Keeping Up with the Microsoft Logo Changes
There’s probably very few people not familiar with Microsoft. The company has played a key role in making society what it is today. There’s really no better way to say that without coming across as heaping unmerited credits on the company.
Interestingly, Microsoft has been around longer than many people imagine. The company enjoys a history spanning over 40 years. It would be inaccurate to claim that Microsoft’s history has been without bumpy rides. However, the company has earned a reputation for its ability to reinvent itself and reclaim its rightful spot in the global tech space.
But Microsoft isn’t only famed for its cutting-edge technological solutions. The company is also one of the world’s most valuable brands, thanks partly to its powerful eye-catching logo.
In this article, we take a dive into Microsoft’s illustrious branding history, with a focus on the company’s logo.
Microsoft Corporation Facts
Microsoft Corporation, commonly abbreviated as Microsoft, is an American multinational technology corporation founded on April 4, 1975, by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
The company is probably best known for its software products, including Microsoft Windows line of operating systems and Microsoft Office suite, as well as the Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge web browsers. But besides computer software, Microsoft Corporation also deals in personal computers, electronics, and related services.
Microsoft is part of the Big Five. Take your mind off the African plains for a moment. The ‘Big Five’ here refers to a league of America’s top information technology giants. Other members of this exclusive club include Google, Meta, Amazon, and Apple.
Although founded in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Microsoft Corporation is presently headquartered in One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington. And needless to mention, the company’s software and hardware products are available worldwide.
Microsoft Logo Appearance
Logo Shape
The most distinctive elements of Microsoft’s logo are four squares arranged to form a window. These squares appear in four different colors. To the right of the four squares is Microsoft’s brand name. The name is commonly written in lowercase letters, except for the letter “M.”
Another interesting fact about Microsoft’s logo is that it doesn’t use any specific background color. The four windows and brand name may appear in a dark-blue, black, grey, silvery, or even white/transparent background. It all depends on the context.
Logo Colors
Microsoft’s logo appears in five main colors, namely red, green, blue, yellow, and grey. The first four colors are used for the square designs, while grey is the color the wordmark commonly appears in.
The upper left square appears in red while green is used for the upper right square. The lower left and lower right squares are executed in light-blue and yellow, respectively. As mentioned, Microsoft’s logo adopts different background colors depending on the context.
Logo Font
The font used for Microsoft’s logotype is known as Segoe. It’s a family of fonts designed by Steve Matteson during his stint at Agfa Monotype.
The typeface is probably best known for its usage by Microsoft Corporation, who also owns licensing rights to it. Microsoft uses various weights of Segoe on its branding materials, including its official logo.
Segoe was created to be adaptable for both print and digital branding needs. And since Microsoft owns licensing rights to this typeface, some of the company’s applications come with the font preinstalled.
Symbolism of the Microsoft Logo
The Four Squares
The four differently-colored squares on Microsoft’s logo symbolize the company’s flagship software product – Windows. According to unconfirmed reports, each of the four squares represents specific Microsoft products.
Apparently, the blue square stands for Microsoft Office or Word while the green square represents Microsoft Excel. The red and yellow squares symbolize PowerPoint and Outlook, respectively.
Symbolism of the Wordmark
Microsoft’s logo frequently appears with the company’s wordmark. The wordmark helps to reinforce the brand’s visual identity. Although the four colored squares are easily associated with Microsoft, the addition of the brand name clears all doubts about the company in question.
Why the name Microsoft?
‘Microsoft’ is a portmanteau of two English words – microcomputer and software. The name represents the core intentions behind founding the company – to manufacture microcomputers and computer software.
Symbolism of the Colors
All the five colors used on Microsoft’s logo have their own symbolism.
Blue stands for calm and serenity, while green symbolizes nature, health, success, and productivity. Red resonates with passion, love, energy, and ambition, while yellow connotes warmth, happiness, and youthfulness. The grey color used for Microsoft’s wordmark represents neutrality and balance.
However, Microsoft has not come out explicitly to confirm that it chose the five colors based on their deeper symbolism. So, the company might as well have selected the color scheme merely for its aesthetic appeal.
Besides, there are rumors that each of the color used for the four squares symbolize specific Microsoft products.
Microsoft Logo History
Microsoft’s first logo emerged in 1975 and was used until 1980. The logo was designed by Simon Daniels and created using an early programming language developed by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. It featured the words “MICRO” and “SOFT” in two levels.
The first part (upper level) of the wordmark was aligned to the left of the second part (lower level). The letters ‘S’ and ‘O’ in the word “SOFT” appeared directly underneath the letters ‘R’ and ‘O’ in the word “MICRO,” respectively.
Having been created during the golden age of discos, it’s not surprising that Microsoft’s original logo design took some inspiration from various disco elements, such as disco balls. That’s mostly evidenced by the large rounded letters and the open design of the letter Os.
Lastly, the logo was a monochrome where black was used for the wordmark and white for the background color.
1980 – 1982
In 1980, Microsoft discarded the soft, rounded contours on its original logo. The new logotype was now bolder and the letterforms were edgier. Most notably, the letters ‘M,’ ‘R,’ and ‘F extended far beyond the outline of the rest of the letters.
Microsoft retained the black color for its wordmark. But the logotype was now set on a cream rectangular frame. Another major change was that the new logo was executed in a single line and the name was no longer broken down into Micro and Soft.
1982 – 1987
Microsoft’s logo adopted a smooth, sans-serif typeface. The new logo looked neater and more professional than its previous versions.
The only unusual feature in the logotype was the shape of the first letter ‘O.’ The letter was designed with horizontal lines that appeared to terminate at a ring in its middle, making it look more like a sunrise or a printer glitch. Apparently, this feature was meant to represent a CD. Thanks to the unique design of the letter ‘O,’ this version of Microsoft’s logo was dubbed the Blibbet.
Lastly, the brand name was executed in cream and placed on a dark-green rectangular frame.
1987 – 2012
This iteration of Microsoft’s logo is arguably the simplest design the company has ever used. As with previous versions, the logo was purely wordmark-based. However, the company’s lettering was executed in solid black and set on a white/transparent background. The wordmark was in the popular Helvetica font.
The only quirky design element was a small slash in the first letter ‘O,’ right at the point where the letter connects with ‘S.’ According to Microsoft, the slash added some emphasis to the ‘soft’ part of the name. This version of Microsoft’s logo was christened the ‘Pac Man’ logo.
2012 – Present
Microsoft’s current logo appeared in 2012. It was a total overhaul from the previous designs. Microsoft officially adopted the four-colored squares and for the first time, the company’s wordmark became a secondary element of its logo.
The wordmark also changed its color and font. It now appeared in grey and was executed in the Segoe font.
The Microsoft logo has been modified multiple times. The company experimented with a logotype design for several years before adding the beautifully colored squares to its emblem. But it remains ubiquitous to this day.