The YouTube Logo History and Website Design Changes

The YouTube logo has undergone several changes since its inception in 2005. Here are the main points of its history:

First logo (2005-2011)

The first YouTube logo was designed by co-founder Chad Hurley. It featured the company’s name in a plain black typeface with a red rectangle above it, representing a TV screen. This logo was used for six years and became iconic as YouTube grew in popularity.

• 2005 Red Button Gradient HEX codes: from #ffbabb to #ff2f2f
• 2010 Red Button Gradient HEX codes: from #ffbabb to #c81011

Designer comment: Gradients have been used in logo design since the 2000s. The trend of using gradients in logo design has evolved over the years, with designers experimenting with different types of gradients and color combinations to create unique and visually appealing designs.

Second logo (2012-2013)

In 2012, YouTube updated its logo to a more polished and modern design. The company kept the same black typeface but added a red play button icon to the left of the name. This logo emphasized YouTube’s focus on video content and made the platform’s branding more recognizable.

• 2012 Red Button Gradient HEX codes: from #cc322c to #942420

Third logo (2014-2017)

In 2014, YouTube redesigned its logo again, this time opting for a flatter, simpler design. The font was slightly modified and the red rectangle was removed, leaving just the company’s name and play button icon. This logo was intended to work better across multiple platforms and devices.

• 2014 Red Button Gradient HEX codes: from #e52b28 to #bf161c
• 2016 Red Button Color HEX code: #e52116

Designer comment: Flat design became popular in the early 2010s, and has continued to be a popular trend in website design throughout the 2010s and into the 2020s.

Fourth logo (2017-2018)

In 2017, YouTube made another update to its logo, this time refining the font and making the play button icon more prominent. The new design also added a black border around the logo, which made it stand out more against different backgrounds.

• New Red in Logo color HEX code: #ff0101

Designer comment: The use of negative space in logo design has been around for many years, but has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many brands incorporating this technique into their logos from around 2015 onwards.

Fifth logo (2018-present)

In 2018, YouTube unveiled its current logo, which is a more radical departure from previous designs. The font is a custom design called YouTube Sans, which was created to be more legible across different screen sizes. The play button icon is now a bright red rectangle with a white triangle inside, symbolizing the platform’s focus on video content. The black border around the logo was removed, giving the logo a more open and modern feel.

• Red Color in Logo HEX code: #ff0000

Designer comment: Hand-drawn trend started to gain momentum in the mid-2010s, and has become increasingly popular in recent years, as brands look for ways to create a more personal and authentic connection with their audience.

What is the birthday of YouTube?

The official birthday of YouTube is February 14, 2005. This is the day when the domain name “youtube.com” was registered and the website was officially launched. The co-founders, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim, initially created YouTube as a video-sharing platform for individuals to upload and share their videos with the world.

Since then, Youtube logo history has grown into one of the largest social media platforms in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users and over 1 billion hours of video watched daily.

YouTube video player evolution 2005–2015

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