Reddit users will be familiar with Snoo, a friendly alien character with an antenna poking out of its head, which has long been the recognisable face of the platform. As part of a new visual identity designed by Pentagram, Snoo has been given a 3D glow up complete with hands and legs.

The platform approached Pentagram towards the end of 2022 to help consolidate and refresh its branding. Prior to the redesign, over 100 colours were in its library, and thousands of iterations of the Snoo icon had been in circulation.

Led by partner Natasha Jen, the team ran a repositioning exercise, landing on a brand strategy that pitches Reddit as “the heart of the internet”, an apt description considering just about every pocket of society, every interest – mainstream or niche – are probably represented on Reddit.

With the strategy in mind, the identity hinges on four (not dissimilar) pillars: ‘inherently eclectic’, ‘positively different’, ‘delightfully absurd’, and ‘genuinely candid’. The most noticeable evolution is Snoo itself, which has been transformed into a 3D mascot along with a suite of different Snoo expressions in the style of emojis. The 3D treatment has also been applied to icons.

The refresh also includes a new wordmark, adapted from its proprietary typeface Reddit Sans, and a new custom display typeface, Reddit Display, which combines counters and exaggerated inktraps to resemble speech bubbles, reiterating its role as a hub for discussion.

The typefaces nod to the rounded, bubbly shapes seen throughout the identity, including in graphic framing devices, which are stretched and exaggerated in the motion design. Together, it creates a cohesive visual language rooted in its origins.

pentagram.com