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It is fun bashing uber but I am not sure this is quite as bad in all respects as this article makes out. In particular I like the black square icon, it is bold

It is fun bashing uber but I am not sure this is quite as bad in all respects as this article makes out. In particular I like the black square icon, it is bold and unique. Their Android and ios icons though are pretty bad. Too bad they couldn't have stayed with the bold black square for those as well with some way to ensure it has good visibility. Black monolith icon -- I like it.

tragic 11y ago
OP likes it too, unless he's being sarcastic. Really, it's hard to tell sometimes. > The bit makes for a great favicon, and reminds us of the great work of early modernist painters. Left, Kazimir Malevich, Black Square, 1915. Right, Uber Favicon, 2016. > Of all the brands based on squares, Uber's is the most exciting.
- StavrosK 11y ago
  I read that as clear sarcasm.
  - goldenkey 11y ago
    Its definitely sarcasm, you cant trademark a square.
- manicdee 11y ago
  The comparison of the solid black square to famous art, and a description of the level of excitement about a brand "based on squares" where the brand is exactly only a square: those are the sarcastic components here. These might even be interpreted as parody ("here is a great work of art by Uber, which is comparable in insight and execution to this work by a lesser known artist.")
runn1ng 11y ago
The logo of the app looks like a Chinese bank logo. A lot of Chinese - and to a certain point Vietnamese - banks have logos with square inside a circle, since that's how Chinese money used to look like. When Uber updated, I wondered what is that Chinese bank app doing on my Android.
- kagamine 11y ago
  Maybe take a closer look at where Uber's capital is sourced from and get you answer there. Personally I think the logo is awful. And the statement > but creating an icon that was based on an English character didn’t make sense for a global brand Is the company not called Uber in all languages? Is Uber not the name of the company that starts with the letter U?
  - CPLX 11y ago
    For reference, there are languages that don't have the letter U in them, or any letter you would recognize.
    - jahewson 11y ago
      The same could be said of f, but it works fine for Facebook.
    - illegalsmile 11y ago
      Right but for them it would just be an abstract but still recognizable design. For the rest it's the U in Uber that's a classic recognizable design. Their new icon seems like a major shift and while I don't particularly like or dislike it I think they could have done a bit more with the U before throwing it out entirely.
    - yawaramin 11y ago
      You don't see Pepsi re-branding themselves to 'Bebsi' in Arabic-speaking countries.
      - runn1ng 11y ago
        Well sort of. http://www.pegnsean.net/~sue/pics/151-200/tn/162%20...and%20Pepsi%20in%20Arabic.med.JPG http://www.pegnsean.net/~sue/pics/151-200/tn/162%20...and%20... But yeah everyone everywhere can read Latin alphabet, at least in the demographic interesting for Uber.

tragic 11y ago

OP likes it too, unless he's being sarcastic. Really, it's hard to tell sometimes. > The bit makes for a great favicon, and reminds us of the great work of early modernist painters. Left, Kazimir Malevich, Black Square, 1915. Right, Uber Favicon, 2016. > Of all the brands based on squares, Uber's is the most exciting.

StavrosK 11y ago
I read that as clear sarcasm.
- goldenkey 11y ago
  Its definitely sarcasm, you cant trademark a square.
manicdee 11y ago
The comparison of the solid black square to famous art, and a description of the level of excitement about a brand "based on squares" where the brand is exactly only a square: those are the sarcastic components here. These might even be interpreted as parody ("here is a great work of art by Uber, which is comparable in insight and execution to this work by a lesser known artist.")

runn1ng 11y ago

The logo of the app looks like a Chinese bank logo. A lot of Chinese - and to a certain point Vietnamese - banks have logos with square inside a circle, since that's how Chinese money used to look like. When Uber updated, I wondered what is that Chinese bank app doing on my Android.

kagamine 11y ago
Maybe take a closer look at where Uber's capital is sourced from and get you answer there. Personally I think the logo is awful. And the statement > but creating an icon that was based on an English character didn’t make sense for a global brand Is the company not called Uber in all languages? Is Uber not the name of the company that starts with the letter U?
- CPLX 11y ago
  For reference, there are languages that don't have the letter U in them, or any letter you would recognize.
  - jahewson 11y ago
    The same could be said of f, but it works fine for Facebook.
  - illegalsmile 11y ago
    Right but for them it would just be an abstract but still recognizable design. For the rest it's the U in Uber that's a classic recognizable design. Their new icon seems like a major shift and while I don't particularly like or dislike it I think they could have done a bit more with the U before throwing it out entirely.
  - yawaramin 11y ago
    You don't see Pepsi re-branding themselves to 'Bebsi' in Arabic-speaking countries.
    - runn1ng 11y ago
      Well sort of. http://www.pegnsean.net/~sue/pics/151-200/tn/162%20...and%20Pepsi%20in%20Arabic.med.JPG http://www.pegnsean.net/~sue/pics/151-200/tn/162%20...and%20... But yeah everyone everywhere can read Latin alphabet, at least in the demographic interesting for Uber.