Facebook logo
Facebook has long been a #1 social network where people from all over could share news, opinions and creations. The website first appeared in 2004, although the concept dates back to even sooner. Over the years, the overall design and appearance of the network haven’t change, although there were numerous changes.
Meaning and History
The network has been launched in 2004, primarily for the students of Harvard, where M. Zuckerberg attended classes. It’s famously called so, because the university itself had a contact book with data about many students. It was called ‘Facebook’, and both the name and the concept were inspired by it.
What is Facebook?
Facebook is the biggest social media in the world, founded in 2004. It’s intended as a social networking website, meaning that people get to exchange photos, messages and keep up on what’s new with their colleagues, friends and acquaintances. Facebook is known as Meta since 2021.
2003 – 2004
The inaugural logo of the project, known as Facemash, displayed its name in bold white uppercase letters set against a deep maroon backdrop.
2004 – 2005
Facemash was succeeded by a new site featuring a distinctive logo. The logo spelled “thefacebook” (all one word) in light blue, positioned over a darker blue background and unusually framed by two square brackets.
2005 – 2015
Subsequent iterations removed both the word “The” and the square brackets surrounding the name. The text color switched to white, enhancing the logo’s readability and simplicity.
2015 – 2020
Minor updates were made to the typography, most notably a redesigned “a,” among other subtle letter changes.
2019 – 2023
In 2019, the Facebook logo was refreshed with a new color scheme and layout. The logo now features a light blue wordmark against a stark white background, creating a fresh and dynamic appearance. The icon was also revised, transitioning from a square to a circular format, available in both flat and gradient versions.
2023 – now
The latest refinement in 2023 includes a deeper blue hue and slimmer lettering, retaining the existing font style. These adjustments have lent the logo a more elegant and modern look, enhancing its visual appeal while maintaining its minimalist charm. Facebook continues to evolve subtly, emphasizing progressive yet understated design changes.
Icon
2004 – 2009
In 2005, the banner changed to the familiar blue-and-white combination, and the first logo appeared alongside this change. The logo featured a paler blue square with double blue frames and rounded angles. The upper half was heavily illuminated, just as the fashion of the day dictated.
The most prominent part was the thick white letter ‘F’ in lowercase. It sat just inside the square, without touching the frame.
2009 – 2012
This iteration was way blockier and simpler. The square lost its rounded shape and frames. There was now just one dark blue shade, no illumination or gradients.
The letter also became noticeably thinner, although nothing really changed design-wise. With that said, there was now a small paler rectangle just at the base of a letter. It was looking somewhat like a floor on which the ‘F’ stood. It was mostly meant to spice up the appearance.
2012 – 2013
After that, they reverted to the first design, funnily enough. There were several notable differences, however.
The square was once again rounded, although they didn’t its pale frame. Instead, the rectangle from the previous logo expanded and now occupied the entire 1/6 of the logotype. They also lowered the letter somewhat, and now it touched the bottom line of the square shape.
Facebook also returned the illumination effect somewhat, although not as roughly as before. It’s now a gradient of sorts. You can see that the upper edge of the emblem is paler shade.
2013 – today
This stage is still very much used. For it, they combined some parts of the second and third iterations. The emblem is now a simple square with a blue uniform color, no shading. The letter, however, is situated just where it was in the previous iteration.
The design is used in many situations, as you know. It’s an official logotype featured everywhere on commercials and on PC versions of Facebook, as well as in many other places. However, they also added another variation later on.
2019 – now
This one is used simultaneously with the 2013 design. It’s basically the same lowercase ‘F’, but put in the middle of a lighter blue circle. That’s pretty much all there is to it. The design is mostly used to represent the mobile app. It’s used as an icon for it, and is richly sprinkled inside the app itself.
It’s really not featured elsewhere, although you might see it on promotional or official materials when the mobile app is the key subject.
Emblem and Symbol
The iconic ‘F’ letter is pretty much the only thing that stayed with the logotype almost as it was in the beginning. The reason why it’s always in the lowercase is simple – it’s just the word Harvardians used to call the phone book they had. Because the site is supposed to be a direct continuation of this concept, it’s not truly a proper name.
