Sign up for a new account or log in here:
also @ TechSpot: Codemasters announces £125,000 special edition of GRID 2
Microsoft has revealed a redesigned logo for Windows 8 in a recent post on the company’s official Windows team blog. Redmond’s new operating system logo borrows heavily from the original Windows logo that was introduced alongside Windows 1.0 in 1985. Earlier this week we had pointed out the Windows logo was getting a Metro makeover, but the software giant just made it official today.
Sam Moreau, Principal Director of User Experience for Windows, notes that in addition to a complete reimagination of the Windows operating system, the team wanted to revise the existing Windows OS logo. Microsoft hired renowned design firm Pentagram to help with the project and it was during an early meeting with the firm that executives were presented with a very basic question.
Paula Scher from Pentagram asked the team, “your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?”
Moreau feels that users can trace the evolution of the Windows logo in parallel with advancements in computer technology used to create them. Windows logo rendering became more detailed with each major release. As such, the current generation eventually morphed into a flying or waving flag rather than the window it originally started life as.
With Windows 8, the company wanted to go back to the basics to better reflect the Metro style design principles. The new logo is indeed more window-like than flag-like, using simple lines and a straightforward concept that Microsoft describes as being “Authentically Digital.” The design itself is based on the International Typographic Style, also called the Swiss Style, which was developed in the ‘50s to emphasize cleanliness, objectivity and readability.
User Comments: 50
Got something to say? Post a comment-
So what, they change their logo... It's still a window and not a bird of pray.
People are talking about it... they win. Windows is still in the minds of everyone who has heard the news. Weather you hate it or not, or even are indifferent... it is in your head.
-
Hmm..maybe they're predicting the future, the logo consists of four blue screens...think about It
Win XP good,Win vista turd,Win 7 good, Win 8???
I'm just saying not a good Image In my mind.
-
What an ugly logo design like the Windows Phone (WP) itself. When you place Android or iOS phone next to WP you get an impression that WP is an ancient & inferior thing. I think Microsoft is losing & stepping down to the competition.
-
I think it needs the red, green, blue and yellow back. Those colours have become part of the Microsoft Windows brand and without them it the new logo looks soulless.
It was already done in my link, and with colors that look more 'microsofty'. Here it is again. [link]
I posted that in post #4
Somebody please tell me that I'm just living a horrific nightmare with this logo. WTF is this?? A parallelogram that looks more mathematical than the original Windows 1 logo itself.
They had to hire a design firm to draw a box. I don't really know if they were just too lazy to draw it themselves or if a plain blue box segmented into four was more creative than anything Microsoft could think of themselves. If it is more creative, I don't want to see the other options.
StaffA logo is just a logo, it doesn't bother me either way. What matters is if Windows 8 delivers the goods (and it manages to do so in both software and hardware fronts) once its out.
Sweet, a terrible logo to go with a terrible OS.... I cant stand having a phone os on my computer. And for anyone with objections they clearly didn't try replacing their desktop os with 8.
Why does suddenly M$ want to go back to the basics, unless admitting anything they did so far with Windows was a mistake. And of course it wasn`t, Xp was great, they should have built on that, a light, fast, reliable OS, that`s all we, the users want, not reinventing the ... square.
Sweet, a terrible logo to go with a terrible OS.... I cant stand having a phone os on my computer. And for anyone with objections they clearly didn't try replacing their desktop os with 8.I don't know, like many others have said above, you will likely be able to turn all that Metro stuff off. The only real stuff that will make it from phone -> desktop are the power saving stuffs, didn't seem too bad to me.
Why does suddenly M$ want to go back to the basics, unless admitting anything they did so far with Windows was a mistake. And of course it wasn`t, Xp was great, they should have built on that, a light, fast, reliable OS, that`s all we, the users want, not reinventing the ... square.Its the trend now. Macs are dropping the 'Mac' part of Mac OS X with Mountain Lion, and ML is bringing in a lot more stuff from iOS.
Xclusiveitalian said:
A great logo..... For Windows Basic...How about Premium and Professional? Oh it's the same for all...ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
They hired a design firm for that crap?
At least they probably used MS Paint to make it
They could have done better if they held it out as a contest with a good description. The winner gets paid and immortalized.
Sarcasm said:
A 3 year old probably could (and did) design that.
the multi-color windows logo has been there for decades, why change it? I think it helps with the brand recognition. kinda how everything for the mac is " i " this and " i " that. You can go into any store and it has the ' windows 7 compatible ' sticker on it, and really they could just use the flag, but not now. atleast they didnt try to go OS with it, and have some goofy face watching you.
ElShotte said:
Wow. Seriously? How many times has the "Apple" logo been redesigned? What about the OS X logo? That's the best they could come up with? Seriously? Wow.
Make it Transparent, then Put the orange, green, blue and yellow then there you go.
i could design a better logo in 5min...
Were the windows facing the wrong way when they snapped the photo?
Nothing in the budget for a second photoshoot?
A logo is just a logo, it doesn't bother me either way. What matters is if Windows 8 delivers the goods (and it manages to do so in both software and hardware fronts) once its out.The guy that helps run a website is a minimalist apparently, as long as all the goods are there!
Well thats it im not getting windows 8, this logo shenanigans has gone to far! lol jks
boring,boring,boring is that all you can come up with,one can only hope windoze 8 has something better to offer because it would seem the microsoft graphic team are really one year olds very pathetic effort & utter dribble.
Nah, not impressed with that. Color would be a lot better. But then i suppose logos don't really matter if the OS itself is amazing.
Whether it will be worth its money though is another question.
I think the logo should have featured the four colored squares/rectangles, as in the previous logos. That would have made it more synonymous with the Windows brand IMO...
Seeing this story has 49 comments I feel almost inclined to post something just to join in on the fun.
I agree its rubbish and needs color, but its not the be all and end all for microsoft, i'm sure we'll all be fine even if the logo doesn't change by the time they go to release it
Most Popular
| Trending | Featured |
Featured on Cameras
Subscribe to TechSpot
Get free exclusive content, learn about new features and breaking tech news.