meta” and at times an infinity sign, symbolising infinite horizons in the metaverse.
So, the logo symbolises Meta and what the new focus is, but could the design be more impactful?
The “M” symbol is simple, clean and modern and fits in perfectly with today’s design trends especially when it comes to motion graphic design. The simple sans-serif font compliments the clean design of the symbol and together works well as a designed logo for the contemporary era.
So how do we think the logo will age over time and has it been designed to its full potential?
There is always going to be a time that a logo needs to be refreshed slightly to fit in with the current design trends. Many logos even Facebook over the years have adapted to design changes but keeping the unique touch and identify of the brand. So how will Meta adapt in the years to come? Firstly, the logo is simplistic which is a great platform for any design changes needed in the future. This means the logo can be easily adapted to any new design trends that come along due to the simplicity of the symbol and typography however, due to this the simplicity of the logo does mean that there has not been too much design requirements needed for the rebrand. Is this good thing?
This leads onto the next question of if the logo could have been more impactful. There will always be room for changes in any logo designed however not every change will be a good choice and a good design to represent a company or message/ meaning. For Meta the symbol could have been designed with a more complex approach to communicate the complexity of the company and future vision however, this design may have become too busy and therefore would date quickly and would be difficult to adapt to future design trends. Another design option could be that the symbol and typography could have been linked together to create one sold logo/ symbol. Yet again this may have not been successful.
Overall, I personally think the design and rebrand for Meta has worked successfully. The logo fits in perfectly with the brands message and focus and fits in well with current design trends. I can see this logo lasting a long time and has great potential to adapt to any new design change that comes long in the near or ever-lasting future.
Do you think the new Meta logo is effective and can you see it lasting?
By Ryan Ford
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