The Microsoft Windows 8 identity is by far the best incarnation of the Windows brand!
Let’s take a closer look into the newly released Windows 8 identity. Windows 8 is just around the corner, its street name till recently has been Windows 8 Metro. The Metro name is given by the clean lines and simplistic nature of the design. I for one am eager for the release of this new operating system, being a designer i am finally happy that Microsoft has gone ‘Simple’ and ‘Minimal’, gone are the days of complex color schemes, gradients, complex fonts and real-life style icons. We now are looking at flat colors, hard edged shapes and single color icons.
I read an article recently on what went into building the Microsoft Windows 8 identity. This is something that i believe everyone should read from designers to clients.
The author of the new brand identity Paula Scher asked the question earlier on in the development process and i quote:
Meeting with Microsoft early in the development process, Scher asked: “Your name is Windows. Why are you a flag?”
This was the right question to ask from the beginning and is what gave birth to the new design. The mentality of a good designer is to question everything that will require answers to these problems.
The produced result was backed by the following statement that resolves the problems faced when designing the new brand and i quote:
The new identity returns the logo to its roots. The name Windows was originally introduced as a metaphor for seeing into screens and systems and a new view on technology. The new identity reintroduces this idea with the actual visual principles of perspective. It also reflects the Metro design language developed by Microsoft for its products, graphics and user interfaces.
It is always interesting to read ‘WHY’ something was done the way it was. Upon first impressions of the new Microsoft Windows 8 identity will give off mixed messages depending on who look’s at it and from what point of view. For instance from a clients (non design background) may say ‘It’s too simple’, ‘My kid can draw that’. Too a point they are probably correct, however the real testament to what makes a design successful and great is answering the right questions made in the development process. From the designer’s point of view, the new brand identity is ‘Beautiful’ & ‘Minimal’ and of course is a valid answer to the the question’s made in the development process.
Conclusion: Building the Microsoft Windows 8 Identity
I totally applaud Paula Scher, for building the Microsoft Windows 8 identity. I believe it is the first true testament to finally getting the brand inline with the illustration and now has true meaning. Infact we here at Menkom love it so much we have now started to include some of the design principals into the work we produce and you can see some ‘Metro Style’ elements on our website.
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