Look! Microsoft has a new logo!
Would you like to see it?
All right then.
Isn’t it brilliant? You see the way the four little boxes are just like a … wait for it … anyone, anyone?
Yes that’s right. A window. Isn’t that simply genius at work? And look how the word Microsoft is in a really plain sans-serif font called Segoe, but the f and the t are joined by a natural ligature. That’s amazing. It suggests simplicity and purpose. It sends out a strong corporate message: We’re gonna give you, eh, Windows. And it’s gonna be real, eh, simple. Yeah, simple. That’s right.
Now, I’m not a graphic designer, but maybe that’s why the new Microsoft logo looks exactly like something I’d knock together before the real graphic designer sees it and falls down laughing.
Apparently, Microsoft are introducing this logo for the launch of Windows 8, of which more another time, and normally I wouldn’t give a rat’s arse what sort of branding they use. It’s just that this one seemed to push the boundary a little too far for my personal taste, and it reminded me of the standard excuse talentless people use to defend their stripped-down, cutting-edge creations: It’s a nice clean design.
That translates as We couldn’t think of anything better and since you have no imagination, you’ll definitely swallow this guff. Now pay us!
It matters not a whit to me how much Microsoft paid for this ultra-clean design, but I bet there were many boardroom presentations, gallons of Pantone, acres of power-dressing and some eyeball-to-eyeball hard-nosed haggling before they finally came up with this. Piece. Of. Shit.
Why do I care? I don’t, or at least, not about Microsoft. They’ll get by somehow without my help. What I’m more triggered by is the mentality that can persuade intelligent people they’re looking at something wonderful when in reality they’re looking at rubbish. I have to admire that sort of sheer brass chutzpah, but that doesn’t mean I have to understand it, much less condone or even praise it.
Hello, Microsoft, we’re Mad Men.
It’s a microcosm for all of our insecurities, isn’t it? Didn’t the whole world fall for the fast-talking bunco-artists of Wall Street and the City of London? Didn’t we here in this little country swallow the smooth assurances of spivs in Anglo and Nationwide?
Who remembers the ludicrous rebranding of AIB, with a new logo that looked like a budgie shitting on a cow?
That little picture cost a fortune.
Then they changed the name to Allied Irish Bank Bank, and nobody laughed, because the whole thing was recommended by management consultants and designers, the priestly class whose word will never be challenged by business people because behind it all, they know they’re ignorant, uncultured buffoons who just happen to have some money.
The same thing happens with governments, for the most part composed of ignorant uncultured buffoons who just happen to have other people’s money. And by other people’s, read yours and mine.
I suppose, come to think of it, there’s a certain comfort in knowing that Microsoft can be just as empty-headed as banks and governments. Or maybe that’s even more depressing.
I’ll have to go and think about this.
And not forgetting the Aer Lingus revamp in 1995. The changed the font and tilted the shamrock. 20 minutes tops to do it I’d say. If I’m not mistaken they got a company in London to do it and it cost millions in research and development..
From my notorious bad memory, the AIB logo was derived from the viking boat. What that has to do with modern banking…. oh wait…
How much was paid to the bulllshitters who came up with it?
From my notoriously bad memory, the AIB logo was derived from the Viking boat. Maybe the bird overhead was an ominously vision of the Reichstag eagle.
I actually liked that AIB logo when it came out. It at least has some thought behind it. Logos are very hard to design in the sense of capturing an identity and all that market talk. It is one of the better ones.
I like the way it said, Sooner or later, we’ll screw you.
The Aer Lingus logo face lift on the other hand was just ridiculous. They just basically highlighted the shamrock logo and in ‘Microsoft Word’ clicked ‘italics’. Fair play, if you can get away with it.
Is that actually their new logo?
Yes. It’s not a joke. That really is their new logo.
‘Buy Microsoft and leave your imagination at the door’ is what that says to me. And I’m sure marketing consultants will strongly disagree.
Bock,
What about the RTE logo? Put the E in a different font and that’ll be a hundred grand please.
Working as a graphic designer for almost 20 years I cannot believe how many talented, wise and innovative designers appear on this site. Not the old, overpaid ‘bullshitters’ that only know how to click ‘Italics’ in MS Word. Well guys, the world is yours. Get up and go and design much better logos that anybody has ever made. Just remember the first and the most important rule of any designer: ‘Your personal taste does not have anything to do with the person you are working for and his business’. Good to remember. Saves a lot of time.
Lazy Sue, I do have a fairly well based understanding on how graphic design operates. I did actually say that I did like the AIB logo. Have you a reference to any of your comprehensive twenty years of a portfolio? Sound, in advance. People are entitled to point out the obviously poor reinventing an image by slanting the original tacky shamrock.
Good simple logo, and Microsoft provides thousands of jobs in Ireland. How many does this blogger provide???
So far, Henry, in your short time commenting here, you have brought nothing but your personal brand of bitterness to this site. Maybe you need a logo of your own.
Great logo from Microsoft, simple and clean.
Can you delete my original post that I duplicated by mistake? I don’t want to look like a larger gowl than I already appear. Sound. Also, any chance Lazy Sue can reply?
I love the new Microsoft logo. Straight up and connected.
What else would you expect Microsoft to say?
Ronwan, I believe you have a good understanding on how graphic design operates. I dare to say that I have the same. You are saying that you like AIB logo and do not like the Microsoft one. I say that it does not matter, because personal taste of any graphic designer does not have too much to do with business. I will not pass any reference to my portfolio – I cannot see any reason why should I do it unless you are a new customer. And talking about Microsoft logo I agree with henry_Grattan. I do not ‘love’ the logo, but it is much better than the old one with the ‘victory flag’. The new one is simple, recognisable and somehow boring. Perfect for Microsoft.
Lazy Sue — Can I remind you that it was you who brought your portfolio into it by pointing out your experience as a designer. That’s also known as pulling rank.
Do you have an objection to people expressing an opinion about the Microsoft logo?
The purpose of structured compulsory education systems worldwide, as have existed for the past sixty years, is to create buffoons.
Unbridled success surely?
When telecom eireann was to be rebranded and privatized, the marketing company, the identity business, narrowed down the new name to two options, teleir, and eircom. They got a million pounds for this brilliance. I have to say, that because I work hard to be this poor, this makes me I’ll. One wonders how much the creative geniuses got for merging coopers and lybrand and price water house to make pricewaterhousecooper. I heard three and a half million sterling
Like GlaxoSmithKline?
I often wondered about ThatSortofShit.
huh? didnt their last logo look like this only it was more wavy? and now its square to match the squares on the windows 8 homescreen… whats all the commotion about?
Bock, I did not mention portfolio in my posts. Pulling rank? Maybe, but of what? I had been working as a graphic designer for almost 20 years and that is a fact. Do I need to show my portfolio to Ronwan or anyone else to prove that it is true? No. It would be like asking any GP with 20 years experience to show case studies of his patients. My point was that the personal taste does not have to do anything with requirements of any business. That is why I cannot object to people commenting on Microsoft logo, it is just irrelevant. Also many people consider graphic designers being hugely overpaid. Well, let me tell you that most of the time you are paid (if ever) for your time, patience, assertiveness and diplomacy, not for your creativity.
I can’t disagree with the last part. In fact, I think it applies to most professions.
Bock,
I came across this link about famous logos and how much they cost. The Google and Coca Cola logos cost nothing. Twitter cost $15 and the Nike swoosh only cost $35 (but they did give him 500 shares).
LInk: http://stocklogos.com/topic/famous-logo-designs-and-how-much-did-they-cost