TikTok Logo PNG
The TikTok logo, recognized by all, is distinguished by its simplicity and originality. The graphic representation of the social network’s tremolo sign and its choice symbolizes the service’s possibilities and musical and video orientation, demonstrating the user’s creative potential.
TikTok: Brand overview
Meaning and History
The TikTok logo features an eighth note. The symbol was chosen because the media platform is often used for shooting small musical clips. The pattern looks unusual thanks to the combination of three colors: black, purple, and blue. According to the designer’s idea, the black color resembles a hall during a rock concert when it’s dark and light falls only on the stage.
In this case, the emblem seems stereoscopic. Many think it should be viewed with 3D glasses. However, this is a misconception because the developers did not aim to create an anaglyph and did not make a horizontal shift in the picture. They tried to depict the effect of tremolo – a trembling sound when repeating a single note. After all, the TikTok application in China is called Douyin, which means “trembling music” in English. As a result, the logo appears to be distorted by electromagnetic waves.
What’s the Inspiration behind the TikTok logo?
The TikTok logo reflects the app’s essence, which serves as a platform for creative self-expression and enjoyment worldwide. In the app, various communities engage in humor, dance, sports, and share interesting music clips.
The creator of the emblem had his vision: to embody the virtual stage that TikTok provides to its talented users. As a young man who enjoys live music events, especially rock shows, he found his muse in the crowd under the glowing stage. He transferred this atmosphere into the logo design, choosing a black background to create dynamic content in the app.
As the main element, he drew a musical note. To make it stand out against the black background, he superimposed an image of an electric wave onto the flat sketch. Several design options were tested before one visually appealing option was chosen.
In creating the final version of the logo, the designer aimed for it not to blend into the sea of app icons but to reflect TikTok’s bright user experience. He strove for the logo to emanate an aura of excitement and appeal.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is the international version of the Chinese program Douyin. It’s a social network where users can post and view short video clips up to 3 minutes long. The TikTok platform debuted in 2016 but went public only two years later, when it became the largest video community after merging with Musical.ly.
September – December 2016
Before the introduction of the stereoscopic effect, the TikTok logo was much simpler. It also represented a note, formed by overlaying many similar notes, but it looked unstructured. To show musical “infinity,” the designers slightly rotated the main element, demonstrating the presence of many layers colored in different shades of amaranth. Shadows were also added. At the bottom, they placed a brief inscription – “A.ME.” The first letter is a classic print; the other two are handwritten and appear to have been drawn with a wide-tip black marker.
2016 – today
The new app’s symbol was chosen as a note. However, the designers added an effect reminiscent of 3D colors when looking at the image without glasses.
2017 – 2018
The name TikTok was added to the symbol for greater brand recognition worldwide. The “Nota” logo in the app or other promotional products didn’t always guarantee brand recognition and memorability. With the addition of the “TikTok” name to the symbol, users began to remember the brand better.
2018 – today
In 2018, the popular Chinese app Musical.ly was acquired by ByteDance, which later became TikTok. At the same time, a new logo design appeared. The letter “O” received a 3D effect. Otherwise, the logo remained unchanged.
Font and Colors
Since 2017, the graphic part of the logo has been supplemented with the inscription “TikTok.” Initially, “Tik” and “Tok” were written separately, with a wide margin, but they were later combined into one word. This happened in 2018. Then, the letter “o” acquired a purple-blue outline, similar to the letter “o” in “note.”
The designers also slightly changed the style of the symbols: they replaced the square dot above “i” with a round one and shortened the strokes of “T” and “k.” But the main typography remained the same. The developers opted for a well-readable sans-serif font, believing it was ideally suited to the brand name.
The placement of elements is not regulated: the text can be placed both under the note and to the right of it. Depending on this, its size changes slightly. When both parts of the logo are close to the horizontal plane, the “TikTok” inscription aligns with the graphic symbol.
To convey the musical tremolo effect, the designers combined several colors. The primary color is black (hex code: #010101). It depicts the note. Additional colors are a purple shade of red (#EE1D52) and Light Aqua turquoise (#69C9D0). They are superimposed unevenly, creating the impression that the pattern sways under the influence of the electromagnetic field.