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Ha, I just wrote something very similiar about this: http://www.techdisruptive.com/2013/09/04/logo-doesnt-matter/ http://www.techdisruptive.com/2013/09/04/logo-

by mbesto 13y ago

Ha, I just wrote something very similiar about this: http://www.techdisruptive.com/2013/09/04/logo-doesnt-matter/ http://www.techdisruptive.com/2013/09/04/logo-doesnt-matter/ No, it’s not getting attention. It’s gaining trust. Ironically, for that you need a reflective, clear, and consistent brand identity. A different logo powered by bullshit doesn’t convey identity and trustworthiness. It conveys desperation. While the overall sentiment of the article is sound, I slightly disagree with this. First, this whole story of "creating the logo in a weekend" with an "intern who did some motion graphics to convey it's uniformity" is pure and simple, a publicity stunt, and a good one at that.[1] Personally I don't think there is an intern named Max who did that (most likely an agency), but this subtly conveys the perception of something that Yahoo is missing - innovation by small teams. The reality is that Yahoo does have a brand problem (just as MS does in the consumer-mobile space), so they have two tactics they need to implement in order to properly manage the brand: 1. Change the perception of the brand (changing the logo to match the new found brand perception is a good way to do that) 2. Create buzz around the fact that the perception has now changed. Marissa's plan for the logo did just that. I think it's a good strategy and something Stringer Bell would have been taught in his business class.[2] [1]-http://marissamayr.tumblr.com/post/60336044815/geeking-out-on-the-logo http://marissamayr.tumblr.com/post/60336044815/geeking-out-o... [2]-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbbZc2pab9k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbbZc2pab9k

emhart 13y ago
THAT is a very interesting thought and addresses the article on its own terms. I was getting a bit weary of the designer-ego bashing. The idea that the story they are trying to tell is one of rapid innovation in small teams is a really excellent observation, and if that is what she is truly trying to accomplish it's very interesting. That said, where does the 30 days of logos fit in? Just as a ramp to draw additional attention to the CEO blog post?
- mbesto 13y ago
  I think the 30 days of logos is an ongoing engagement that achieves two things: 1) Provides an on-going set of buzz. You'll have heaps of people criticizing a lot of the logos. The PR value is absolutely massive for a 30 day event. 2) Reinforces the perception that Yahoo is open, creative and is "listening to it's users". I was getting a bit weary of the designer-ego bashing I don't think the designer-ego bashing was unwarranted, since I agree with the author on that premise. What the author failed to recognize is why this PR move was written this way.
  - emhart 13y ago
    Sorry, I meant to say "designer-ego bashing in these comments." That was unclear. I too agreed with the author on that premise.
t4nkd 13y ago
Wow, kudos to this perspective. I could have seen these design blogs rattling out a list of reasons why Yahoo's logo process isn't "The Right Way" -- namely because it reduces the process of designing a logo(and depending on who you ask, the entire brand) into a weekend with a small, internal team and the CEO. This kind of practice in a 10 billion dollar company is poisonous for professionals who chalk up big money on brand identity consulting and development. Imagine if Yahoo rewrote a major application in a weekend with a small team and the CEO; engineers would scramble to debunk that it could be accomplished, and work hard at discrediting the results of the Yahoo team who did it. I think your perspective is probably the real take away from Marissa's blog post. Looking like small agile teams together in the trenches with big decision makers is the way bold ideas come out of Yahoo makes them sound leaps and bounds ahead so many other web giants. Thanks for your take, it was inspiring.
cschmidt 13y ago
> Personally I don't think there is an intern named Max who did that (most likely an agency) Well, Max Ma does seem to be a real guy, who's claiming the motion graphics on his personal website: http://maxmadesign.com/work006.html http://maxmadesign.com/work006.html @Maxmadesign
- mbesto 13y ago
  Good find! Which re-inforces my point further - http://maxmadesign.com/#about.html http://maxmadesign.com/#about.html It sounds like to me that Max is a very gifted young Chinese designer living, studying and working in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if someone turned that into a massive PR story in itself. Max represents everything us "non-corporates" beleive - that meritocracy should ultimately win.
  - stevewillows 13y ago
    It's cool to see the amazing detail that went into something so ugly.
rmrfrmrf 13y ago
Except it doesn't change my perception at all. My previous perception of Marissa Mayer was that she was a "work hard, not smart" overachiever who has become more known for her ability to make her numbers (like how long she works a week, how many weeks of maternity leave she takes, how many extra jobs around the office she piles on her plate, etc.) look good than to actually produce results. My perception was that Yahoo's board, in its infinite incompetence, hired her purely because she was infamous at Google for her work ethic (yet clearly didn't get the memo from Google as to why she wasn't moving further up the ranks), expecting her mere presence at Yahoo to turn the company around. This "stunt," as you call it, did nothing to change that. In fact, it makes me have even less faith in Yahoo. How great do Yahoo's investors feel that their CEO is spending her time on trying to be designer instead of streamlining and turning her company around. The one part of Yahoo's brand that was at least MILDLY interesting was its personality. I mean, the name is based on someone screaming! The new logo makes it look like they should change their name to "Ahem" or "::Clears Throat Politely::" Which brings me to my final point that, what scares me most about this logo redesign is that Mayer clearly doesn't understand her own company's brand perception. She had the opportunity to hone in on what makes Yahoo great and let that quirkiness shine, but instead she took a zamboni to her brand in a failed attempt to make a more "mature" look. If Mayer was so excited about literally tilting an exclamation point 9 degrees to the right as some sort of liberating self-expression, can you imagine how up-tight people must be over there now?
- salemh 13y ago
  How great do Yahoo's investors feel that their CEO is spending her time on trying to be designer instead of streamlining and turning her company around. Yahoo! Stock: Oct. 22 2012: $15.77 March 18 2013: 22.01 June 24 2013: $24.07 July 16 2013: $26.88 Marissa appointed July 18 2013: $29.66 Sept. 5th 2013: 28.23 I'm not sure how commentators are extrapolating that this is the sole focus of Marissa as CEO. If Mayer was so excited about literally tilting an exclamation point 9 degrees to the right as some sort of liberating self-expression, can you imagine how up-tight people must be over there now? Perhaps, as the GP states, she is appealing to the demographic needed to drive business versus its shareholders.
  - 13y ago

by mbesto 13y ago

emhart 13y ago

THAT is a very interesting thought and addresses the article on its own terms. I was getting a bit weary of the designer-ego bashing. The idea that the story they are trying to tell is one of rapid innovation in small teams is a really excellent observation, and if that is what she is truly trying to accomplish it's very interesting. That said, where does the 30 days of logos fit in? Just as a ramp to draw additional attention to the CEO blog post?

mbesto 13y ago
I think the 30 days of logos is an ongoing engagement that achieves two things: 1) Provides an on-going set of buzz. You'll have heaps of people criticizing a lot of the logos. The PR value is absolutely massive for a 30 day event. 2) Reinforces the perception that Yahoo is open, creative and is "listening to it's users". I was getting a bit weary of the designer-ego bashing I don't think the designer-ego bashing was unwarranted, since I agree with the author on that premise. What the author failed to recognize is why this PR move was written this way.
- emhart 13y ago
  Sorry, I meant to say "designer-ego bashing in these comments." That was unclear. I too agreed with the author on that premise.

t4nkd 13y ago

Wow, kudos to this perspective. I could have seen these design blogs rattling out a list of reasons why Yahoo's logo process isn't "The Right Way" -- namely because it reduces the process of designing a logo(and depending on who you ask, the entire brand) into a weekend with a small, internal team and the CEO. This kind of practice in a 10 billion dollar company is poisonous for professionals who chalk up big money on brand identity consulting and development. Imagine if Yahoo rewrote a major application in a weekend with a small team and the CEO; engineers would scramble to debunk that it could be accomplished, and work hard at discrediting the results of the Yahoo team who did it. I think your perspective is probably the real take away from Marissa's blog post. Looking like small agile teams together in the trenches with big decision makers is the way bold ideas come out of Yahoo makes them sound leaps and bounds ahead so many other web giants. Thanks for your take, it was inspiring.

cschmidt 13y ago

> Personally I don't think there is an intern named Max who did that (most likely an agency) Well, Max Ma does seem to be a real guy, who's claiming the motion graphics on his personal website: http://maxmadesign.com/work006.html http://maxmadesign.com/work006.html @Maxmadesign

mbesto 13y ago
Good find! Which re-inforces my point further - http://maxmadesign.com/#about.html http://maxmadesign.com/#about.html It sounds like to me that Max is a very gifted young Chinese designer living, studying and working in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if someone turned that into a massive PR story in itself. Max represents everything us "non-corporates" beleive - that meritocracy should ultimately win.
- stevewillows 13y ago
  It's cool to see the amazing detail that went into something so ugly.

rmrfrmrf 13y ago

Except it doesn't change my perception at all. My previous perception of Marissa Mayer was that she was a "work hard, not smart" overachiever who has become more known for her ability to make her numbers (like how long she works a week, how many weeks of maternity leave she takes, how many extra jobs around the office she piles on her plate, etc.) look good than to actually produce results. My perception was that Yahoo's board, in its infinite incompetence, hired her purely because she was infamous at Google for her work ethic (yet clearly didn't get the memo from Google as to why she wasn't moving further up the ranks), expecting her mere presence at Yahoo to turn the company around. This "stunt," as you call it, did nothing to change that. In fact, it makes me have even less faith in Yahoo. How great do Yahoo's investors feel that their CEO is spending her time on trying to be designer instead of streamlining and turning her company around. The one part of Yahoo's brand that was at least MILDLY interesting was its personality. I mean, the name is based on someone screaming! The new logo makes it look like they should change their name to "Ahem" or "::Clears Throat Politely::" Which brings me to my final point that, what scares me most about this logo redesign is that Mayer clearly doesn't understand her own company's brand perception. She had the opportunity to hone in on what makes Yahoo great and let that quirkiness shine, but instead she took a zamboni to her brand in a failed attempt to make a more "mature" look. If Mayer was so excited about literally tilting an exclamation point 9 degrees to the right as some sort of liberating self-expression, can you imagine how up-tight people must be over there now?

salemh 13y ago
How great do Yahoo's investors feel that their CEO is spending her time on trying to be designer instead of streamlining and turning her company around. Yahoo! Stock: Oct. 22 2012: $15.77 March 18 2013: 22.01 June 24 2013: $24.07 July 16 2013: $26.88 Marissa appointed July 18 2013: $29.66 Sept. 5th 2013: 28.23 I'm not sure how commentators are extrapolating that this is the sole focus of Marissa as CEO. If Mayer was so excited about literally tilting an exclamation point 9 degrees to the right as some sort of liberating self-expression, can you imagine how up-tight people must be over there now? Perhaps, as the GP states, she is appealing to the demographic needed to drive business versus its shareholders.
- 13y ago