CNET was launched in 1994 to review “tech,” which at that time meant mostly mobile phones and computers. As technology has crept into all aspects of life, the website now covers vehicles, entertainment, wellness, finance, and all manner of consumer goods and experiences. The sheer quantity of articles that are produced for the site—management says 10 articles per hour—has over time transformed the site into a substantial editorial resource.
The CNET logo has changed very little since Pentagram created the company’s first design—a lowercase “c” separated from “net” with a white line. Over time, the line was dropped and the typeface changed.
Now, with the help of the design firm Collins, the CNET logo has a very different look. The Collins website indicates that the redesign was powered by the desire to transform CNET from a dime-a-dozen tech-review site to an editorial-first brand. The new logo has a masthead-like feel—solid and blocky with great serifs and plenty of personality.
Lindsey Turrentine, EVP of content and audience at CBET says, “Our new brand mark gives a nod to the era of the letterpress, but with a modern turn in recognition that the best information and advice is simultaneously timeless and unafraid of the future.”