Airbnb CEO breaks down logo resdesign, video fails to impress: '99% can't tell a difference'

Hindustan Times

5 days ago

An undated video showing Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky explaining the company's logo redesign has gained attention on social media, but the rebrand hasn't exactly wowed many viewers.
In the video, shared by several marketing accounts on Instagram, Chesky narrates the extensive journey Airbnb's design team undertook to refine its logo. Using a series of printouts to illustrate the process, Chesky explained how the team tweaked the now-familiar red-and-white 'Bélo' logo, first introduced in 2014 as a 'universal symbol of belonging.'
'I asked the team to refine our logo. It includes two parts: the icon (Bélo) and the wordmark (Airbnb). I always thought the wordmark was too thin and the logo was too thick,' Chesky said, outlining the design challenge.
As he walked through the changes, he described how the team adjusted the thickness of the letters, aligned the curvature radius of the icon and wordmark and reworked the spacing to better fit within a visual triangle.
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They even analysed the thickness and weight of each letter, ensuring harmonious proportions and a more precise complementation of the letters. In the end, Chesky revealed the updated logo. But to the internet's sharp eyes, it looked strikingly similar to the old one.
Many users, unimpressed after the in-depth explanation, had fun with the subtlety of the changes.
'So they spent 30 minutes adjusting the height and 4 months creating this presentation right after,' joked one commenter.
Another chimed in, '99% of people can't tell a difference. You can tell me all day that they just don't understand why they like it better, but the changes made here wouldn't affect your sales in the slightest.'
Still, some appreciated the behind-the-scenes look at the precision behind the redesign.
'I know most businesses don't have the money to do design research like this, but as a product designer, this is super satisfying,' one viewer wrote. 'Especially the fact that the CEO himself understands why there needed to be a redesign — and had the team execute it. That's many a designer's dream.'
Another noted, 'They first identify the problem and solve it. Then they implement it and create a corporate manual so other designers can follow the rules and keep the brand consistent.'
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