3 ms·

The ugliest logo ever, but maybe it makes sense

28 points by brandonkm 18y ago

pclark 18y ago
> Really though, it does embody "Symbian" pretty well; amateur, ugly, dated, and kind of a joke
cedsav 18y ago
well, I don't feel too bad for designing my product logos myself now.
yaj 18y ago
The London 2012 Olympic logo is better
ojbyrne 18y ago
Nice writing. "a fat, stoned-looking penguin and a drunken ox" made me laugh.
marcusbooster 18y ago
It was well received on a popular brand identity site: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/open_source_with_a_heart.php http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/open_sou... Aren't you guys sick of gradients and bubble-buttons yet?
- pavlov 18y ago
  Nice -- I sent Brand New this tip about Symbian's redesign, and in return they linked to my startup from the tip credit. (I make video effects software that can be of interest to a design blog's readership, so the exposure is welcome.)
aston 18y ago
In the context of the other imagery they're going to roll out, it's actually pretty cool. It's a very humanizing illustration style that I think will go a long way towards making Symbian feel a lot less borg-like to mainstream folks. Check out the accompanying illustrations at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/symbianfoundation/sets/72157616422430716/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/symbianfoundation/sets/72157616...
- sp0rk 18y ago
  Exactly my thoughts. I followed the link from the article to their blog, where the logo has more context than their main site: http://blog.symbian.org/ http://blog.symbian.org/ It really doesn't look too bad or out of place there.
  - buugs 18y ago
    It reminds me of Dr. Seuss as well as another guy who used to do a learn to draw show on pbs when I was little, I think his name was Mark something. I really hope more people change from Web 2.0 style images to something more friendly or minimal looking like they decided to do.
derefr 18y ago
Somehow it gives me the same impression as this: http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_021_happy.htm http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_021_happy.htm
- windsurfer 18y ago
  And I would like to respond with this: http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_023_waterfall.htm http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_023_waterfall.htm I don't think you know it's beautiful, it just is.
alexitosrv 18y ago
Sincerely, I think it deserves the right to be included in this: http://www.grupthink.com/topic/7964/Worst_logos_ever http://www.grupthink.com/topic/7964/Worst_logos_ever
wheels 18y ago
They're taking a page out of IBM's "Peace, Love, Linux" campaign. I think nerds are fairly easily appeased. There's nobody that seemed more borg-like than IBM a decade or two ago and they've won over the hearts of lots of geekier folk. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/39036635/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/39036635/
- jrockway 18y ago
  I don't think this is what won over the geeks. It is more of a mutual relationship -- IBM needed to take on Microsoft, and Linux was the easiest way to do that. So, IBM gives the open source developer time, money, and their patent portfolio, and IBM can compete better with Microsoft. The Thinkpads are also mighty fine computers. (I know it's not IBM anymore, but times have changed...)
  - wheels 18y ago
    Sure. I didn't mean to imply that said campaign was the crux of the winning-over, but it was part of IBM's strategy to become cool again in the techie world. Just embracing Linux as a business strategy wouldn't have done it -- a lot of vendors have done that and remained uncool -- but what IBM pulled off was a strategic shift while bringing in the hacker community at the same time, which is pretty impressive.
windsurfer 18y ago
I like it. I guess it's just personal preference.
numair 18y ago
What sort of music does Symbian play? Are they going on tour soon?

28 points by brandonkm 18y ago

pclark 18y ago

> Really though, it does embody "Symbian" pretty well; amateur, ugly, dated, and kind of a joke

cedsav 18y ago

well, I don't feel too bad for designing my product logos myself now.

yaj 18y ago

The London 2012 Olympic logo is better

ojbyrne 18y ago

Nice writing. "a fat, stoned-looking penguin and a drunken ox" made me laugh.

marcusbooster 18y ago

It was well received on a popular brand identity site: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/open_source_with_a_heart.php http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/open_sou... Aren't you guys sick of gradients and bubble-buttons yet?

pavlov 18y ago
Nice -- I sent Brand New this tip about Symbian's redesign, and in return they linked to my startup from the tip credit. (I make video effects software that can be of interest to a design blog's readership, so the exposure is welcome.)

aston 18y ago

In the context of the other imagery they're going to roll out, it's actually pretty cool. It's a very humanizing illustration style that I think will go a long way towards making Symbian feel a lot less borg-like to mainstream folks. Check out the accompanying illustrations at flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/symbianfoundation/sets/72157616422430716/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/symbianfoundation/sets/72157616...

sp0rk 18y ago
Exactly my thoughts. I followed the link from the article to their blog, where the logo has more context than their main site: http://blog.symbian.org/ http://blog.symbian.org/ It really doesn't look too bad or out of place there.
- buugs 18y ago
  It reminds me of Dr. Seuss as well as another guy who used to do a learn to draw show on pbs when I was little, I think his name was Mark something. I really hope more people change from Web 2.0 style images to something more friendly or minimal looking like they decided to do.

derefr 18y ago

Somehow it gives me the same impression as this: http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_021_happy.htm http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_021_happy.htm

windsurfer 18y ago
And I would like to respond with this: http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_023_waterfall.htm http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_023_waterfall.htm I don't think you know it's beautiful, it just is.

alexitosrv 18y ago

Sincerely, I think it deserves the right to be included in this: http://www.grupthink.com/topic/7964/Worst_logos_ever http://www.grupthink.com/topic/7964/Worst_logos_ever

wheels 18y ago

They're taking a page out of IBM's "Peace, Love, Linux" campaign. I think nerds are fairly easily appeased. There's nobody that seemed more borg-like than IBM a decade or two ago and they've won over the hearts of lots of geekier folk. http://www.flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/39036635/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/39036635/

jrockway 18y ago
I don't think this is what won over the geeks. It is more of a mutual relationship -- IBM needed to take on Microsoft, and Linux was the easiest way to do that. So, IBM gives the open source developer time, money, and their patent portfolio, and IBM can compete better with Microsoft. The Thinkpads are also mighty fine computers. (I know it's not IBM anymore, but times have changed...)
- wheels 18y ago
  Sure. I didn't mean to imply that said campaign was the crux of the winning-over, but it was part of IBM's strategy to become cool again in the techie world. Just embracing Linux as a business strategy wouldn't have done it -- a lot of vendors have done that and remained uncool -- but what IBM pulled off was a strategic shift while bringing in the hacker community at the same time, which is pretty impressive.

windsurfer 18y ago

I like it. I guess it's just personal preference.

numair 18y ago

What sort of music does Symbian play? Are they going on tour soon?