TikTok has revamped its brand design system. This work was carried out jointly by the UK brand agency Dixon Backsie and TikTok's global brand team. Dixon Backsie recently released a case study, explaining that this project was an effort to expand TikTok's brand system to a larger scale.
The key was not to create a completely new face. The focus was on refining a system that could be used consistently across global campaigns, ad sales materials, events, and digital screens, while maintaining TikTok's already widely recognized logo and core identity. Ishan Mishra, who led the brand refresh internally at TikTok, stated that the 2025 refresh was not simply about creating a visually appealing new style, but about building a trustworthy global brand foundation.
The newly unveiled elements include 'Spark' and the 'Discovery Bar.' Both are devices designed to visually organize discovery and diffusion, which are core experiences of TikTok. The intention is to more clearly demonstrate, from a brand perspective, that the platform is one where users encounter new content and creators. Dixon Backsi explained that the system was designed to build brand awareness by placing creators at the center of all decisions.
This change is also closely linked to TikTok's current position. With over 200 million users in the U.S. and more than 1.6 billion monthly active users worldwide, it has entered a stage where it can no longer remain solely with its initial fast and experimental image. Brands are also in a situation where they must operate stably across a wider market and more touchpoints.
Ultimately, this collaboration is less about making TikTok more flashy and more about reorganizing the grown brand. It is about maintaining the nature of the rapidly changing platform while ensuring it appears as the same brand across all regions and screens. Through this work, Dixon Backsie and TikTok have used design language to redefine the fact that TikTok is not just a simple app, but a global cultural platform.
