MacRumors needs a new Logo!

[MacDuff]

I'm sorry, and I hope no one is offended by this thread but I just can't help myself anymore. Isn't it time that MacRumors gets a new logo that fits the exceptional quality that it provides? Honestly, the current logo looks like something that goes on a 3rd grade classroom bulletin board. I'm a graphic designer and I know there are more out there who couldn't help but agree. The fact that it's an apple and there's a question mark doesn't make the design "work", it makes the design cheesy and forced. C'mon - you're cooler than that! My apologies to the designer but I have a feeling it was designed by someone untrained.

MacRumors staff: Please hire someone to update this logo, there are some great designers out there who can create slick professional identitie logos - this site is well worth it.

-bhilldesign

 

[cc bcc]

I agree that the logo is not state of the art design. But you can't expect MacRumors to pay for a designer, I'm sure you know how expensive a professional designer is.
Perhaps it might be fun to have a logo design contest.

 

[MacDuff]

I agree that the logo is not state of the art design. But you can't expect MacRumors to pay for a designer, I'm sure you know how expensive a professional designer is.
Perhaps it might be fun to have a logo design contest.

Good call then. A logo contest could fix the problem and add a cool element to the site. I'm sure there would be some great submissions. Anyone else got any ideas?

 

[kettle]

Why the need to meddle?

The fact that it's an apple and there's a question mark doesn't make the design "work", it makes the design cheesy and forced. C'mon - you're cooler than that! My apologies to the designer but I have a feeling it was designed by someone untrained.

I find your comment typical of the fashion victimised makeover addicts that populate todays design industry. The idea of re-doing something because it's not cool anymore means it was too cool when it was designed. I think we have a long lasting winner with this logo, if someone said it was designed by whoever the flavour of the month is, the victims would probably have it as a tattoo on their fashion conscious arses.

I think the flat design will keep it away from the drop shadow overdose and aqua button brigade who will soon be if not already out staying their welcome. The logo reflects a style of web design that uses the latest well thought out standards that will be needed to take internet content into a less chaotic future. Clean, precise and well organised is the order of the day. Maybe the "trying to find something to makeover" designers could spend more time on the banner advertisements that bugger up any chance of maintaining a well executed web design.

sarcasm - maybe if brandon did a site wide makeover Macrumors could be the proud host to a Golden Web Award, and those of us on Dial Up can spend all day downloading the first page. Why doesn't somebody ask if he'll do it for free, it would be good if the logo was a link to the brandon hill site so we could cost him a fortune in bandwidth every time somebody tried to load the Macrumors front page.

I for one, was offended by the need for someone to post a comment like that. (can you tell yet?) (no?) Why doesn't the whole Macrumors team go on an intensive training course in order they don't offend any more of the "more suitably educated" amongst us. Hands up if you think the macrumors logo would be better with a sax solo on roll over!

other than that, I quite like Mr. Hill's own web site, a bit of a cliche, but well executed. Will you include accessibility in your next brief?

 

[kettle]

WTF?

Good call then. A logo contest could fix the problem and add a cool element to the site. I'm sure there would be some great submissions. Anyone else got any ideas?

Yes, good call! I vote that we all enter. Yes, everything will be going swimmingly until we all get disqualified for being less than excellent, except for you! Later on we award you the Macrumors Design Trophy, showing the current "untrained" logo so that you can stick it on your own precious web site, leaving you unable to win any more awards ever on the basis that you were uncool enough to have a Macrumors apple and question mark (that just don't work) stuck next to your "Golden Web Award"

I think you're really great. happy now?

 

[Veldek]

I'm in no way a design professional, just a regular guy, but I really like the logo. I think it has a modern look and even shows the meaning of the site. That's just my opinion but perhaps I'm not the one the design professionals aim at.

 

[rueyeet]

Cheesiness is subjective, and regardless doesn't make a logo ineffective. In addition, a lot of the 70's-regurgitation neo-retro stuff that passes for "design" right now frankly makes me retch.

You don't need "design" to have a good logo. The logo just needs to be easily assimilated, iconic, and distinctive enough to provide a visual cue for people's associative memory in regards to the brand it represents.

The MacRumors logo does meet that criteria, whether or not everyone finds it aesthetically pleasing.

 

[bousozoku]

No, thanks. The simplicity of the logo is quite right. It doesn't have to be overdone, as we've seen with so many things today, including self-promoting websites.

Please, exit. The wretched excess room is down the hall and to the right.

 

[Krizoitz]

I am surprised at the attitude in here. While hiring a proffesional designer may not be the answer, MacDuff certainly hasn't presented that offensive of a position, yet a few people are jumping down his throat like he asked them to redesign the Bible or something.

It was a simple and innocent comment. He feels that the logo could use some sprucing up. Maybe maybe not, but rather than tell him to simply go away as bousozoku did or personally attack him as kettle did, you can politely disagree with him.

Before we go jumping to conclusions maybe it would be a good idea to do some research. Find out how long this logo has been here, see if arn et al are averse to changing it for any reason, maybe do a poll to see if there is user interest in a new design.

We aren't talking frivolous design change here, its not like we are going to have a logo of the month club or something. It was merely an idea, I thought the whole point of being a mac user was to be open to thinking different?

 

[rainman::|:|]

I agree, i don't like the logo much either. It worked to begin with, something not-too-amateurish, but anymore the question mark/apple doesn't go well with the site anymore. The font used in the wording is good tho, it's just the apple itself i'm not fond of.

It would be interesting to see a logo competition. A lot of untalented people would submit crap tho, which is always disappointing. Still, might be a few good ones.

paul

 

[MoparShaha]

Wow, I've never noticed the question mark!

I think the logo fits in with the site well. I've always liked it, and don't want to see it changed anytime soon. My favorite aspects of it is that it uses few colors, is very minimalistic, and is flat. "Classic" is the best word to describe it.

 

[voicegy]

I find your comment typical of the fashion victimised makeover addicts that populate todays design industry. [...] I think the flat design will keep it away from the drop shadow overdose and aqua button brigade who will soon be if not already out staying their welcome.[...] Clean, precise and well organised is the order of the day.

What he said...and more.

Today's "cool" is always tomorrow's has-been. Keep it simple - it has brand. It's well known. It works. It's even kinda spunky and smart-ass, which I adore. It's on my coveted coffee mug. Look around and see the logos of long lasting, trustworthy, solid companies. An extreme makeover of a logo is a sure sign of desperation - heck, even NBC brought back the Peacock, and the only thing Apple themselves did was go from a rainbow of colors to solid black, white and/or silver. The "core" design itself (pun intended) stayed recognizable.

If one of the most hip, innovative, cool, cutting edge, mythic companies to ever exist didn't "dick around" with their logo, then why should MacRumors?

Enough said!

 

[MacDuff]

Yes, good call! I vote that we all enter. Yes, everything will be going swimmingly until we all get disqualified for being less than excellent, except for you! Later on we award you the Macrumors Design Trophy, showing the current "untrained" logo so that you can stick it on your own precious web site, leaving you unable to win any more awards ever on the basis that you were uncool enough to have a Macrumors apple and question mark (that just don't work) stuck next to your "Golden Web Award"

I think you're really great. happy now?

Wow, you really have a chip on your shoulder. Not once did I claim that I was too cool for anyone, and that everything and everyone should feel negatively for being less than excellent. You seem highly sensitive to such a small issue yet you continue to bash me. It's honestly kind of embarassing. Hope you can sort it out. I know you're trying to paint me as a pretentious chump but I'm afraid it's backfired on you.

sarcasm - maybe if brandon did a site wide makeover Macrumors could be the proud host to a Golden Web Award, and those of us on Dial Up can spend all day downloading the first page. Why doesn't somebody ask if he'll do it for free, it would be good if the logo was a link to the brandon hill site so we could cost him a fortune in bandwidth every time somebody tried to load the Macrumors front page.

I'm sorry but designers today don't worry about dial-up connections. Clients and employers have broadband, therefore, we design for broadband to get jobs. Simple as that. If people have dial-up, i tell them not to bother, employer or friend.

Thanks Krizoitz for your comments. You seemed to have a much better natch on my commentary on the logo. An openness to different ides is exactly what Apple is founded on.

As we all agree simplicity in design is a great thing. But that shouldn't be a defense against my argument. Simplicity is the offical Apple logo. No stroke outline, no drop shadows, no ridiculous curves, no conflicting colors. Just one solid icon that reeks of absolute minimilism. This is why we can see it a mile a way and the world remembers it. The Macrumors logo doesn't have that simplicity.

 

[MacDuff]

What he said...and more.

Today's "cool" is always tomorrow's has-been. Keep it simple - it has brand. It's well known. It works. It's even kinda spunky and smart-ass, which I adore. It's on my coveted coffee mug. Look around and see the logos of long lasting, trustworthy, solid companies. An extreme makeover of a logo is a sure sign of desperation - heck, even NBC brought back the Peacock, and the only thing Apple themselves did was go from a rainbow of colors to solid black, white and/or silver. The "core" design itself (pun intended) stayed recognizable.

If one of the most hip, innovative, cool, cutting edge, mythic companies to ever exist didn't "dick around" with their logo, then why should MacRumors?

Enough said!

Never once did I say we should have an extreme catchy trendy make-over of the logo. The reason Apple never "dicked around" with their logo is because it was strong to begin with. Do you follow?

 

[Krizoitz]

What he said...and more.

Today's "cool" is always tomorrow's has-been. Keep it simple - it has brand. It's well known. It works. It's even kinda spunky and smart-ass, which I adore. It's on my coveted coffee mug. Look around and see the logos of long lasting, trustworthy, solid companies. An extreme makeover of a logo is a sure sign of desperation - heck, even NBC brought back the Peacock, and the only thing Apple themselves did was go from a rainbow of colors to solid black, white and/or silver. The "core" design itself (pun intended) stayed recognizable.

If one of the most hip, innovative, cool, cutting edge, mythic companies to ever exist didn't "dick around" with their logo, then why should MacRumors?

Enough said!

Are you kidding me? You do realize the Apple logo isn't the original one they had right? As for the NBC peacock its gone through quite a few changes over the years.

 

[Apple of my eye]

Talk is cheap

Enough talk already. If you are so passionate about a change, then get busy and show us your goods, otherwise who cares?

 

[bousozoku]

Are you kidding me? You do realize the Apple logo isn't the original one they had right? As for the NBC peacock its gone through quite a few changes over the years.

He noted all the Apple logo varieties, except for solid Red. I think he knows that they're not using the original one any more.

 

[voicegy]

Never once did I say we should have an extreme catchy trendy make-over of the logo.

You are correct.

The reason Apple never "dicked around" with their logo is because it was strong to begin with.

Well, their very FIRST logo was a mess, but their current one is strong.

Do you follow?

Yes, and I happen to feel that the current MacRumors logo is strong.

I suppose, all in all, it's only a matter of opinion. If, one day, Arn decides a logo revisit is in order, he'll do it. Personally, I feel this site today enjoys great respect on the 'net, and because of that, for the time being, its current brand logo is deeply connected to that - differences aside, it is what it is, and the connection has been made.

Nothing is really "driving" this discussion other than a difference of taste - the site isn't "lagging in the polls," "being derided" or garnering any disfavor among the community it serves and represents. Oftentimes brand logo reidentification (subtle or not) is an attempt to refresh, resurrect, or otherwise point out that things are "new and different." That was done by the recent forum revamp.

I am personally of the opinion that your website is garish and "Blair Witchy", with unnecessary rollover sounds. You are of the opinion that the MacRumors logo could do with some refreshing, as it looks like it was done by a 3rd grader. You are a young, inspired, designer. I am a middle aged IT Liaison for a large school district. Do you follow?

We agree to disagree, and that's part of what makes MacRumors special. Many more may weigh in with their opinions, and, who knows...the majority of folks who visit this post may very well excitedly agree with you (as some have) or violently disagree with you (having, perhaps, been a bit "scared" of your web site and connected your suggestion with your own personal desire to remake the current logo....which, in context, looks like that may have been the intention, but, upon reflection, was more likely a harmless suggestion to toss out on the table of opinion.)

Age differences in posters' opinions aside (the younger posters see an opportunity, the older posters see an unnecessary threat) one thing seems obvious...pro, con, or in-between, we're as passionate and defensive and concerned and "into" our little slice of the Internet as we are about Apple itself.

And that, my friend, is a good thing - not to mention the wry amusement factor that Arn may get when reviewing such posts on his (and our) beloved site.

You'll excuse me now...the bag has just run out of wind.

 

[voicegy]

Are you kidding me? You do realize the Apple logo isn't the original one they had right?

But of course. The very first one had a short life. The basic shape of what we know and recognize today has been consistant - but also refreshed from time to time for good reason - the colors were there to advertise that the Apple computer had color capabilities. Over time, this became a moot point. Keep the shape, toss in a solid color with a bit of a lickable 3-D look, and there ya go.

Apple was around for a LONG time prior to that change. MacRumors has a healthy few years under its belt, but now may not be the time for a change, "timewise" speaking. As for the MacRumors logo itself, apples are, generally speaking, thought of as "red." When you bite into them (to peek at what's inside - rumor) they're generally thought of as "white" inside. A color revamp for this logo would be inappropriate, a "3-D jazzup" of the current logo may or may not add a certain panache, a complete redo may hurt the connection it currently enjoys with a well respected site.

Good ol' http://www.macosrumors.com/ went through a few logo changes, and what they ended up with is (in my opinion) a hack job of currently existing Mac OS images. No thought or artistic effort there. To me, it represented an attempt to freshen up a lagging site - it didn't make me come rushing back.

All of this talk does bring up some interesting points/questions, however.

1. Just when was the current logo put into production? (to me, a brand logo should stay in a given incarnation for a solid number of years)

2. Just who DID create the logo? Was it a labor of love from Arn himself? Did a relative or friend design it for him? There may be a connection to the logo to Arn that we're not aware of - then again, there may not be.

Interesting...

 

[michaelrjohnson]

well, i am going to chime in and agree with (what seems to be) the majority: the MR logo doesn't need any refinement.
I agree with many of the points made about today's over-use of image in design. want a good example (forgive me arn): spymac. version 3.0 brought an overwhelming amount of images that have no reason to be there. it is a terrible design in my opinion... the content is there, but it is hidden behind gobs of useless images.

as a student of graphic design myself, i am learning good design. not design for the sake of "cool" or "$". I recently did a project using the text of "The First Things First Manifesto 2000". I can't tell you whether or not to believe what is in the text, but I sure do. Find it, read it.

greetings, fellow designers.

 

[baby duck monge]

wow. i never noticed the question mark before. guess i never paid that much attention, and only took note of the general shape. now it's the first thing i see every time i look at the logo. it's like that dead pixel you never notice until someone points it out, and then it drives you mad. curses, macduff!!

 

[MacDuff]

I am personally of the opinion that your website is garish and "Blair Witchy", with unnecessary rollover sounds. You are of the opinion that the MacRumors logo could do with some refreshing, as it looks like it was done by a 3rd grader. You are a young, inspired, designer. I am a middle aged IT Liaison for a large school district. Do you follow?

I hear ya Voicegy. I'm all for opinions and am very open to them always when it comes to design. Bring them on. If people agree or disagree with me about the logo than it's fine with me, we can't learn if we can't disagree now and then. When it comes to design, the look of a logo makes an impression and sometimes it needs updated because of reinvention or lack of 'business'. Other times it just needs amplified or simplifed for purely aethstetic purposes. My point for a logo update is resides with the ladder.

Also, I chuckle as I stress the point that I need to clear up right away: I NEVER have had the intention of redesigning me logo myself nor did I want to give that impression that I was bidding for the job. I had no idea that people would react the way of assuming that. My website url was below my post because it's part of my signature. I never wanted to "hint" to come 'check me out.' But thanks to all who visited, hoped you like my music too. Compliments of Garageband and Soundtrack, praise be to Apple.

 

[Krizoitz]

Enough talk already. If you are so passionate about a change, then get busy and show us your goods, otherwise who cares?

Wow there was a thread about the political forums and how they had been getting mean, but I guess its extended to the whole forums.

I don't have a firm opinion on whether or not the logo needs to be changed. Arn might not even want to, but seriously whats wrong with talking about it? Why are people so hostile to even discussing change.

We aren't talking about turning the website into a tribute to deodorant, or renaming your first child we are talking about whether or not the logo could use a refresh.

Seriously I think people need to take a few deep breaths before they post.

 

[kettle]

I NEVER have had the intention of redesigning me logo myself nor did I want to give that impression that I was bidding for the job. I had no idea that people would react the way of assuming that. My website url was below my post because it's part of my signature. I never wanted to "hint" to come 'check me out.' But thanks to all who visited, hoped you like my music too. Compliments of Garageband and Soundtrack, praise be to Apple.

You had a big fat active rollover link to your site AND a plain text one in your sig. don't tell porky pies. (check the edit dates people, this member is a fraud)

I love this site, and what you did was like going around to someone's house and suggesting that they should "redecorate" their freshly decorated front room, because YOU think it's not "cool" enough. Not only that, you then proceed to call a vote and/or competition, as if there is some sort of written constitution for Fashion Police representatives to use democracy and/or kangaroo court to force their environment into something a little less "untrained".

I hope you treat your professional clients with more respect, or you may find your praises to be sung only by those who are already under the spell of "naked is the new black" and "is this the right shop to buy cool from?".

anyway, when you get antenna to go with your ego (and, I might add genuine talent) I think you should do O.K. in your chosen field of expertise.

on the point of ignorance to accessibility (bandwidth or otherwise), a designer would do well to remember that if they treat the internet as a very useful and important tool before a rich garden for media exploitation, we may see an upward trend in usability rather than a degenerate process leading us into a stale mated knot of technology collision.

Have you ever heard of the W3C or XHTML DOM or CSS? just a thought, take it or leave it.

 

[rueyeet]

We aren't talking frivolous design change here, its not like we are going to have a logo of the month club or something. It was merely an idea, I thought the whole point of being a mac user was to be open to thinking different?

Thinking different doesn't have to amount to agreeing (though I do agree that it shouldn't amount to personal attacks either).

I just think that subjective aesthetics is not reason enough to warrant a re-design for a logo that works, at least in the absence of overwhelming negative feedback....which, to judge from the number of people vigorously defending the present logo, we don't have.

And generalized criticism doesn't help with getting at the idea of what a better logo might be. For those of you don't like it, what do you not like about it? What would you like to see instead? Are there any ideas for improvement? If you agree with MacDuff, let's stop vaguely criticizing and get creative!

I hope this is coming across politely: I mean it that way.