Inside the Brand: Duolingo
EP.2 | Gamification, bold design, and humor: how Duolingo turned learning into a daily habit.
Overview
Foundation: 2011 - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fouders: Luis von Ahn, Severin Hacker
Mission: To develop the best education in the world and make it universally available.
Rebranding by: johnson banks (2019)
Why Analyze It: Duolingo has revolutionized language learning with a bold visual strategy, a memorable mascot, and communication that isn’t afraid to be weird.
Brand values
1 — Accessibility
Education should be free, democratic, and universal. Duolingo is available to anyone, anywhere.
2 — Play as a Method
This isn’t just gamification, it’s a philosophy. Every detail —points, levels, reminders — is designed to make learning engaging and consistent.
3 — Bold Communication
Duolingo doesn’t take itself too seriously. With a cheeky tone and an aggressively charming mascot, it breaks all the rules of the education world.
The birth of Duo
When discussing Duolingo's palette in 2011, CTO Severin Hacker said:
“I don't care about style, but please don't use green. I hate it.”
Result?
Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder, specifically asked: “Let's make an owl. Green.”
Logo Evolution
Duo has evolved multiple times.
In 2019, the studio Johnson Banks reimagined Duo, placing it at the heart of the visual system.
Brand Identity
Duo evolves into a more expressive character: now it can show emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, tiredness, and even menace.
Johnson Banks develops a logotype inspired by the feathery shapes of the owl.
Custom Typography
From this, Feather Bold was born — a custom typeface created in collaboration with Fontsmith. Its rounded, welcoming shapes perfectly reflect the brand’s empathetic tone.
Gamification
Real-Time Feedback
Instant corrections and rewards create a responsive learning environment, similar to a game.
Streaks
A daily streak mechanism encourages consistent learning, challenging users to maintain consecutive learning days.
Leaderboards
Leaderboards allow users to compare their progress with friends and learners worldwide.
Experience points
Users earn experience points by completing lessons, creating a sense of progress and achievement.
Advertising Campaigns
The Death of Duo
This February, Duolingo announced the death of its mascot across all social media platforms. The reason? "He died waiting for you to do your lesson."
Celebrities and brands joined in the mourning.
A viral marketing move that cleverly blends humor and narrative branding.
Duolingo rides every cultural trend with:
perfect timing
self-referential humor
content creator spirit, not brand attitude
It's not marketing. It's entertainment.
Made it this far?
Here are 3 takeaways for brand designers, inspired by Duolingo’s case.
Build a Living Identity
Duolingo doesn't just have a logo, but an emotional narrative mascot that exists across app, social media and campaigns. Thinking of a brand as a character creates a more dynamic and memorable identity.
UX is Branding
Animations, micro-feedback and gamification aren't just functional: they convey tone and values. In Duolingo, the interface itself is part of the brand language.
Humor is a Superpower
Duolingo consistently uses irony, memes and pop culture. Humor can make you recognizable, but only works when authentic and aligned with the brand's character.
Orbiting News
🌀 Another masterstroke from Studio Koto — this time for Amazon.
A global rebrand spanning 15 markets and 50+ sub-brands, with a friendlier smile and a system built to scale.🎓 LottieFiles launches AE Certification — The official After Effects certification is live: a new standard for motion designers working with Lottie animations.
Double Gravity Kit
Before you go: here’s a curated pick of tools, visuals, and fonts to fuel your next project.
✏️ Typeface of the Week
→ Reform — A bold yet organic neo-grotesk typeface
🎨 Visual Identity to Explore
→ Andmore by Collins — A name that sticks and a visual identity that raises the bar.
🛠️ Tool to Try
→ 60fps.design — A visual archive of delightful microinteractions and polished design details from the best digital products out there.
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