2025, brand identity & strategy, graphic design, 2D motion design, illustration
Background: The Pain
Research shows that Yelp has relatively strong brand awareness in the United States (67% among social media users), but substantially lower levels of popularity (10%), usage (10%), loyalty (7%), and social buzz (9%). This gap suggests that while many people recognize the Yelp brand, it is not integrated into their everyday habits or sustained use.
In the United Kingdom, Yelp’s presence is significantly weaker across all measured metrics. While some awareness of Yelp exists, it does not translate into meaningful engagement or loyalty.
When compared with major social platforms, Yelp ranks only mid-tier in brand awareness in the United States (10th out of 20 platforms, with 69% awareness) and near the bottom in the United Kingdom (17th out of 20 platforms, with just 28% awareness). Overall, the data shows that although awareness is Yelp’s strongest metric, it remains insufficient when placed within the broader social and discovery ecosystem.
Statista. "Leading Social Networks Ranked by Brand Awareness in The United States in 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 9 Dec 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1307244/most-well-known-social-networks-in-the-united-states/
Statista. "Leading Social Networks Ranked by Brand Awareness in The United Kingdom in 2024." Statista, Statista Inc., 4 Dec 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1309958/most-well-known-social-networks-in-the-uk/
The Identity: Logo
To emphasize on connectivity, the new wordmark is designed with a cursive font that captures the friendliness of the community, while the first stroke of letter “y” remains sharp, representing that all opinions are welcomed, including bold and sharp ones.
The Identity: Color
The new color palette for Yelp is designed with off-white, warm black, and a bright, friendly yellow. I chose yellow as the accent color not only because it’s more energetic and welcoming, but also because the origin of the name Yelp was inspired by the “yellow pages” (and also that it’s familiar with “help”).
The new identity has a friendlier color palette and graphic illustrations that are fun and welcoming. I designed a mascot to make users feel more connected, along with the tagline, “What’s good?” A more prominent social media presence is displayed on the app. The identity is conveyed through colors, characters, icons, the website and app, promotional posters, and a motion montage.
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