Corporate identity is important in developing a brand image and leaving a lasting impression on customers and industry professionals. An important part of brand identification is the logo. A company logo is an easy way to successfully register and communicate a company’s identity to the public. It shows the company’s dedication, commitment, and faith in its products and services. Several logos of international companies are easily recognizable. Microsoft Inc. is one of the international companies in the IT industry. Let’s take a look at the history of the Microsoft logo and how it has evolved since its inception.
The original logo from 1975 to 1980
The company was founded on April 4, 1975, with a logo designed by Simon Daniels. This version of the original logo is early in the history of the Microsoft logo, mimicking the decade in which it was first released, the 1970s. The font is disco-like, and the words “Micro” and “Soft” are separated by two lines. When Microsoft was first created, Gates and Allen tried to create these two different names. The typeface was particularly period-specific, imitating the Aki Lines font and conveying a sense of youth and progress. Round letters with large, open O’s reflect the rebellious nature of 1970s California.
Second Phase of the Seal 1980 to 1982
The new trend of the 1980s was a fun, fast look. The illustrations of the time were bolder, clearer, and more powerful than those of the generation before it. And the history of the Microsoft logo has continued to show that the company has the ability to adapt to current trends. Still paying attention to how the music moves you, this logo’s sharp, straight lines seem to have been influenced by heavy metal bands. The new Microsoft logo was designed using the New Zelek font, which features sharp diagonals. In many ways, it has the same edgy feel as the metal hair bands of the era. In fact, the M, R, and F extend beyond the edges of the other letters, similar to the Metallica logo.
This logo is a great example of the goal of modern logo design: durability over fashion. While the 80s logo embodied the look of the era, it was unable to withstand the many fashions and changes that followed.
Third Microsoft Logo (1982 to 1987)
Daniels designed a version similar to the original Microsoft logo in the 1970s, using the same font but with a cleaner, simpler layout, and called it the “Blibbet logo”. It produced a soft, rounded logo with a very simple sans-serif font. The “O” in the middle was the main focal point and the most important feature with a stylized, stacked line to mimic that on a CD–a major part of computing at the time. This iteration of the Microsoft logo also marked a complete departure from the company’s disco roots and its two-year run with a rock-and-roll, rebellious image. It showed how the iconic Microsoft logo is evolving into a greater emphasis on technology itself.
Fourth Variation of the Microsoft Logo (1987 to 2011)
The angled text drew the eye forward, while the bold Helvetica Italic Black type provided a tasteful balance between Microsoft’s previous logos. It was more assertive than Blibbet, but not as strong as the 80s rocker logo.
This confident, strong brand has reflected the brand’s consistent growth and dominance in the software industry throughout the history of the Microsoft logo in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Last and latest 4 color logo for 2012 onwards
The last version of the Microsoft logo appeared in the second decade of the twenty-first century and features the now familiar four-color logo next to the word Microsoft, using the Segoe UI typeface. This ends the history of the Microsoft logo.
This logo is so widespread today that it’s hard to remember the previous variations! This version uses four different colors to represent four different software packages, and the font is much thinner than previous versions. Jason Wells designed the logo, which helped to modernize the brand and further develop the history of the Microsoft logo.
The colorful window is compared to previous Microsoft logos. The font became a rounded Segoe UI, removing the heavy elements of previous designs. In addition, the window icon showed a change to include a different design element that was not just part of the name itself. The four colored windows are oriented towards the company’s main software program, Windows, and the window logo itself represents a desire for innovation and the future.
The Microsoft logo, with just its name and four simple color palettes, conveys the brand’s mission, product portfolio, and corporate identity.
The Microsoft wordmark has remained unchanged throughout the history of the Microsoft logo.
The brand now uses the new window icon for almost all of its products and services.
The red square in the window represents both the Microsoft Office Suite and its component, PowerPoint. This is not just a PowerPoint icon color; and emphasizes Microsoft’s digital services. The color red represents the great energy and passion that inspired the creation of the suite. It inspires viewers to be angry and do a great job.
A green square in the window highlights the Microsoft Windows suite. This is the color most associated with Microsoft, so it was important to include it in the four-color palette. Blue inspires stability, calm, and a beautiful sky, ensuring that Windows can handle all your needs easily and efficiently, reflecting the rich history of the Microsoft logo.
In addition to computer software, Microsoft invented the Xbox. The official color of the Xbox is green, so using green to represent this was a no-brainer. Xbox brings innovation to its brand by providing exciting and surprising gaming experiences.
Yellow Square with Yellow is the last color in the pane. Both Outlook and Bing can be connected to it. Yellow is not an official color for any operating system, but Microsoft chose to include it because of what it represents. Yellow represents confidence and innovative thinking, which has been important to Microsoft since its inception, which defines the history of the Microsoft logo.
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