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BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

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Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#181
post #93
post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Additionally it isn't well composed. I learned graphics design from a guy who actually learned it by using his hands to pit down the letters. He had us move one black square around on a white page for 3 hours and explain why we put it where we did. Then we were allowed two squares of arbitrary size, later colors etc. If you are learning it from that basic level you cannot unsee badly unbalanced design. You cannot jus…

Okay, help someone who never learned anything about graphic design from anyone. why isn't it well composed?

I made a flat version that keeps the black ring and put them side to side. Check this out and you might immidiately see the issue: https://i.imgur.com/uW4TGX2.png

The white letters without background are perceived to be placed in space – you don't see the ring so you assume it is empty. The bavarian checkers in the middle seem to float in midair with letters crammed in above it. And this combination of floating and cramming makes it look bad.

With a dark ring this works much better, because the floating part is removed and the letters are on the ring instead of in it.

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#182
post #142
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Okay, help someone who never learned anything about graphic design from anyone. why isn't it well composed?

IMO, it's because the black of the original logo takes up space, and keeps the BMW text and the inner circle grounded to a larger context. Without the black, the text and the circle are just hanging out at the top of the outer circle, unbalanced against a large empty space at the bottom of the outer circle. EDIT: Another way of putting it is that it looks like the text and inner circle could just bounce around inside…

Exactly right – see here: https://i.imgur.com/uW4TGX2.png

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#183
post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Basic steps such as? There is not much available about it. Also, you think too highly of corporations. Companies literally have an intern change their logo for no reason, i’ve been that intern. There are dozens of levels of people more worried about saving face than anything else.

Basic steps such as reaching out to some people at BMW and asking them about it. Talking to other people who do similar sorts of design work and try to understand why choices would've been made. Ask someone who might actually know the specific constraints involved in this kind of design work and ask them to weigh in. This article is just whining about something the author doesn't like. Which, it's fine not to like so…

Who hurt you?

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#184
post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hate to break it to you, but all these "problems" with the logo were exactly the same in the old logo. You got distracted by the ham-fisted layer styles and fooled into thinking that made it good. The fact that you said "makes the letters pop" would send shivers down any designer's spine.

Having the text as negative space on dark is still perceptually different to having it on a transparent background (which is perceived as negative space). This is enough to make it feel unbalanced. See here: https://i.imgur.com/uW4TGX2.png

Thank You! This is enough to illustrate the problem. It would have been fine if they had kept the black as background colour.

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#185
post #156
post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The new guy can suggest a rebranding, but I'm sure the CEO and board will have something to say about it/final approval.

Sure, but if a VP goes all out on a push to rebrand and is rebuffed they'll probably leave. Basically, the pitch is "you hired me to improve the brand and that means improving our logo". So CEOs and the board might not push back as hard as you'd imagine, especially if they don't come from a product/design/brand background.

I wonder if he will get fired for this?

These story makes me appreciate Steve Jobs even more.

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#186

BMW builds _cars_, not Apps. They pride themselves in craftsmanship. The Logo badge on the actual car is a three dimensional, physical thing. Instead of embracing that, they made it flat like an App icon. It will look shit on cars and it does not communicate that BMW builds _real machines_. Everybody is going crazy about going digital and they forget what they are good at and what the customer likes them for.

Here in New Zealand all the new Ford & Mazda trucks have the logo's painted black now so you can barely see it. Especially cause everyone buys matt black trucks.

Not a bad thing. The trend to put a brand logo on literally everything started probably with cars and it is beginning to irritate me more and more. Why would I want to tell world what the brand, type, etc of my car is? Surely that is something that only interests me, the person driving it?

I understand that there are people who want to impress others with their stuff, but if slapping a logo on it is what makes the car impressive... then the car is not impressive at all.

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#187
I think a logo should express uniqueness, the soul of a company and their product.

In this particular case, it is the opposite: BMW’s logo change is an unoriginal move to copy the latest trend. Lack of courage and imagination.

I see it often recently that our German companies avoid risks of being pioneers, just copy-paste proven ideas, and act fussily and chaotically when see threats from emerging innovators.

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#188
post #35

> Sure, it looks nice on BMW’s bronze-hued electric i4 sedan concept, but what about on a white BMW? Or a letterhead? Or on a sign for a BMW dealership on a highway? Is the author really concerned that BMW's design team didn't think about how this logo would be used in such fundamental ways? I can guarantee you that they did. You can personally like or not like it, fine. But if you're going to write a judgey article…

Other teams of highly recognized brands have messes up before: https://money.cnn.com/2010/10/08/news/companies/gap_logo/ind...

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#189
post #35

> Sure, it looks nice on BMW’s bronze-hued electric i4 sedan concept, but what about on a white BMW? Or a letterhead? Or on a sign for a BMW dealership on a highway? Is the author really concerned that BMW's design team didn't think about how this logo would be used in such fundamental ways? I can guarantee you that they did. You can personally like or not like it, fine. But if you're going to write a judgey article…

Butthurt much aren't you? It takes a quick look at the logos compared to see that it looks like shit, no contrast. You just do not see it. I was sceptical about the headline as well but if you just have to lie to yourself the go ahead.

Re: BMW’s new flat logo is everything that’s wrong with modern logo design

#190
post #58
post #35

> Sure, it looks nice on BMW’s bronze-hued electric i4 sedan concept, but what about on a white BMW? Or a letterhead? Or on a sign for a BMW dealership on a highway? Is the author really concerned that BMW's design team didn't think about how this logo would be used in such fundamental ways? I can guarantee you that they did. You can personally like or not like it, fine. But if you're going to write a judgey article…

> Companies don't just have some intern change their logo up for no reason at all. Companies redesign their brand (websites, logos, etc.) all the time and it often correlates with a new hire who wants a "fresh start" with the brand. Jens Thiemer who is the SVP of Customer and Brand and spearheaded this effort has been at BMW a little over 1 year. It's a way of staking your claim at a company and putting your literal…

> It's a way of staking your claim at a company and putting your literal mark on a project.

Much like the dog puts his mark on your new tires. And for the same reason.

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