Let’s get an insight into the Etsy logo and some history behind the online platform for artisans.
The lack of a steady market for handmade items led Robert Kalin and three other friends to start Etsy. In partnership with Chris, Haim, and Jared, Robert founded the company in 2005. Though its major competitors are Amazon and eBay, they focus on the handmade and vintage niche.
Etsy offers artists and crafters the opportunity to make a living. It provides an online marketplace for people to buy and sell handmade, vintage, and special goods. Some items you’ll find are jewelry, clothing, toys, bags, and craft supplies, among others.
Besides the Etsy idea, Robert also designed the company’s logo. It’s an orange logotype that respects the rules of English grammar. Therefore, the scripted logo starts with an uppercase letter, leaving the rest in lowercase letters. Overall, it’s clean, readable, versatile, and engaging.
Interestingly, a classic Italian movie inspired the brand’s name. So, from the phrase—eh si, Etsy was born, and it means—oh yes, in Italian. The co-founder, Robert Kalin, adores the name for two reasons. First, it’s unique and foreign. And second, because it stirs curiosity.
Today, the Etsy logo leads a global brand. Operating from its head office in Brooklyn, it has nearly 1400 workers. Also, in the 2020 fiscal year, it earned $1.7 billion in revenue. Then, after deductions, it closed that year with a net income of about $349 million.
Etsy Logo Evolution And Its History
The Etsy logo is about seventeen years old. Yet, it’s showing no sign of weariness. Instead, it has kept its orange personality intact, sending a positive message to its audience. Moreover, for keeping a consistent identity, the brand has become reliable.
Now, buyers and sellers can associate it with loyalty, stability, and availability. So, to remain relevant and competitive, these are strong values for the brand.
2005—Present:
Etsy has a friendly logo. While most logotypes go against English grammar rules, Etsy respects them. So, the logotype begins with a capital letter, leaving the rest in lowercase scripts. In crafting its personality, the designer used the Minister EF Book font. Again, the easy-going wordmark comes in orange over a white background. Additionally, the brand has a favicon that comprises the capital—E on an orange square. Sometimes, the orange background is circular.
Why Does Etsy Logo Work?
1. The Etsy Logo Is Simple:
From a distance, most customers can see and describe the Etsy logo. This is because it comprises fewer design elements. The designer behind it has adhered to the phrase—Less is more! Therefore, it’s highly recognizable and can rock shoulders with the world’s iconic trademarks.
2. The Etsy Logo Is Legible:
The Etsy trademark is readable across all mediums. And this is because of its font choice. Seriously, customers would have difficulty identifying any brand’s name without a readable typeface. And it isn’t a good practice. That’s why creative designers exercise caution when selecting their fonts.
3. The Etsy Logo Is Memorable:
The Etsy logotype is memorable. Its modest personality makes it easy for customers to identify and memorize it. This quality creates an emotional and lasting impression on its audience in the long run. Therefore, your logo should be simple but attractive to remain in customers’ minds.
4. The Etsy Logo Is Versatile:
A word of caution—always aimed at multiple sizes and channels. Because Etsy’s management wants to reach several customers, they opted for a logo with a simple layout. Therefore, the logo can fit different marketing applications without losing its power. Also, it can adapt to any color.
5. The Etsy Logo Is Timeless:
The Etsy wordmark is almost seventeen years old. Yet, it has had no refreshment during this period. From this proof, you can conclude it was designed with longevity in mind. Interestingly, the logo enjoys this quality because it avoids fashionable design features.
Etsy Logo Design Elements
Design elements are certainly the soul of any graphic design. As an entrepreneur, there are several of these elements you can choose from. However, it would help if you were mindful of picking the ones that speak to your audience. This is because a wrong choice would hurt your brand.
Thankfully, Etsy has a trademark that you can model after. Now, let’s dig further.
Etsy Logo Colors
1. An Orange Color:
Orange is the official color of Etsy. It’s an intense color that grabs attention quickly. As a secondary hue, it has both the emotions of red and yellow. Therefore, it signifies energy, enthusiasm, warmth, and balance. Also, the color represents freedom, joy, and success.
2. A White Color:
White is the next color that gives visibility to the Etsy wordmark. On the favicon, it evokes the personality of the letter—E over the orange background. In most cultures, it’s associated with winter. Interestingly, the symbolism of white includes purity, peace, cleanliness, and sincerity.
Who Created the Etsy Logo?
There’s no doubt that the Etsy trademark has adhered to the rules of logo design. From the font to color choices, you’ll agree it’s the work of an expert graphic designer. However, it’s the handiwork of a carpenter. Yes, you read that right! Robert Kalin, a co-founder of the company, designed the trademark, considering every design detail.
What Is Etsy’s Font?
Etsy uses one of the most readable typefaces. It paints the personality of the brand in an excellent and friendly manner. Carl Albert Fahrenwaldt designed the font, and it’s known as the Minister EF Book. When designing the font, Carl Albert used Guardian Egyptian font as a reference. The Etsy logotype is executed in sans-serif with a traditional style. And Elsner + Flake published it.
What Color Is Etsy Logo?
You wouldn’t be wrong in describing Etsy as an orange company. This is because it has favored the hue of the sun from its beginning. Russet orange (Pantone #16-1255) is the specific color evoking the brand’s personality. And it stands for creativity, balance, and energy.
Also, the russet orange can promote friendship, happiness, and freedom. More so, the picking of the color offers an exciting insight. According to Robert Kalin, he was sitting on an orange chair when he began brainstorming for his business.
What Is the Etsy Symbol?
The Etsy logo is a wordmark type; therefore, it has no symbol. However, it uses an icon that is linked to its website. This visual mark is a favicon, and it appears in the browser’s address bar. This classic Etsy favicon comprises a square with the capital letter—E inside. Whereas the letter is white, the background keeps its official orange presence.
What Is the Meaning of Etsy?
Etsy has an exciting story regarding the origin of its name. The four-letter word has an Italian connection. A co-founder of the company, Robert Kalin, discovered the name while watching a movie. The film was entitled—81/2, and it was a classic Italian movie.
Interestingly, some part of the scene caught his attention when a phrase came up. Kalin thought he heard the sound—Et si, so he wrote it down. However, the actual word was—eh si, meaning—oh yes, in Italian. So finally, he settled on Etsy, keeping its Italian meaning.
What Is Etsy’s Logo?
Over the years, Etsy has created a powerful brand image by sticking to a script logo. The Etsy logo comprises the brand’s name—Etsy in the correct English writing. It starts with a capital letter, then the rest follows in small letters. It has an orange personality over a neutral white background. Additionally, the letters are written in a readable sans-serif font.
Who Is the Founder of Etsy?
Etsy owes its formation to four entrepreneurs: Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire, Haim Schoppik, and Jared Tarbell. However, Chris and Haim left the company in August 2008. The online e-commerce specializes in handmade and vintage products. It’s common to buy or sell bags, clothes, artworks, and toys, to name a few.
How Etsy Got Started?
Founded in Brooklyn, Etsy is an American e-commerce platform specializing in handmade, vintage, and craft supplies. Four friends formed it on June 18, 2005. These entrepreneurs are Robert Kalin, Chris Maguire, and Haim Schoppik. Later, Jared Tarbell joined as a founder.
The idea of Etsy originated from Robert Kalin, a furniture maker. Initially, he found it hard selling the products: wood-encased computers he made. This lack of a marketing platform led to the birth of Etsy: an online channel where artisans can sell their items.
After two years of its launch, Etsy attracted 450,000 registered users. These included sellers and buyers, generating $26 million in annual revenue. However, buyers bought 300,000 products in November, spending $4.3 million.
By July the same year, the brand raised $3 million from venture capitalists to expand. Then, in January 2008, Etsy received $27 million as extra funding. These came from Hubert Burda Media, Union Square Ventures, and Jim Breyer.
In July 2008, Maria Thomas became the company’s CEO. Then, a month later, Chris Maguire and Haim Schoppik left the company, including other employees. However, in September 2008, Chad Dickerson became the brand’s, Chief Technology Officer.
By May 2009, the company was making about $13 million monthly. Also, it had about 60 employees within this period. To improve upon its infrastructure, Etsy bought several companies, including Adtuitive, Trunkt, and Lascaux Company.
In 2011, Chad Dickerson became the CEO of the company. He hired several engineers to change the fortunes of the business. Then, in May 2012, the company received $40 million in a series of funding. Then, an additional fund of $57.3 million followed in May 2014.
Etsy went public on April 16, 2015. It sold 13.3 million shares, raising about $237 million. However, some investors sued Etsy after the IPO, citing fraud. Currently, Josh Silverman is the company’s CEO, replacing Chad Dickerson.
The brand has about 86.53 active users, including buyers and sellers. Also, it employs about 1400 workers. Again, it made about $349 million net income by the end of 2020.
My Final Remarks On the Etsy Logo And Its History
Until Etsy came into existence, most artisans found it difficult to sell their items. However, this changed in June 2005 when Robert Kalin and his friends started Etsy. Before chancing upon this idea, Robert had also found it hard selling his handmade products.
To solve this challenge, the founders launched Etsy via their company, Iospace. Therefore, Etsy began as an online platform linking buyers and sellers together. However, instead of selling general goods, the company focused on handmade, vintage, and craft supplies.
The idea proved successful, attracting about 450,000 users after its launch. By November 2007, buyers had bought 300,000 items. In addition, they spent $4.3 million during this period, increasing the previous sales by 43%. Overall sales for that year amounted to $26 million.
Though they started with their monies, the founders also received several million in funding. Few of these investors are Jim Breyer, Hubert Media Burda, Union Square Ventures, and Action Capital Partners. Again, Etsy raised enough funds by going public in April 2015.
Its chief executive officers have masterminded the company’s success. Here, we can name Robert Kalin, Chad Dickerson, and the current CEO, Josh Silverman. Today, the brand is doing well under its new leadership. They have also brought in fresh ideas to compete.
Again, Etsy has become a global brand because of its logo. Though it’s simple, it’s up to the task of leading the company to success. The trademark is a modest script that abides by English grammar rules, and it begins with an uppercase letter and then lowercase ones.
Robert Kalin designed it. Also, it got its name from an Italian movie. Therefore, Etsy originated from the Italian phrase—eh si, translated—oh yes, in English. Again, to Robert, an orange chair inspired his color preference.
Interestingly, it was the chair he sat on while brainstorming for his new business. The brand is globally recognized, attracting over eighty million users—both sellers and buyers. Also, it has three major competitors in the United States: Amazon, Craigslist, and eBay.
