One of the big news items this week was the announcement that Microsoft has updated their corporate logo for the first time in 25 years. While logo designs are not the most exciting topic we can think of, this change in appearance is also a continuing sign of a shift for the company, including a reimaging of the Microsoft brand.
The new logo (which looks to have ties to the past) fits in with Microsoft’s new Metro/Modern UI that is being rolled out across Windows 8, Windows Phone, Xbox 360, Outllook.com and even SkyDrive. The look is clean, minimalist and the opposite of gaudy. In fact, some have complained that the new logo may be too plain. That’s an odd criticism, especially since one of the top technology companies today, Apple, hardly has the most exciting logo either—yet no one complains.
Clean. Minimalist. Elegant? You say, 'yes'.
Regardless, we put the question to you folks on whether or not you liked the new look. With over 6,000 votes (IP and cookie locked) tallied in 48 hours, the results solidified themselves after the first 2,000 participants voiced their opinion.
In short, it’s a hit.
A full 83.12% (5,135 votes) of you agreed that Microsoft did a good job with the new design with only 16.88% (1,043 votes) voting against it, suggesting that the design was not bold enough. Clearly though the ‘yays’ have it and Microsoft’s new appearance has clicked with our user base.
Our audience certainly has a bit more Microsoft-bias (although our friends iMore linked to the poll too) so it remains to be see how Microsoft uses the new look in commercials and ads. From there, we’ll have to wait and see if the consumer market responds positively to this new direction for Microsoft as Redmond doesn’t have a much sway in the consumer space as other brands just yet.
We will say that if Microsoft is looking to finally take over the mass consumer market, they so far are headed in the right direction.
Reader comments
Poll results - Overwhelming majority approve of Microsoft’s new logo
You must not have top clients like Microsoft, otherwise you wouldn't sound so butthurt.
I didn't think the new logo "wasn't bold enough" I just preferred the old one in use on Windows 7. It's not "bad" and I'm sure it will grow on me over time... Like some sort of fungus
I too enjoy the new logo doesn't need to be so over the top the way people make it seem.
I like the new logo it's more "Inviting" & "welcoming" then previous one.
Making logos is a pain in the ass! I designed one for my gaming community years ago but took me about three years to settle on one. I guess the design team that worked on the MS plain and simple design probably used a lot of insight prior to releasing it!
Love the bold, simple look! It looks awesome and eye-catching at the Boston store!
I love what Microsoft has done with there look. It is uniform and when using there products you know it's MS. This look is the future of how we get things done. Its simple and strait to the point. It combined with cloud will make it possible to use RT on all kinds of devices. All my PC's are set to performance mode so my systems runs fast. This is the same concept that MS is using to make your experience on WP very smooth with low performance. Simple and strait to the point, love it.
I think it looks nice, but I do wish they used the angled approach like what they are using for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, but that's just me! It still looks nice!
I heard people complaining it's not bold nor manly enough, but an ak47 on a skull background is already taken by the mujahideen.
Anyway to tally the votes that came from the iMore referral link separately?
No its not bold enough !? Lol quite bitching about everything
Hey I voted on that poll :D
Its nothing special but it's good that it's consistent with the new look. Though Microsoft seem to take forever to become fully consistent, the old logo is still popping up all over the Microsoft websites. Even surface.com has the old logo at the bottom
Allow me to complain about the Apple logo. I was given an iPhone for work. When I turned it on there was a metallic apple with a slash of some sort through it that made me think the glass screen had already cracked. So, yes, there are people that don't care for the Apple logo. We just never talk about it here since this is a site about Windows Phone.
I remember someone saying that a design team asked why the Microsoft logo was a flag? After hearing any thinking about that comment it really was appropriate to change the logo to resemble a window. I still prefer the skewed Windows 8 logo though without the colors. But that's just me. Nice job, it really was needed to be consistent with all the other design changes.
I agree with you, I think the logo used on the surface is perfect!
I don't understand the minority remark of not being "exciting" or "bold", the most well recognised logos are very simple like Nike or Adidas three single stripes.
I can't figure out what was so "exciting" or "bold" about the old logo - the black italic Microsoft word with little dent in the "O" letter. OK, so maybe the font was set to "bold" as opposed to the current one which is set to "normal" and without italic. But I still can't see what was supposed to be so exciting about the old one after 25 years. Now what is interesting: will MS be using the new logotype only or the complete new logo on packaging and hardware. As we can see in those old leaked images: http://www.wpcentral.com/sites/wpcentral.com/files/postimages/4213/Wedge.png they used only the segoue logotype without the symbol on the Wedge series. What's funny is that nobody seemed to notice or care about the new font in the image back then.
There's always one... Or 16.88% in this case. :)
Matches the metro look very nicely. Microsoft and Windows are one. Why not combine them together. Looks good.
I just love it, and I didn't participate on the poll. It's totally the new Microsoft.
I really like the minimalist look of the new logo. Props to Microsoft.
The old logo was fine, can't believe someone actually got paid to design this.
+1
STUPID thing to complain about
Exactly what I was thinkin
People work hard to make such logos that fits the company so dont complain. If you can do it better do it. Now is 2012 modern now is simplicity, simplicity does not mean it is easy to create. you probably think "Ok everybody can set segoe font and make this logo" but there is hard work behind, very well paid hard work :)
Guess what, I have an opinion. I've been in the graphic arts industry for 33 years(most likely longer than you've been alive). I don't need to be lectured by you.
Of course 33yrs of "experience" mean your are came from stone age and bring became fossilized, can't innovate...
At least he can string a sentence together...
Yes, you can tell by how mature you are with your responses. And if you've been in graphic arts industry for 33 years, I'm pretty sure you would be saying more than just "the old logo was fine, can't believe someone actually got paid to design this."
It's obvious that Microsoft had to change their logo to suit their new image and to be more in line with Metro design ( or whatever they call it now) so saying the old design was fine makes no sense whatsoever