Key Takeaways
One symbol, many uses
ChatGPT uses OpenAI’s interlaced mark, often called the Blossom. It is a knot-like shape that can also feel like a flower.
A clear design idea
OpenAI describes the mark as a meeting point of humanity and technology: circles for warmth, right angles for structure.
A small name with a long life
“Favicon” comes from “favorite icon.” The word stayed, even as the icon moved far beyond bookmarks.
Story & Details
What this article is about
This piece looks at two small things most people see every day: the ChatGPT logo mark and the tiny website icon called a favicon. Both are about fast recognition at small size.
The Blossom: a logo built from simple shapes
The ChatGPT mark is the same symbol used by OpenAI. It is a clean, balanced loop of lines. OpenAI’s own brand guide explains the thinking behind it. The design mixes circles and right angles. The circles are meant to feel warm and human. The right angles are meant to feel precise and technical.
That mix helps the mark feel calm instead of noisy. It also helps it stay clear when it is very small, like on a phone screen.
Who made it, and what changed in two thousand twenty-five
Public reporting gives more than one story about who created the original mark. Some accounts connect it to OpenAI co-founders. Other reporting describes a small design team around two thousand sixteen, with named designers and leadership involvement.
What is clearer is the recent update. In February two thousand twenty-five, OpenAI refreshed its visual identity. The Blossom was redrawn with subtle changes, including cleaner lines and a slightly more open center. By late December two thousand twenty-five, that refresh was already part of OpenAI’s public look.
Favicon: the smallest badge on the web
A favicon is the tiny icon a browser shows for a site. It can appear in a tab, in bookmarks, in history, and sometimes near the address bar. Because it is so small, it usually works best without text. Many sites use a simplified mark from their main logo.
The word “favicon” is short for “favorite icon.” Early browsers linked it closely to favorites, and the common filename favicon.ico helped the idea spread.
A tiny Dutch mini-lesson
Two everyday words
Dutch often uses simple, direct words for screen symbols: icoon and pictogram.
One useful sentence
Het favicon staat in het tabblad.
Plain meaning: The site icon is shown in the browser tab.
Word by word: Het = the; favicon = favicon; staat = stands / is; in = in; het = the; tabblad = tab.
Another common UI word
A bookmark can be called a bladwijzer in Dutch, and “favorites icon” can be expressed as favorietenpictogram in many user guides.
Conclusions
Small marks, big memory
The Blossom works because it stays readable and steady, even when it is tiny. It uses a simple idea—warm curves plus firm corners—to look human and engineered at the same time.
The favicon story is similar
The favicon began as a “favorite icon,” but it grew into a wider web habit. It is a tiny sign that helps people find their place, fast.
Selected References
[1] https://openai.com/brand/
[2] https://www.theverge.com/news/606176/openai-new-logo-font-typeface-sans
[3] https://www.wallpaper.com/tech/openai-has-undergone-its-first-ever-rebrand-giving-fresh-life-to-chatgpt-interactions
[4] https://www.w3.org/2005/10/howto-favicon
[5] https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/Favicon
[6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Uu_VJeVVfo
Appendix
Blossom: The name OpenAI uses for its interlaced symbol, a mark used across OpenAI products, including ChatGPT.
Brand refresh: A planned update to a company’s look—logo details, type, colors, and rules—meant to improve clarity and consistency.
Favicon: A small website icon shown by browsers in places like tabs and bookmarks; the word comes from “favorite icon.”
Favicon.ico: A common filename used for a site’s icon, especially in early web practice, and still seen today.
Icon: A small graphic sign used on screens to stand for an app, action, or identity.
OpenAI: The organization behind ChatGPT, which publishes its brand rules and design explanations for public use.
OpenAI Sans: The typeface name reported in coverage of OpenAI’s two thousand twenty-five identity refresh.
Wordmark: A brand name drawn as a designed text logo, often paired with a symbol.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 