Look up the word “badge” in most dictionaries and descriptions of law enforcement emblems or ideas such as “badges of honor” will most likely be found. The idea of online badges still seems relatively new but they are rapidly becoming an attractive and functional graphic design product that is used on blogs, websites and other online platforms.
In online terms, a badge is an image that is displayed on the blog or website that serves a very distinct purpose such as
identifying the user
making an announcement
promoting the user’s participation in an event
generating a call to action.