Streamlabs, which was launched in 2014, provides live streaming software that can be used in various platforms similar to, for instance, YouTube. For media streaming, the product relies on OBS, while for user interface, it relies on the Electron open-source framework. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco, California, US, and Vancouver, Canada. In 2019, it was acquired by Logitech.
The highlight of the Streamlabs logo has been a stylized anthropomorphized word cloud. Its most unique feature has been its prominent eyes.
What is Streamlabs
Streamlabs has been known as a collection of software created for live streaming content on a range of platforms, from Twitch to YouTube and Facebook Gaming. Its best-known program is Streamlabs OBS, which integrates Open Broadcaster Software with an updated user interface and content.
In the earliest logo, the speech balloon was green with a thick black border. The overall shape was slightly different from the generic speech balloon as it was a rectangle with rounded corners rather than an ellipse. Even more importantly, the creature had eyes and even spectacles. The frames of the spectacles echoed the shape of the word cloud (a rectangle with rounded corners).
The wordmark, which is positioned to the right, is set in a bold sans with rounded ends. The proportions of the letters are classic, which provides adequate readability. The rounded ends of the glyphs create a rhyme with the rounded corners of the emblem. And yet, this link isn’t enough as the harmony is broken by the difference between the basic geometric shapes behind the letters (ellipse) and the emblem (rectangle).
The green color disappeared leaving the logo black and white. Other than this small color adjustment, the design remained unchanged.
However, the brand’s visual identity had an essential upgrade as, in addition to the primary logo, the company introduced an icon. The icon, in its turn, had some color. The outline of the anthropomorphized speech balloon was black and rather bold. The “face” was placed inside a light green box, which was a square with rounded corners.
The updated Streamlabs logo looks more minimalist and friendlier. The “friendlier” effect comes from the plumper typeface.
As the glyphs gained some weight, the designers had to slightly modify the shape of the letters to make them work even when the type is bolder. This is especially obvious with the simplified “a.”
The most remarkable modification, though, was introduced to the icon – it has grown by far simpler. Now, the similarity with the speech cloud is much less obvious. The spectacles have disappeared leaving only two white ellipses for the eyes. This is another step towards simplicity as the eyes in the previous version had proper pupils.
Also, above the top left corner of the “face,” there is a small curve, which wasn’t there in the previous logotype.
The StreamLabs icon depicts the recognizable symbol of the brand — the square head creature in glasses, executed in a white, green, and turquoise color palette and placed on a square with rounded angles. The square features the corporate turquoise color as the main one and is sometimes accompanied by green shadows, around the central image.
The visual brand identity introduced in 2021 utilizes a simple black-and-white color scheme. While this approach may lack originality, it offers the brand maximum flexibility as the design works on any background.
The type is a rather simple sans with plump glyphs and rounded corners – the two features traditionally associated with friendliness and openness. Interestingly, to achieve this positive emotional effect, the authors of the Streamlabs logo had to sacrifice some of the legibility.