Medium is a home for quality writing and storytelling.

As the platform evolved, its brand identity needed to move closer to the customer. The guidelines also needed to become a design system that was easy for the team to use.

Our work involved: 1) Auditing the visual brand use. 2) Refreshing the identity. 3) Bringing brand into product. 4) Refining implementation across touchpoints. 5) And creating tools to improve ease of execution. 

The goal was to maintain the thoughtful identity, while making it more approachable.

We kept core elements of typography, grid, and layout, while doubling down on consistency across applications. We also adjusted the use of color, honing in on a primary tone while letting user-generated content influence the palette. This reinforced Medium’s focus on authentic writing and the voices on the platform. 

To improve impact, we built an internal design system with imagery libraries, design templates, and new illustrations. This made it easier to apply the brand across different touchpoints without losing quality. Beyond digital, we also extended the brand into event branding for Medium Day.