DesignStudio rebrand Airbnb as an immersive online community

As of 6.30pm last night Airbnb looks a little classier. Having spent the past seven years growing a vast community of country-hopping collaborators, the world’s largest online accommodation marketplace has decided it’s time for a change. Gone is the awkward, dated logo that still reminds me of a bad ice cream parlour, likewise the cold, clinical blue that serves as the accent colour for all San Franciscan startups; and in its place is something entirely more exciting.

Working with London-based DesignStudio the company has undergone a wholesale brand update replacing logos, accent colours, UX, UI and their overall mission statement. “Belonging is the idea that defines Airbnb,” said CEO Brian Chesky, “but the way we’ve represented Airbnb to the world until now hasn’t fully captured this. So to represent that feeling, we’ve created a new marque for Airbnb inspired by our community. It’s an iconic marque for our windows, our doors, and our shared values.”

The marque is designed to be as clear and simple as possible, instantly iconic but easily reproducible, and to reflect this they’re inviting their users to customise and update it to suit their own needs. This means that members of the Airbnb community can create their own versions or the new identity to fully customise the experience they offer and to signify what’s unique about staying with them.

There are also major changes in the use of photography, modernised typography and a new brand colour that feels a lot less sterile than the last. What we’re most excited about though, is the new web and mobile sites, which promise to make the experience of actually booking your holiday a hell o fa lot more simple; which given the ubiquity of couch-surfing holidays can only be a good thing. Can’t say fairer than that!