New 'intimate content' app gets a sophisticated brand

Branding an app is tricky to get right, but UX is just as important as branding and when it works, it works.

Wildish & Co have created the identity for Linq, a new app that aims to give people control of their intimate content (read: nudes) even after they've sent it.

The idea is that instead of sending nudes through other apps, they send them via Linq, which works within every messaging and dating app. When someone has access, only they can open it and screenshots are blocked by default. In future, it will be possible to block users even showing the content to someone else (I'm not sure how, with Face recognition technology perhaps).

The branding could easily have reverted to clichés or come across as cheesy but the balance is about right. The colours are warm oranges, pinks and reds, along with charcoal, the typography is subtle, the gradients bring a softness while graphic framing devices house photography and a phone framing device reminds us what we're dealing with. The result is something that shows that it's about intimacy, but doesn't feel too in your face.

The core concept is "Practice safe sext" and the identity needed to bring together the sophisticated tech that makes Linq possible with intimate human connection.

"We needed to communicate that Linq is fundamentally a privacy-first technology while acknowledging its position adjacent to dating platforms," says Sam Fresco, managing director of Wildish & Co. "The result is a visual language that conveys technological sophistication without feeling cold, and approachability without trivialising its serious mission."

The logotype ties the identity together, and is a visual representation of the 'link' in Linq.

"The logotype needed to feel normalised; trustworthy and secure while still being approachable," says Sam. "It creates a simple and direct visual anchor that immediately communicates the essence of the brand."

There's also a heart icon used throughout the identity, sort of like a cross between the logos for Airbnb and The British Heart Foundation.

The brand was developed through a series of workshops and extensive user testing, meaning that Linq know that this branding works in practice.

"From the outset, we were clear that the job to be done was not to create a brand that we liked – but one that would resonate with our key audiences, says Rupert Bradshaw, Linq’s CMO.

“So we baked in user testing at three key points to help keep us on track. Firstly, during exploration, to inspire the overall direction. Secondly, during concept refinement, to help steer our choice of route. And finally, during delivery – to confirm the brand was landing as intended with our key audiences. This final test showed an 86% approval rating among nude senders – giving us huge conviction in what Wildish had delivered.”

"This was always a complex and challenging brief – but working with Wildish felt like an extension of our own team,” continues Rupert.

"Image-based abuse is a serious problem that affects millions of people in the UK alone. But even though 1 in 2 young adults have sent an intimate image, the topic remains a massive taboo.

"Linq is tackling that issue head on. And the identity Wildish have created for us has brought that spirit to life perfectly – delivering a cohesive brand system that cuts through in a crowded digital landscape, while striking a nuanced balanced between technology and human-centred design."

That's a tricky to reach balance, and I think that Wildish have managed it with this identity.

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