The DeviantArt symbol and wordmark, with lines showing the symmetry of the angles between the two elements.
Black and white artwork, behind a chain link fence, of a conductor with a skull in place of a human face raising his hands up, one holding a baton. Top left sits the DeviantArt logo.

Storytelling to fuel growth

An internet institution, DeviantArt had grown from a niche platform for sharing original Winamp skins to a digital art juggernaut with 32 million registered members, making it one of the largest social media sites in the world. They brought us in to support their drive for new partnerships and aggressive expansion goals, working with senior leaders on branding, experience design and communications.

A webpage on a tablet showing artwork of a girl with fiery red hair and green eyes. Over her left eye she holds half an orange, with the inside facing us. The title is

Connecting with a new audience

We worked with DeviantArt on a program of community definition and engagement to help the business connect with a new audience. Persona mapping, audience surveys and interviews all helped shape our approach.

At the heart of our design work was a compelling narrative, ‘bleed and breed art’, while the key idea for the logo itself was turning art upside down and inside out.

The title
A close-up of hands sketching the A of the DeviantArt symbol, with multiple versions in the background.
A wall of artwork. On the left is a white sabre-tooth tiger roaring with the title

Soaring to new heights

These learnings underpinned the launch campaign of the new brand and app. The app saw one million downloads within the first three months without any marketing beyond the community. User numbers kept growing by thousands daily as DeviantArt continued its upward trajectory – today (2023), there are over 75 million registered members worldwide.

A designer points at a printout of the DeviantArt brand work.
Three mobile phone screens showing artwork and brand activations. The first one has the title
‘We’ve always had a strong community and sense of purpose. Moving Brands collaborated with us to create an amazing new mobile experience that elevates our art, and a brand that articulates the story that we have been trying to tell the world for years.’
Angelo Sotira
CEO, Deviant Art