Redesigning the Windows Logo • Hacker News Board

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#91

Post by techdmn » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 8:56 PM UTC

zaidf wrote: post #38

Paula asked us a simple question, “your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?” I have never really asked myself that question as a consumer. I have never felt "confused" that the logo is NOT a window. I have just generally liked Windows, the operating system, and have become fond of the brand after 15 years of use. This assumes that your logo MUST be a literal representation of your name. I'm curious to know why. With…

Seems I read a design article once that claimed the /best/ thing you could have for a logo was an abstract shape that consumers identified with your brand, like the Nike swoop. It's fairly unique, identifiable, and unlikely to be confused with anything else. Seems the old windows logo was that, the new one is not.

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#92

Post by molecularbutter » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:11 PM UTC

Microsoft seems confused, but I am genuinely interested in Windows 8 and Metro. Hopefully they ditch their legacy stuff though and make a clean break a la iOS/OS X

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#93

Post by cschmidt » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:12 PM UTC

The Pentagram blog also has a writeup on the new logo:

http://pentagram.com/en/new/2012/02/new-work-microsoft.php

including a nifty animated logo

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#94

Post by artursapek » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:13 PM UTC

george_morgan wrote: post #86

artursapek wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a stupid question. Logos aren't depictions. They're icons meant to represent something, not describe it. I never questioned the old logo. I actually liked it a lot more than the sad attempt at modernism they're announcing in this article. It's disappointing that Microsoft doesn't seem to understand this essential design rule. They should read Paul Rand. “Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by associati…

The design was by Pentagram, not Microsoft. They are certainly more than familiar with the work Paul Rand…

The new design, or the old?

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#95

Post by brianpan » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:14 PM UTC

techdmn wrote: post #91

zaidf wrote: post #38

Paula asked us a simple question, “your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?” I have never really asked myself that question as a consumer. I have never felt "confused" that the logo is NOT a window. I have just generally liked Windows, the operating system, and have become fond of the brand after 15 years of use. This assumes that your logo MUST be a literal representation of your name. I'm curious to know why. With…

Seems I read a design article once that claimed the /best/ thing you could have for a logo was an abstract shape that consumers identified with your brand, like the Nike swoop. It's fairly unique, identifiable, and unlikely to be confused with anything else. Seems the old windows logo was that, the new one is not.

Not yet.

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#96

Post by brudgers » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:22 PM UTC

The fierce reduction at the root of Metro's design allowed me to fairly accurately envision the new logo as soon as I read, "It’s a window… not a flag."

One color, simple shapes, simple text - MicroSoft clearly has a design vision.

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#97

Post by Roboprog » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:23 PM UTC

joedev wrote: post #65

RomP wrote: post #43

Hmmm, I think I've seen it somewhere. Indeed: http://stocklogos.com/topic/past-and-future-famous-logos

The GAP one is especially funny.

Yeah, but not as good as the 2015 Nokia.

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#98

Post by kijin » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:26 PM UTC

nirvana wrote: post #53

m0nastic wrote: post #26

I've never seen the original Windows 1.0 logo before (or maybe it's just been so long that I've forgotten), but I actually think that's far and away the best logo they've ever had.

Interestingly that logo accurately represents the way "Windows" worked in Windows 1.0. It didn't have overlapping windows. So the lines within the windows represent the dividers of the UI between the window areas. You could make one window bigger by moving a divider over, making all the windows on the other side of that divider smaller. There was no concept of windows being in front of or behind each other (like ther…

Interestingly, it seems that MS will revive the "divider" concept in the Metro UI for Windows 8. Slide the divider to the left, and the left-side app gets narrower. You can even do this with a Metro app on one side of the divider and the entire traditional desktop on the other side.

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#99

Post by MartinCron » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:33 PM UTC

2. It was important that the new logo carries our Metro principle of being “Authentically Digital”. By that, we mean it does not try to emulate faux-industrial design characteristics such as materiality (glass, wood, plastic, etc.)

This is in stark contrast to everything Apple has been doing lately with address books and calendar on iPad trying to look like cartoonish versions of real materials. I prefer "authentically digital"

Re: Redesigning the Windows Logo

#100

Post by drewrv » Fri, Feb 17, 2012, 9:33 PM UTC

chrislomax wrote: post #83

In the nicest possible way, I'm actually bored of this metro look already and it's not even released yet. I find that logo boring, some squares with a warp on it. I know it doesn't have to be over complicated but I don't think there is any imagination there at all. The blue is not very strong either, the branding it quite weak. Just my opinion, which I am entitled to before anyone starts giving me grief!

Boring can be good, from a usability perspective. Metro seems to be their big selling point now and I imagine they want the branding to reflect the usability of the product.

Not trying to give you grief. I agree it's kinda boring, I'm just thinking that maybe it's boring by design.