Windows 8 Logo Unveiled -- Visual Studio Magazine

Windows 8 Logo Unveiled

Microsoft's new logo has aspects of both the future and the past.

By Kurt Mackie
02/21/2012

Microsoft has made Windows look more like windows.

The Windows logo, that is. Last week, Microsoft unveiled the new look for the upcoming iteration of its flagship product, dropping the "flag" motif for one that harkens back to earlier days when the logo was a more literal interpretation of the Windows name.

The intention of the design was to reflect the new Metro-style user interface seen in Windows 8, while staying within logo traditions used for past Windows products, ranging from Windows 1.0 to Windows 7, according to Sam Moreau, Microsoft's principal director of user experience for Windows. The new design has lost the multicolored panes and flag-like aspects seen with earlier logos, he explained, in a blog post.

The new Windows 8 logo.

The new logo is squarer and flatter than recent iterations, much like the Windows 8 user interface itself. Microsoft has previously explained that the Metro UI used in Windows 8 was designed to make it easier to access to programs that were getting buried in the start-screen menu system. Microsoft made the access more direct through its tile-like UI in Windows 8, while also facilitating touch interactions.

With regard to the font used in the logo, Moreau said that Microsoft is using "the International Typographic Style (or Swiss design) that has been a great influence on our Metro style design philosophy." He said the font is typically used to indicate directions in subways and airport terminals.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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