How Brand Design Fuels Community Content Success at 58 Tongcheng

01

In recent years, people spend fragmented time online for socializing, learning, and entertainment, demanding richer content; consequently, content has become a core element of internet product development. 58 Tongcheng launched its "Tribe" community early on, integrating modules such as career, real estate, automotive, charity, dating, interests, and hometown, providing users with better content, linking users to each other, and delivering convenient life services. After nearly three years of operation, the tribe has become mature and well‑liked.

02

As the tribe evolved, content formats multiplied. Visual designers must integrate diverse topics, apply design thinking, and use brand design to create series‑based content activities. The final effect of an activity plan results from the interaction of three parties: designers, product managers, and the content itself (including users and third‑party collaborators). This interplay involves aesthetics, marketing, psychology, and economics, and the optimal design balances these forces.

03

Facing numerous topic‑driven activities, the author starts from brand design to build a cohesive series of tribe‑topic operations, fostering user trust in the brand and encouraging continuous participation. When a topic request arrives, the designer proactively collaborates with product to launch a series‑based brand operation tailored to each subject.

04

"Me and My Friends" Activity – 58 Tongcheng initiates the project, partners with a labor‑themed venue, and invites enterprise friends to discuss corporate development, brand services, and consumer communication. Logo concept : inspiration from handwritten cursive characters, using simple bold lines for a friendly, fluid feel. Poster promotion : uses real employee photos to reflect corporate culture, though photo quality and partner preferences require iterative revisions.

05

"Look at Others' Companies" Project – The first external cooperation, partnering with dozens of enterprises to create professional‑topic communities that focus on career information, allowing users to find suitable circles and interact. Logo concept : the character "瞧" (shout) is enlarged, a small horn is added at the top‑right, radiating lines surround it, and the whole logo is enclosed in a speech bubble, yielding a modern, adaptable visual. Poster promotion : style is heavily influenced by partner corporate culture; the goal is to use authentic employee photos, but quality control and differing partner visions pose challenges.

06

"Small Treasury Full Pocket" Series – Addresses core user pain points of earning money and job hunting, especially post‑pandemic unemployment. The series invites money‑making experts, entrepreneurship mentors, side‑job recommenders, and local merchants to livestream earning methods across categories such as catering, beauty, and mother‑baby, earning recognition from both merchants and users. Logo concept : combines a coin with a Chinese character, tilts the composition, and adds star motifs for a fuller appearance.

07

"Peers Talk the Way" IP Series – Online content covering industries like catering, renovation, housekeeping, beauty, finance, and pets, offering industry knowledge, job‑avoidance guides, and additional employment opportunities. Logo concept : uses straight‑stroke typography to anthropomorphize the characters "门" and "道", with a forward‑leaning tilt that suggests progress. Poster promotion : adopts a newspaper format to integrate third‑party institutions within a familiar layout.

08

"Shopkeeper Expert Plan" – Builds a merchant community, leverages existing small‑business experience on the platform to produce a "money‑making red book" and systematic courses, promoting them to consumer users and creating a closed‑loop content ecosystem.

09

Brand design and visual packaging are merely the presentation layer; high‑quality content remains the key. In the early stage, gaining broad attention is essential, so distinctive visual design plays a significant role. Logos act as bridges, while auxiliary elements and overall layout are equally critical.