Polygon is a website offering its readers a diverse range of content concerning video games, from blog posts to videos and news.
Originally, Polygon was a gaming blog. It came alive in the fall of 2012 as the third property of the media company Vox Media based in Washington and New York City.
The website has a fairly unique visual style. Yet, the most recognizable element of the brand identity is probably the Polygon logo, which has remained remarkably consistent over the years.
The design is made up of two parts. To the left, you can see a geometric emblem, which is a complex shape made up of six triangles. The top of the shape is a square comprising three triangles, while the lower part is a parallelogram, which consists of two triangles. While all the triangles are equal and colored red, their shades vary in saturation and darkness. This creates an attractive 3D effect and implied motion.
The redesign of 2024 has simplified the Polygon logo, keeping its style and recognizability. The emblem was redrawn in thin pink contours with the bodies of the geometric elements staying white. As for the lettering part, it stayed written. The same bold sans-serif typeface, but the solid black color of the characters’ bodies was replaced by deep gradients of pink and purple.
The unpretentious sans serif typeface doesn’t contradict the minimalist graphic emblem. The width of the strokes forming the glyphs is pretty even, not like in a fancy old-fashion font. We can note the diagonal line formed by the lower ends of the letters “l,” “y,” and “g,” which adds a dynamic touch.
Yet, the type lacks identity. To make matters worse, the shape of the glyphs does not seem to echo the geometric style of the emblem. While the emblem has multiple acute angles and not a single rounded element, the glyphs present a classic combination of circles and curves with right and acute angles. At least, the ends aren’t rounded, though.
The various shades of red and pink combined in the emblem don’t look out of place on the website dominated by the purples. On the downside, we can’t say that the Polygon logo is either very visible on such a background or that the palette of the website somehow emphasizes the colors of the emblem.