Rebranding the Dailymotion app
Rebranding the Dailymotion app
Rebranding the Dailymotion app
Project:
Rebranding the Dailymotion app
Content
COMPANY:
Dailymotion
Dailymotion
ROLE:
Product designer, Brand designer, Design system lead
Content
SCOPE:
Consumer tech, Mobile app
TEAM:
User research, Motion designer, Product manager,
Content
Timeline:
3 months
Problem
In 2023, Dailymotion rebranded its app for the first time since 2014 as part of a strategic shift from a B2B video platform toward a B2C, social-media-first product. The in-app branding introduced a theme-based system with four rotating primary colors, changing the app’s appearance every time it was opened.
While ambitious in intent, this approach quickly revealed its limits. The system introduced significant design and engineering complexity, slowed down iteration at a moment when product-market fit was still uncertain, and proved difficult to scale across features and components. More importantly, the visual identity felt heavy and misaligned with Gen Z expectations. By mid-2024, the branding was no longer enabling the product — it was actively slowing it down.
In 2023, Dailymotion rebranded its app for the first time since 2014 as part of a strategic shift from a B2B video platform toward a B2C, social-media-first product. The in-app branding introduced a theme-based system with four rotating primary colors, changing the app’s appearance every time it was opened.
While ambitious in intent, this approach quickly revealed its limits. The system introduced significant design and engineering complexity, slowed down iteration at a moment when product-market fit was still uncertain, and proved difficult to scale across features and components. More importantly, the visual identity felt heavy and misaligned with Gen Z expectations. By mid-2024, the branding was no longer enabling the product — it was actively slowing it down.
If you're curious to know more about the previous branding you can click on the below button.
If you're curious to know more about the previous branding you can click on the below button.
If you're curious to know more about the previous branding you can click on the below button.
PREVIOUS BRANDING
Challenge
When I became Lead Designer for the iOS and Android apps, my first mission was to rethink the in-app brand from the ground up.
The challenge was not to “refresh” the visuals, but to reduce complexity without losing character. This meant challenging existing assumptions, redefining what truly deserved emphasis on screen, and rebuilding a system that could support fast iteration while the product itself was still evolving. At the same time, the new branding needed to ship quickly — in under one month — and accept a temporary divergence from the company’s broader branding, which created understandable internal tension.
When I became Lead Designer for the iOS and Android apps, my first mission was to rethink the in-app brand from the ground up.
The challenge was not to “refresh” the visuals, but to reduce complexity without losing character. This meant challenging existing assumptions, redefining what truly deserved emphasis on screen, and rebuilding a system that could support fast iteration while the product itself was still evolving. At the same time, the new branding needed to ship quickly — in under one month — and accept a temporary divergence from the company’s broader branding, which created understandable internal tension.
When I became Lead Designer for the iOS and Android apps, my first mission was to rethink the in-app brand from the ground up.
The challenge was not to “refresh” the visuals, but to reduce complexity without losing character. This meant challenging existing assumptions, redefining what truly deserved emphasis on screen, and rebuilding a system that could support fast iteration while the product itself was still evolving. At the same time, the new branding needed to ship quickly — in under one month — and accept a temporary divergence from the company’s broader branding, which created understandable internal tension.
Design process
Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.
Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.
Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.
Solution
Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.
Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.
Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.Crafted a refined brand identity and responsive Framer site to elevate visuals and experience.
Data
40
%
Increase in average daily videos started per user following the September branding release, with a sustained upward trend in the weeks after launch.
50
%
%
%
Increase in likes per video started post-release, stabilizing at a higher engagement baseline and signaling stronger early user interaction.
Learnings
This project carried real risks: temporary divergence from company-wide branding, internal resistance, and a tight delivery timeline. These risks were mitigated by positioning the app as the company’s brand experimentation space, grounding decisions in user research rather than personal taste, and scoping the work to what could realistically ship within the timeframe.
This project reinforced that simplification is harder than innovation. The most difficult decisions were not what to add, but what to remove. It also clarified for me that brand decisions are product decisions: when branding reduces cognitive load, clarifies focus, and accelerates iteration, it directly impacts engagement and growth.
This project carried real risks: temporary divergence from company-wide branding, internal resistance, and a tight delivery timeline. These risks were mitigated by positioning the app as the company’s brand experimentation space, grounding decisions in user research rather than personal taste, and scoping the work to what could realistically ship within the timeframe.
This project reinforced that simplification is harder than innovation. The most difficult decisions were not what to add, but what to remove. It also clarified for me that brand decisions are product decisions: when branding reduces cognitive load, clarifies focus, and accelerates iteration, it directly impacts engagement and growth.
This project carried real risks: temporary divergence from company-wide branding, internal resistance, and a tight delivery timeline. These risks were mitigated by positioning the app as the company’s brand experimentation space, grounding decisions in user research rather than personal taste, and scoping the work to what could realistically ship within the timeframe.
This project reinforced that simplification is harder than innovation. The most difficult decisions were not what to add, but what to remove. It also clarified for me that brand decisions are product decisions: when branding reduces cognitive load, clarifies focus, and accelerates iteration, it directly impacts engagement and growth.