All you need to know about YouTube logo redesign & Dark Mode

Aug 31, 2017

For the first time in more than 12 years, the YouTube logo bears a new look, changes to the UI and a few more changes accompany it such like the all new Dark Mode and more!

Why is it a big deal? Because this is the first time YouTube has made changes to their iconic logo since 2005, the year it came into existence. Even after Google bought the platform for $1.65Billion, they made no changes to the YouTube logo.

Shouvik Roy, Senior Partner at YAAP feels positive about the new change, “I think it’s refreshingly similar. Keeps the ethos intact and introduces a key brand property of the play button very smartly.”

The YouTube logo is not the only thing that has changed, as the company appears to be have reduced the use of the color Red substituting it with White, and opting for a cleaner, more prominent display for video thumbnails.

The YouTube blog announcing the new update revisited YouTube’s journey over the years, “When YouTube launched 12 years ago, it was a single website that supported one video format, 320×240 at 4:3 aspect ratio. Fast forward to today, and YouTube lets you watch any combination of SD, HD, 4K, 360, 3-D, and live video on nearly every device with an internet connection – from desktops to phones, tablets to TVs, game consoles, and even VR headsets.”

Let us discuss the new features and redesign from YouTube to both their Desktop and Mobile users, that include an eye strain eliminating Dark Mode, a much more space optimizing design, and YouTube’s decision to ditch the Red header for a White one, and also some gesture based actions that are being pre announced.

The new Dark Mode is being made available to YouTube desktop users, their Mobile users will have to wait. It makes up for great night time viewing and looks rather impressive to me, although that opinion may differ from person to person.

These two agree with me though.

The new UI has eliminated a lot of ‘waste of space’ and made things seamless. Have a look at it.

Notice anything different?

Also, YouTube Mobile users can speed up and slow down the videos, a feature that has been available on Desktop for a while now.

Vertical videos also find inclusion in YouTube’s new update wherein the annoying black bars on the side will no longer be visible as the YouTube player will automatically adjust its shape to the kind of video you are watching.

via GIPHY

You can also browse for other suggested videos even when viewing another video in full screen, and YouTube is working towards bringing this new feature at the bottom of the player for a fresh new look.

Tech Crunch’s Sarah Perez writes, “Meanwhile, the desktop redesign introduced in May is now the default instead of an opt-in beta. This upgrade had included rebuilding YouTube on top of the open source JavaScript library Polymer, which will allow Google to more quickly bring new features to market going forward, it had said at the time.”

YouTube explains their rationale behind this big new change, “Designed for our multi-screen world, the updated Logo combines a cleaned up version of the YouTube wordmark and Icon, creating a more flexible design that works better across a variety of devices, even on the tiniest screens. Why’s it more flexible? When room is limited (say on a smartphone) you can use the brightened up Icon as an abbreviated Logo, which will be seen more easily and read more clearly. “

Take a look at the ways YouTube has changed over the years!

via GIPHY

YouTube’s Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan signs off on the blog post admitting that they have shaken things up quite a bit “We know this is a lot of change, but we want to make clear that there’s one thing that stays the same: YouTube’s mission. We’re here to give people a voice and show them the world – no matter what device they use.”

On the gesture based features front, the company has pre announced the following,” One of the things we’re working on is bringing gestures to YouTube. Earlier this year, we introduced a gesture that allows you to double tap on the left or right side of a video to fast forward or rewind 10 seconds. Give it a try! We already see billions of double taps per day. And I wanted to give you a sneak peek at another gesture I am really excited about. In the coming months, we’ll experiment with a feature that lets you jump between videos with a simple swipe of your hand: just swipe left to watch a previous video or swipe right to watch the next one.”

Take a look at all the new features summarized within a video.

Many users have not been impressed with the new UI with many disappointed by the unavailability of the Dark Mode on the YouTube Mobile app, whereas some think the new UI was unnecessary as things were good enough as it is. Some people had a problem with the ‘bright red’ whereas some called it bland,