# Spotify Duotone Identity > A corporate music-streaming identity from the 2015 Collins rebrand in which photographs are recoloured into two-colour images in saturated, clashing palettes, cropped at angles and set in geometric sans. Its duotone is an homage to 1960s band posters, applied by a fixed recolour filter (the Colorizer tool) to photographs rather than by a data-driven rule system, which separates it from generative identity. Palette note: green, black and white date from the 2015 identity; the other hues are from Spotify's later brand guidelines. - Period: 2015–present - Where: Global / networked, Northern Europe - Origin: Spotify (Stockholm) and the agency Collins, 2015 rebrand - Branch: Digital native - Also known as: Streaming duotone, Duotone brand photography, Collins Spotify rebrand look - Page: https://stylogeny.com/styles/spotify-duotone/ ## How it works - Recolour every photograph into two vivid, contrasting hues instead of showing natural colour. - Crop images at bold, tilted angles and let them run to the edge. - Set short names in a friendly geometric sans at large scale over the image. - Automate the duotone recolouring with a software tool (Collins's Colorizer) so photographs can be styled consistently. - Pair a saturated duotone field with flat colour blocks and a small set of simple shapes. ## Its design choices Defining choices make the style, characteristic ones are usual, occasional ones turn up now and then. ### Layout & composition - [Full bleed](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/full-bleed/) (defining) - [Diagonal axis](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/diagonal-axis/) (characteristic) - [Isolated object](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/isolated-object/) (occasional) ### Space & hierarchy - [Single focal point](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/single-focal-point/) (characteristic) - [Extreme scale contrast](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/extreme-scale-contrast/) (characteristic) - [Repetition & rhythm](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/repetition-and-rhythm/) (occasional) ### Typography - [Geometric sans](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-sans/) (defining) - [Type as image](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/type-as-image/) (characteristic) ### Colour - [Complementary clash](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/complementary-clash/) (defining) - [Flat fields](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat-fields/) (characteristic) - [Limited spot colours](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/limited-spot-colours/) (characteristic) - [Fluorescent & neon](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/fluorescent-and-neon/) (occasional) - [Dark ground](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/dark-ground/) (occasional) - [Gradients](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/gradients/) (occasional) ### Form & shape - [Geometric primitives](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/geometric-primitives/) (characteristic) ### Surface & texture - [Flat](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/flat/) (characteristic) ### Ornament - [Ornament-free](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/ornament-free/) (characteristic) ### Imagery - [Treated photography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/treated-photography/) (defining) - [Straight photography](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/straight-photography/) (characteristic) ### Medium & production - [App & OS interface](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/app-and-os-interface/) (defining) - [Web & CSS](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/web-and-css/) (characteristic) - [Generative & AI](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/generative-and-ai/) (occasional) - [Motion & broadcast](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/motion-and-broadcast/) (occasional) ### Tone & intent - [Playful & witty](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/playful-and-witty/) (characteristic) - [Warm & approachable](https://stylogeny.com/design-choices/warm-and-approachable/) (characteristic) Avoids: Abundant decoration, Floral & vegetal, Ornamented display, Script, Skeuomorphic material, Naturalistic depiction, Pastel, Horror vacui Palette: #1ed760, #191414, #ff4632, #450af5, #f573a0, #ffffff Typefaces: Circular (Laurenz Brunner, Lineto), Geometric sans-serifs Known for: Spotify rebrand by Collins (2015); Spotify playlist cover art, duotone treatment; Circular typeface (LL Circular, Laurenz Brunner / Lineto), adopted on the 2015 Spotify site ## Where it comes from, and what it’s close to - Grew out of: [Generative & Dynamic Identities](https://stylogeny.com/styles/generative-identity.md) (2007–present) - Influenced by: [Pop Art Graphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/pop-art.md) (1955–1975) - Influenced by: [Risograph & Indie Print Culture](https://stylogeny.com/styles/risograph-indie.md) (2008–present) - Influenced by: [Screenprinted Gig & Alt-Movie Poster](https://stylogeny.com/styles/screenprint-gig-poster.md) (1991–present) - Alike in its design choices: [Roman-like Thai Typography (modern loopless Thai)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/thai-loopless-type.md) (1973–present), 60% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Supergraphics](https://stylogeny.com/styles/supergraphics.md) (1966–2026), 56% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Lucerne Poster Scene (Neubad & Südpol Posters)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/lucerne-poster-scene.md) (2007–present), 55% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Material Design](https://stylogeny.com/styles/material-design.md) (2014–present), 55% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Greek Tourism Modernism (EOT)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/greek-tourism-modernism.md) (1960–1974), 53% alike - Alike in its design choices: [Di Tella Graphic Design (Instituto Torcuato Di Tella)](https://stylogeny.com/styles/di-tella-graphics.md) (1960–1970), 53% alike ## Sources - Logo Designer, Music Provider Spotify Unveils New Look (2015), logo-designer.co/spotify-unveils-new-branding-by-collins-new-york/ - Communication Arts, Spotify redesign, commarts.com/exhibit/spotify-redesign - Brand New Magazine, How Spotify's brand became a future-forward phenomenon, brandknewmag.com/how-spotifys-brand-became-a-future-forward-phenomenon/ - Fonts In Use, Spotify website (2015), fontsinuse.com/uses/9175/spotify-website-2015 --- From Stylogeny (https://stylogeny.com/), an atlas of graphic-design styles by Van Riel Online Services. How it is made: https://stylogeny.com/about/. Cite as: Stylogeny, “Spotify Duotone Identity”, https://stylogeny.com/styles/spotify-duotone/