Fast Company Logo

Fast Company Logo PNG

As expected, the Fast Company logo is text-based, as it is a magazine directly related to texts. To stand out from competitors, the company decided to use an unusual inscription. It performs several functions: it serves as an emblem, a cover design element, the magazine’s concept, and the main point of its list of themes.

Meaning and History

This magazine has experienced ups and downs, preserving not only its original concept but also its identity. The departure of the founding editors did not significantly affect it, as if Fast Company is an unshakeable pillar at the foot of which hundreds of bustling people pass without a trace. However, traces of those connected with it have remained: in the form of honorary awards or, conversely, disappointments and financial risks.

The publication’s emblem is its specially designed name. It has always adorned the cover and was in the website’s header, opening the world of business, design, and technology to readers. By the simple inscription, those interested can immediately recognize the magazine, as it still occupies the top part of the front side. Of course, individual elements are used in the text, which helps to stand out among competitors. At first glance, the Fast Company logo may seem simple. The unusual placement and size of the letters make them non-standard, bright, and memorable.

What is Fast Company?

Fast Company is a print and electronic magazine published in the US since 1995. It is dedicated to the topics of business, technology, and design and is released every two months. The head office is located in New York City. The magazine was founded by Bill Taylor, Mortimer Zuckerman, and Alan Webber and now belongs to Mansueto Ventures.

1995 – 2018

The emblem was designed by the famous lettering artist and type designer Jim Parkinson, who specializes in logos for newspapers and magazines. He created a light and simultaneously dynamic symbol, demonstrating the main thing – the changeability of the world, the fact that it does not stand still but appears in different guises. The inscription looks elegant because:

• sharp serifs are used;
• glyphs have an elongated form;
• capital “A” and “O” are reduced in size;
• symbols are placed almost close together but not merged with each other;
• minuscule letters are harmoniously “hidden” among large ones;
• despite the difference in size, the signs do not seem to jump;
• no glyph goes beyond the established border.

The black color adds elegance and classicism to the logo, which is necessary for the magazine to maintain its image – as if it is both old and new. This allows it to expand its readership, covering representatives of different generations significantly.

2018 – today

The inscription in the modernized Fast Company emblem is set in the Grifo font. It is also elegant but not as light because it has wide and dense serifs. With the same font weight, the letters appear massive. Designers chose this typeface due to its versatility: depending on the surrounding text, the logo, executed in this font, can look elegant, bold, and even radical. Moreover, the massive serifs live up to their name: they resemble the claws of a griffin.

The developer of the new version is Mike Schnaidt. He not only created the emblem but also proposed using the Grifo font for magazine headlines, which was named Grifinito. This means the typographer has almost completely reworked the periodical’s visual identity. He kept the symbol’s color monochrome.

Fonts and Colors

In all versions of the Fast Company logo, elegant fonts with tall glyphs have been used except for two. These are the “A” and “O,” reduced in size and placed among the other letters. Despite their small size, they are easily readable thanks to the optimal character spacing. In one of the emblems, the signs are written in a condensed manner – in the one where the font resembles Toledo Serial Medium. Grifo, on the other hand, is versatile, with a clear separation of letters.

The monochrome palette includes only two colors: black and white. But depending on the background (magazine cover), it can be any other color.

Fast Company color codes