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*Post Update : This post is not intended to be fair & constructive. It’s a rant, a sarcastic and juvenile venting. Microsoft have screwed up and the gloves are off. A company as huge as Microsoft can take the rantings of a mad logo designer.
The Bing Logo Design by Microsoft – Vent off here
Here are some honest thoughts on the Bing logo design. Frankly, when I first caught glimpse of this logo, I had to make sure it wasn’t April Fools, somehow I had been caught up in some time distortion field. But no. This seems to be the real deal. Microsoft has really excelled at making themselves look hideously silly… again. And this is all before the product even launches. Nice.
This is a brand extension that is need to be wound up and re thought out.
This logo is just outstandingly and epicly crap.
There is nothing about it that makes sense. Every thing that could be done wrong pretty much has been. The whole personal taste, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder, its subjective doesn’t cut it here.
This logo is supremely and stupendously grim.
But that is my own opinion, and I realise there must be others out there how surely have something positive to say about it. So here is a chance to say what you feel. Leave some comments below.
Don’t hold back.
How it could look
If someone had taken just a few moments of time over this, they could have created a beauty of a logo.
This is my much improved version. Comic Sans MS never looked so gorgeous. If you are listening Microsoft, I am happy to sell you the rights to my logo idea.
Post Update: I need to add at this point that the following logo is NOT to be taken seriously. I am being sarcastic and slightly ironic and stupendously juvenile in using a Microsoft version of the much hated Comic Sans. For those that have commented assuming this was a genuine effort to improve on the original, sorry to disappoint. :)

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So, before things get out of hand with people leaving 'daft' comments, and humorous replies get mistaken for vindictiveness, comments closed.
So, before things get out of hand with people leaving 'daft' comments, and humorous replies get mistaken for vindictiveness, comments closed.
OMG - you got all defensive. About your crap logo :-)
Bite me.
OMG - you got all defensive. About your crap logo :-)
Bite me.
Sheesh dude, not to be mean or anything - but look at YOUR logo!
I frequently look at my logo, thanks for the advice. :)
Sheesh dude, not to be mean or anything - but look at YOUR logo!
I frequently look at my logo, thanks for the advice. :)
The first thing I noticed is the squashed font, so I noticed a fault immediately before others started picking out other faults that I now see when mentioned.
I haven't read all the messages here, but I've just noticed the top of the dot on the i is clipped also as if the person saving the jpeg made a mistake.
I'd be surprised if a professional with any experienced created this.
The first thing I noticed is the squashed font, so I noticed a fault immediately before others started picking out other faults that I now see when mentioned.
I haven't read all the messages here, but I've just noticed the top of the dot on the i is clipped also as if the person saving the jpeg made a mistake.
I'd be surprised if a professional with any experienced created this.
Yeah, the first time I saw the logo, I was like, are you kidding me. Instantly, I knew it was a poorly designed logo. Anybody who knows anything about type and logo design can tell that the type in the logo looks squashed - proportionally incorrect. It really looks like someone at Microsoft downloaded one of those free fonts and started messing around with it - probably some CEO who has a child that fancies themselves a designer - and then some how this piece 'o' crap made it all the way to the final decision phase - I mean who's working for Microsoft these day that would approve this crap. The CD on the project should be fired.
I think the designers read the name wrong and were going for the 'boing' effect, so a squashed font.
Yeah, the first time I saw the logo, I was like, are you kidding me. Instantly, I knew it was a poorly designed logo. Anybody who knows anything about type and logo design can tell that the type in the logo looks squashed - proportionally incorrect. It really looks like someone at Microsoft downloaded one of those free fonts and started messing around with it - probably some CEO who has a child that fancies themselves a designer - and then some how this piece 'o' crap made it all the way to the final decision phase - I mean who's working for Microsoft these day that would approve this crap. The CD on the project should be fired.
I think the designers read the name wrong and were going for the 'boing' effect, so a squashed font.
Holy Jesus. I have been looking for a forum like this to vent. I run a tiny, eeny, weeny business and if our marketing girl came to me with something like this I would die. It beggars belief that a company that spends so much each year on marketing can a) be so boring as to attempt to copy the simplicity of Google's logo and b) f*ck it up soooo badly in the process. What planet are the employees at MS living on? Absolutely bizarre.
Holy Jesus. I have been looking for a forum like this to vent. I run a tiny, eeny, weeny business and if our marketing girl came to me with something like this I would die. It beggars belief that a company that spends so much each year on marketing can a) be so boring as to attempt to copy the simplicity of Google's logo and b) f*ck it up soooo badly in the process. What planet are the employees at MS living on? Absolutely bizarre.
sorry if i'm reiterating someone else's post (there were too many to read through) - i agree that it's somewhat less than what you'd expect from a company like microsoft. i particularly hate the font. i don't mind the concept as much - the whole "less is more" thing has been pretty hot for a while, and clearly what they were going for.
but, yes, it's ugly and disappointing. utterly underwhelming.
Yeah, as I commented just earlier, comment above.
All it needs is some minor tweaks to make a technically poor logo at least technically correct, if not inspiring. And change the color palette to mono for the coloured background.
sorry if i'm reiterating someone else's post (there were too many to read through) - i agree that it's somewhat less than what you'd expect from a company like microsoft. i particularly hate the font. i don't mind the concept as much - the whole "less is more" thing has been pretty hot for a while, and clearly what they were going for.
but, yes, it's ugly and disappointing. utterly underwhelming.
Yeah, as I commented just earlier, comment above.
All it needs is some minor tweaks to make a technically poor logo at least technically correct, if not inspiring. And change the color palette to mono for the coloured background.
It looks so odd - stands out like a sore thumb on the Microsoft website. It's terrible, to put it lightly. They did a great job with the backgrounds on the Bing website, but the logo just kills it. Terrible.
If they are to keep with the Bing photo backgrounds, then some adjustments to the logo is all thats needed just to make it bearable.
Don't bastardise the font and have it either white or black out of the photos. That would make a huge difference.
It looks so odd - stands out like a sore thumb on the Microsoft website. It's terrible, to put it lightly. They did a great job with the backgrounds on the Bing website, but the logo just kills it. Terrible.
If they are to keep with the Bing photo backgrounds, then some adjustments to the logo is all thats needed just to make it bearable.
Don't bastardise the font and have it either white or black out of the photos. That would make a huge difference.
Maybe the Microsoft board wanted it to be "Bling" but the designer accidently typed "Bing" instead. Then they just settled with that. lol
If it was Bling then they re need to look up the meaning of the damn word, and in this case, assess what Bing could mean also. All very generic and 'guh'. :) Even a 'meh'.
Maybe the Microsoft board wanted it to be "Bling" but the designer accidently typed "Bing" instead. Then they just settled with that. lol
If it was Bling then they re need to look up the meaning of the damn word, and in this case, assess what Bing could mean also. All very generic and 'guh'. :) Even a 'meh'.
You're a bit of a cry baby. Perhaps you could give some constructive feedback instead of all the whingeing and sarcasm.
And who are you to decide what is acceptable as art. If you were an artist you would be more open minded.
That being said, they should take a long, hard look at what Apple is doing right. On so many levels.
Jillian : As the beginning of the post mentions, this post is not meant to be constructive. That's the whole point. Its meant to be sarcastic, juvenile and ironic. It's for a giggle, not to be taken clinically seriously. Not all posts need to be careful weighed up in order to get feedback. The best bit about this post are the comments left, except yours of course.
This post is looking at it loosely from a logo design perspective. If you took time to read what I do for a living then you would see that clear as day. This is not an art blog or high class magazine. This is just a silly rant, and there is emphasis here on silly and sarcastic.
And where the hell are people getting off now referring the Bing Logo as art? People, you seriously need to consider what you believe art to be when looking at it from a logo design perspective. A technically poor corporate logo and identity this is.
I am using my judgment and 'subjective' taste to say categorically, the Bing Logo is crap and not art. Are you therefore saying it is? If so, please explain how. Thanks.
You're a bit of a cry baby. Perhaps you could give some constructive feedback instead of all the whingeing and sarcasm.
And who are you to decide what is acceptable as art. If you were an artist you would be more open minded.
That being said, they should take a long, hard look at what Apple is doing right. On so many levels.
Jillian : As the beginning of the post mentions, this post is not meant to be constructive. That's the whole point. Its meant to be sarcastic, juvenile and ironic. It's for a giggle, not to be taken clinically seriously. Not all posts need to be careful weighed up in order to get feedback. The best bit about this post are the comments left, except yours of course.
This post is looking at it loosely from a logo design perspective. If you took time to read what I do for a living then you would see that clear as day. This is not an art blog or high class magazine. This is just a silly rant, and there is emphasis here on silly and sarcastic.
And where the hell are people getting off now referring the Bing Logo as art? People, you seriously need to consider what you believe art to be when looking at it from a logo design perspective. A technically poor corporate logo and identity this is.
I am using my judgment and 'subjective' taste to say categorically, the Bing Logo is crap and not art. Are you therefore saying it is? If so, please explain how. Thanks.
I think your replacement logo looks terrible. It's reminiscent of... "I don't take your search seriously", or "My business is shaky". Their logo isn't great, but it's way ahead of your "ideal".
Jeff : I was hoping it would be blatantly obvious that I was being sarcastic with using one of the worse fonts around, Comic Sans MS (stands for Microsoft), so a spot of irony there for added measure.
I think your replacement logo looks terrible. It's reminiscent of... "I don't take your search seriously", or "My business is shaky". Their logo isn't great, but it's way ahead of your "ideal".
Jeff : I was hoping it would be blatantly obvious that I was being sarcastic with using one of the worse fonts around, Comic Sans MS (stands for Microsoft), so a spot of irony there for added measure.
This is what separates the artists from the designers. It's not typography, it's art... look again.
Im also a fine art artist, and I don't see anything here that is remotely acceptable, as art or design.
The moment you beak rules for a logo, when it's all typographic, you loose the right to fall back on a art based excuse. Technically it's poor and aesthetically it's even worse.
Im not sure how one can say the Bing Logo is art, I really struggle with that definition.
This is what separates the artists from the designers. It's not typography, it's art... look again.
Im also a fine art artist, and I don't see anything here that is remotely acceptable, as art or design.
The moment you beak rules for a logo, when it's all typographic, you loose the right to fall back on a art based excuse. Technically it's poor and aesthetically it's even worse.
Im not sure how one can say the Bing Logo is art, I really struggle with that definition.
I think this Bing is load of crap. The censorship that already is uncovered is a disgrace and shame on Microsoft for being part of it.
I think this Bing is load of crap. The censorship that already is uncovered is a disgrace and shame on Microsoft for being part of it.
Great post Graham!
A bit delayed but here's the link to my two-penneth about this mess of a logo:
http://www.postmodem.co.uk/?p=47
;o)
Great post Graham!
A bit delayed but here's the link to my two-penneth about this mess of a logo:
http://www.postmodem.co.uk/?p=47
;o)
Come on Graham, not a bad logo? Look at that sloppy kerning and expanded letter forms. Marvel how the "tm" has nowhere to go. "Let's just shrink it down and try to hide it." And what an original corporate color pallete they've used. It's obvious the logo was an internal rush job. Everything about this logo is a fail.
Come on Graham, not a bad logo? Look at that sloppy kerning and expanded letter forms. Marvel how the "tm" has nowhere to go. "Let's just shrink it down and try to hide it." And what an original corporate color pallete they've used. It's obvious the logo was an internal rush job. Everything about this logo is a fail.
It's not a bad logo...you have complimentary opposing colors, a simple font (by the way your comic sans looks worse...did anyone notice how bad that looked) and not a horrrible first impression of the product. Now I'm comparing Microsofts previous failures into the search engine market not compared to Google...at least not yet, as I've only be binging(stupid f'n name by the way) for 10 minutes and I've been googling for years...
I was being sarcastic with my Comic Sans version... :)
So, before things get out of hand with people leaving 'daft' comments, and humorous replies get mistaken for vindictiveness, comments closed.
So, before things get out of hand with people leaving 'daft' comments, and humorous replies get mistaken for vindictiveness, comments closed.
OMG - you got all defensive. About your crap logo :-)
Bite me.
OMG - you got all defensive. About your crap logo :-)
Bite me.
Sheesh dude, not to be mean or anything - but look at YOUR logo!
I frequently look at my logo, thanks for the advice. :)
Sheesh dude, not to be mean or anything - but look at YOUR logo!
I frequently look at my logo, thanks for the advice. :)
The first thing I noticed is the squashed font, so I noticed a fault immediately before others started picking out other faults that I now see when mentioned. I haven't read all the messages here, but I've just noticed the top of the dot on the i is clipped also as if the person saving the jpeg made a mistake. I'd be surprised if a professional with any experienced created this.
The first thing I noticed is the squashed font, so I noticed a fault immediately before others started picking out other faults that I now see when mentioned. I haven't read all the messages here, but I've just noticed the top of the dot on the i is clipped also as if the person saving the jpeg made a mistake. I'd be surprised if a professional with any experienced created this.
Yeah, the first time I saw the logo, I was like, are you kidding me. Instantly, I knew it was a poorly designed logo. Anybody who knows anything about type and logo design can tell that the type in the logo looks squashed - proportionally incorrect. It really looks like someone at Microsoft downloaded one of those free fonts and started messing around with it - probably some CEO who has a child that fancies themselves a designer - and then some how this piece 'o' crap made it all the way to the final decision phase - I mean who's working for Microsoft these day that would approve this crap. The CD on the project should be fired.
I think the designers read the name wrong and were going for the 'boing' effect, so a squashed font.
Yeah, the first time I saw the logo, I was like, are you kidding me. Instantly, I knew it was a poorly designed logo. Anybody who knows anything about type and logo design can tell that the type in the logo looks squashed - proportionally incorrect. It really looks like someone at Microsoft downloaded one of those free fonts and started messing around with it - probably some CEO who has a child that fancies themselves a designer - and then some how this piece 'o' crap made it all the way to the final decision phase - I mean who's working for Microsoft these day that would approve this crap. The CD on the project should be fired.
I think the designers read the name wrong and were going for the 'boing' effect, so a squashed font.
Holy Jesus. I have been looking for a forum like this to vent. I run a tiny, eeny, weeny business and if our marketing girl came to me with something like this I would die. It beggars belief that a company that spends so much each year on marketing can a) be so boring as to attempt to copy the simplicity of Google's logo and b) f*ck it up soooo badly in the process. What planet are the employees at MS living on? Absolutely bizarre.
Holy Jesus. I have been looking for a forum like this to vent. I run a tiny, eeny, weeny business and if our marketing girl came to me with something like this I would die. It beggars belief that a company that spends so much each year on marketing can a) be so boring as to attempt to copy the simplicity of Google's logo and b) f*ck it up soooo badly in the process. What planet are the employees at MS living on? Absolutely bizarre.
sorry if i'm reiterating someone else's post (there were too many to read through) - i agree that it's somewhat less than what you'd expect from a company like microsoft. i particularly hate the font. i don't mind the concept as much - the whole "less is more" thing has been pretty hot for a while, and clearly what they were going for. but, yes, it's ugly and disappointing. utterly underwhelming.
Yeah, as I commented just earlier, comment above. All it needs is some minor tweaks to make a technically poor logo at least technically correct, if not inspiring. And change the color palette to mono for the coloured background.
sorry if i'm reiterating someone else's post (there were too many to read through) - i agree that it's somewhat less than what you'd expect from a company like microsoft. i particularly hate the font. i don't mind the concept as much - the whole "less is more" thing has been pretty hot for a while, and clearly what they were going for. but, yes, it's ugly and disappointing. utterly underwhelming.
Yeah, as I commented just earlier, comment above. All it needs is some minor tweaks to make a technically poor logo at least technically correct, if not inspiring. And change the color palette to mono for the coloured background.
It looks so odd - stands out like a sore thumb on the Microsoft website. It's terrible, to put it lightly. They did a great job with the backgrounds on the Bing website, but the logo just kills it. Terrible.
If they are to keep with the Bing photo backgrounds, then some adjustments to the logo is all thats needed just to make it bearable. Don't bastardise the font and have it either white or black out of the photos. That would make a huge difference.
It looks so odd - stands out like a sore thumb on the Microsoft website. It's terrible, to put it lightly. They did a great job with the backgrounds on the Bing website, but the logo just kills it. Terrible.
If they are to keep with the Bing photo backgrounds, then some adjustments to the logo is all thats needed just to make it bearable. Don't bastardise the font and have it either white or black out of the photos. That would make a huge difference.
Maybe the Microsoft board wanted it to be "Bling" but the designer accidently typed "Bing" instead. Then they just settled with that. lol
If it was Bling then they re need to look up the meaning of the damn word, and in this case, assess what Bing could mean also. All very generic and 'guh'. :) Even a 'meh'.
Maybe the Microsoft board wanted it to be "Bling" but the designer accidently typed "Bing" instead. Then they just settled with that. lol
If it was Bling then they re need to look up the meaning of the damn word, and in this case, assess what Bing could mean also. All very generic and 'guh'. :) Even a 'meh'.
You're a bit of a cry baby. Perhaps you could give some constructive feedback instead of all the whingeing and sarcasm. And who are you to decide what is acceptable as art. If you were an artist you would be more open minded. That being said, they should take a long, hard look at what Apple is doing right. On so many levels.
Jillian : As the beginning of the post mentions, this post is not meant to be constructive. That's the whole point. Its meant to be sarcastic, juvenile and ironic. It's for a giggle, not to be taken clinically seriously. Not all posts need to be careful weighed up in order to get feedback. The best bit about this post are the comments left, except yours of course. This post is looking at it loosely from a logo design perspective. If you took time to read what I do for a living then you would see that clear as day. This is not an art blog or high class magazine. This is just a silly rant, and there is emphasis here on silly and sarcastic. And where the hell are people getting off now referring the Bing Logo as art? People, you seriously need to consider what you believe art to be when looking at it from a logo design perspective. A technically poor corporate logo and identity this is. I am using my judgment and 'subjective' taste to say categorically, the Bing Logo is crap and not art. Are you therefore saying it is? If so, please explain how. Thanks.
You're a bit of a cry baby. Perhaps you could give some constructive feedback instead of all the whingeing and sarcasm. And who are you to decide what is acceptable as art. If you were an artist you would be more open minded. That being said, they should take a long, hard look at what Apple is doing right. On so many levels.
Jillian : As the beginning of the post mentions, this post is not meant to be constructive. That's the whole point. Its meant to be sarcastic, juvenile and ironic. It's for a giggle, not to be taken clinically seriously. Not all posts need to be careful weighed up in order to get feedback. The best bit about this post are the comments left, except yours of course. This post is looking at it loosely from a logo design perspective. If you took time to read what I do for a living then you would see that clear as day. This is not an art blog or high class magazine. This is just a silly rant, and there is emphasis here on silly and sarcastic. And where the hell are people getting off now referring the Bing Logo as art? People, you seriously need to consider what you believe art to be when looking at it from a logo design perspective. A technically poor corporate logo and identity this is. I am using my judgment and 'subjective' taste to say categorically, the Bing Logo is crap and not art. Are you therefore saying it is? If so, please explain how. Thanks.
I think your replacement logo looks terrible. It's reminiscent of... "I don't take your search seriously", or "My business is shaky". Their logo isn't great, but it's way ahead of your "ideal".
Jeff : I was hoping it would be blatantly obvious that I was being sarcastic with using one of the worse fonts around, Comic Sans MS (stands for Microsoft), so a spot of irony there for added measure.
I think your replacement logo looks terrible. It's reminiscent of... "I don't take your search seriously", or "My business is shaky". Their logo isn't great, but it's way ahead of your "ideal".
Jeff : I was hoping it would be blatantly obvious that I was being sarcastic with using one of the worse fonts around, Comic Sans MS (stands for Microsoft), so a spot of irony there for added measure.
This is what separates the artists from the designers. It's not typography, it's art... look again.
Im also a fine art artist, and I don't see anything here that is remotely acceptable, as art or design. The moment you beak rules for a logo, when it's all typographic, you loose the right to fall back on a art based excuse. Technically it's poor and aesthetically it's even worse. Im not sure how one can say the Bing Logo is art, I really struggle with that definition.
This is what separates the artists from the designers. It's not typography, it's art... look again.
Im also a fine art artist, and I don't see anything here that is remotely acceptable, as art or design. The moment you beak rules for a logo, when it's all typographic, you loose the right to fall back on a art based excuse. Technically it's poor and aesthetically it's even worse. Im not sure how one can say the Bing Logo is art, I really struggle with that definition.
I think this Bing is load of crap. The censorship that already is uncovered is a disgrace and shame on Microsoft for being part of it.
I think this Bing is load of crap. The censorship that already is uncovered is a disgrace and shame on Microsoft for being part of it.
Great post Graham! A bit delayed but here's the link to my two-penneth about this mess of a logo: http://www.postmodem.co.uk/?p=47 ;o)
Great post Graham! A bit delayed but here's the link to my two-penneth about this mess of a logo: http://www.postmodem.co.uk/?p=47 ;o)
Come on Graham, not a bad logo? Look at that sloppy kerning and expanded letter forms. Marvel how the "tm" has nowhere to go. "Let's just shrink it down and try to hide it." And what an original corporate color pallete they've used. It's obvious the logo was an internal rush job. Everything about this logo is a fail.
Come on Graham, not a bad logo? Look at that sloppy kerning and expanded letter forms. Marvel how the "tm" has nowhere to go. "Let's just shrink it down and try to hide it." And what an original corporate color pallete they've used. It's obvious the logo was an internal rush job. Everything about this logo is a fail.
It's not a bad logo...you have complimentary opposing colors, a simple font (by the way your comic sans looks worse...did anyone notice how bad that looked) and not a horrrible first impression of the product. Now I'm comparing Microsofts previous failures into the search engine market not compared to Google...at least not yet, as I've only be binging(stupid f'n name by the way) for 10 minutes and I've been googling for years...
I was being sarcastic with my Comic Sans version... :)
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