Illustration is the de-facto visual style for Duolingo. It feels like us, and the characters — particularly Duo — are a critical part of the Duolingo brand story.
Creating new artwork? You should check the Illustration Guidelines.
The only thing Duo loves more than Duolingo is seeing our learners succeed. He's their #1 fan and biggest cheerleader. He's also persistent. He isn't shy about checking in or laying on a guilt trip. He's like a parent you never want to disappoint. The shame is real — and very effective for our users.
Duo is social, a great communicator, and rather emotional. And people love him for it.
He has many sides to his personality, which are reflected in his many positions. He's helpful, motivating, organized, dependable, dedicated, persistent, and supportive. He's also emotive and sometimes slightly awkward.
Outside of the app, Duo is always on an adventure. His curiosity drives him to try outgoing activities and explore countries all over the world.
Everyone can Duolingo. So the wonderful, quirky, multicultural world around us should be echoed in the characters that we use. Here are just a few examples.
Our characters are full of enthusiasm. We illustrate expressive poses which clearly communicate a mood or activity.
We sometimes crop our characters to concentrate on their expressions and zoom into the action.
Duolingo connects people, allowing humans across the globe to communicate and form relationships.
Simple illustrations that reflect the notion of communication can be used across Duolingo's marketing on either white or feather green backgrounds.
Sometimes, we have the opportunity to more explicitly show how Duolingo brings people together.
Here are a few ways to show how language helps us break down barriers and make connections, sometimes in unexpected places.
The photos we use reflect the kind of company we are, and the company we'd like to keep. We showcase authentic, real, interesting people with real-life stories to tell.
All our photography is led by people who Duolingo, revealing their stories and personalities.
A sense of place should be environments — the commute to work, ordering food on vacation, and activities with new friends.
Authentic portraits of people across the globe. When possible, we use images with an element of green in clothing or surroundings.