Ideas, insights, and opinions
12 items
12 items
Tripadvisor has entered a new era, and its brand needed to keep pace. Koto’s redesign centers real traveller stories, proving why lived-in authenticity beats polished, glossy branding.
Tripadvisor has always been built on trust, with millions of real people sharing real experiences. But as the platform expanded into trip planning, AI tools, and direct booking, its identity risked losing touch with what made it powerful in the first place. The challenge for Koto was to create a brand that could carry Tripadvisor into its next chapter without diluting its most valuable asset: authenticity.
The new identity brings travellers back to the forefront. Visuals draw directly from user photos, colours are inspired by real places, and even Tripadvisor’s mascot Ollie has been reimagined as a curious, dynamic companion. Typography and graphic devices lean on the editorial world, keeping things clean and readable, while motion and interaction design add subtle cues that mirror the rhythm of travel. Crucially, the tone of voice now reads like a trusted friend: warm, clear, and flexible enough to let the community shine.
It is a lesson in how to scale without sanitising. In a market saturated with influencer gloss and algorithm-driven recommendations, Tripadvisor chose to double down on what only it can own: the messy, joyful, and honest stories of its travellers.
Read the full piece to see how authenticity became the north star of one of the world’s biggest travel brands.
Los Angeles