Amino is an online application, with the help of which people can join into communities dedicated to various topics and communicate with each other. The app was developed by Narvii, Inc. The authors of Amino are Yin Wang and Ben Anderson.
The original concept of the application appeared in 2012, while the official release of Amino took place in 2014.
What is Amino?
Amino is the name of a mobile application, which was created in the United States in 2012. The app is is a network of thematic communities and a large social network based on it, where people with common interests can get together and talk about anything.
The earliest Amino logo on the list is also the most friendly and fun one. It is the only one featuring the monkey’s head. The creature is smiling and looking directly at the viewer. Apparently, the friendly animal is supposed to appeal to users and urge them to join the application or start chatting. It’s like a symbol of all those people waiting to communicate with each other.
The glyphs are dominated by the oval and circle shapes, while the ends of the letters are rounded. These features are typically associated with the “friendly” mood.
Blue, the only color used in the original version, symbolizes communication and mental activity, so it’s only natural it is used here (and in many popular social networks, too).
The logo was redrawn from scratch becoming by far more minimalist (and generic, too).
The monkey disappeared. The rounded ends were replaced by the standard rectangular ones. None of the glyphs, except the “O,” had a single rounded or curved stroke – the triangle dominated the design now.
This version has solved the two main problems of its predecessor: the lack of originality and lack of personal feel. It now looks unique and friendly, with a personal touch.
The uniqueness comes partly from the characteristic “A” – it is far more recognizable than the previous generic initial.
The friendliness and the personal feel come from the rounded shapes and the cursive.
Apart from the primary logo, the Amino App also has had two icon versions created throughout the years. Both of the icons are based on one symbol — a stylized letter “A” with its horizontal bar drawn diagonally and elongated, crossing the left bar of the character. The main thing which was redesigned here is the color palette, which changed dramatically.
The “A” looks pretty much the same as in the main Amino logo, except for the color. Here, it is orange and pink over the light green background. There are rays of light as if there is a source of light behind the letter.
This version is by far darker. The “A” is gray, while the background is dominated by black and very dark blue.
Even though the wordmark appears on the screen, it still looks as if it has been written by hand, due to the cursive script. It’s something very important in the era, when people feel disconnected from each other and rarely get enough personal attention.
In 2014, green, the symbol of all things natural, replaced blue in the Amino logo. This could be because of the need to stand out among other social networks or because of the desire to create a more peaceful and natural feel. This could be necessary as staring at the screen is by no means natural, so at least the color of the app’s logo could make up for a simple walk in the part that the users skipped while chatting.