Windows 8: Redesigned but Recognizable?

Windows 8 is coming and I couldn’t be more excited. What’s even more intriguing and causing quite a stir online is the redesign of the ubiquitous Windows logo. See above. Interesting, the Windows symbol has become synonymous with the tech giant Microsoft for years and years. That’s what branding is all about, right? So why would Microsoft just toss that out?

According to the Windows blog:
Early in the development cycle for Windows 8, in a conference room on the Microsoft campus, we assembled a kick off meeting with Paula Scher, Michael Beirut and Daniel Weil from Pentagram and a few designers and marketing leaders from Windows and across the company. The team spent a full day sharing some of the Metro style design philosophy; the Windows brand history and values as well as graphic design and technology industry trends.

“To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”- George Orwellr
That is the feeling we had when Paula Scher (from the renowned Pentagram design agency) showed us her sketches for the new Windows logo.

It’s a window… not a flagr
Paula asked us a simple question, “your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?”
Great question. So yes, you wanna go with “windows” for Windows, but why abandon the color scheme that’s known across the globe? Why not simply modernize the color scheme (albeit sticking with those colors) and incorporate that into the design? Devin Coldewey of TechCrunch writes, ”

Personally, I’m not a fan. I understand the idea of the clean break and of evoking the Metro interface. That’s fine. But the logo fails for me because it doesn’t represent Windows as a brand, it represents a visual theme that hasn’t shipped and isn’t familiar to most users. The logo also changes color with your theme, which I think is a weak decision. The four-color panes were a little loud, to be sure, but that was what they had to work with back in the day if they didn’t want to dither but still wanted to show a decent image in an 8-bit graphics mode. It has survived not just out of tradition, but because it’s instantly recognized by billions worldwide. That’s not brand capital Microsoft throws away lightly, I’m sure, but the question is why they’ve chosen to throw it away at all.” I agree with Devin on some points. I actually do like the redesign. But to have a redesigned logo that changes color? Not cool. The design itself is fine. Stick with like a brushed steel look and the same colors at least. Metro is the best thing since Beanie Babies were popular, but keep that branding that’s made Microsoft what it is today.

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