Slack are "evolving their brand identity"
If you're a Slack user, you might need to check your phone... now.
The collaborative app has revealed their new logo, which the company says is "not change for the sake of change." Yes, Slack have created a blog post about why they're changed their logo (you can read all about it here).
In the post, the company says their previous logo didn't do the job they wanted, and it "pained" them. They said, "A good reason to change a logo is that it’s not doing the job you want it to do - and because a simpler, more distinctive evolution of it could do that job better.
"It was also extremely easy to get wrong. It was 11 different colours - and if placed on any colour other than white, or at the wrong angle (instead of the precisely prescribed 18º rotation), or with the colours tweaked wrong, it looked terrible. It pained us."
Ta-da! From today, Slack has a new logo, the start of a general refresh of our look. A little simpler, a little clearer, and (we think) a little better. Read more about this change in the handy blog post we’ve written about it: https://t.co/LT1ju7kGxw pic.twitter.com/aceZMCb5St
— Slack (@SlackHQ) January 16, 2019
Going on to speak about the new logo, they say "It uses a simpler colour palette and, we believe, is more refined, but still contains the spirit of the original. It’s an evolution, and one that can scale easily, and work better, in many more places."
Now, the update has been causing minor havoc to people's devices - and the reaction to the Slack update has been harsh to say the least.
— Tadas Labudis (@tadaslab) January 16, 2019
Slack threw away one of the best and most recognizable icons on iOS for this bland new nothingness that you can barely find amongst the others. pic.twitter.com/kXATYFB6OW
— Marco Arment (@marcoarment) January 16, 2019
me looking at all the new updates to slack pic.twitter.com/oXuOAH1Hcf
— Sean Yoo (@RealSeanYoo) January 16, 2019
the new slack logomark doesn't spark joy
— alex medina (@mrmedina) January 16, 2019
Uhh google photos? pic.twitter.com/yjnwzxeGIm
— Ian Gabriel (@IGabrielSanchez) January 16, 2019
Let’s play that fun new game: “Is it the new Slack logo or a random medical group?”#branding #slack #logo #design pic.twitter.com/a4RldEJRO1
— Christopher Grande (@chrisgrande) January 16, 2019
New Slack logo is giving me some very church in a strip mall vibes pic.twitter.com/iR1cCUMN2m
— SAL (@sarahannelloyd) January 16, 2019
New Slack icon vs Google Podcasts icon. Definitely not similar. Definitely. pic.twitter.com/fJircpvnQ2
— David Imel (@DurvidImel) January 16, 2019
If you want a brand to be friendly in a generic kind of way, there is a lot of gravity towards red, green, blue, and yellow. Slack has grown into an enterprise product, and now it looks like one. pic.twitter.com/dN2Y3oUF7E
— Allen Pike (@apike) January 16, 2019
I am okay with this new sweaty slack logo
— Old Guard Rupert (@davatron5000) January 16, 2019
However it wasn't all Slack-bashing, with some users taking a shine to the new logo.
1. I like the new Slack logo.
2. I love their blog post about it. LOVE.https://t.co/FlB7SegEcO— Matt Jacobs (@capndesign) January 16, 2019
Here, two paragraphs which identify a rationale for an initial decision, multiple concrete challenges with it, visually demonstrate the challenges, and emote about the consequences for the company / brand / design team. pic.twitter.com/ogsZGuJAAg
— Patrick McKenzie (@patio11) January 16, 2019
This is a great write-up on evolving a brand identity. No fluff, no inside baseball design speak.
Their previous identity:
1. was designed when they were a startup
2. was difficult to work with
3. was inconsistentThese are business decisions, not change for the sake of change. https://t.co/rnOnlqEZFa
— Joshua Blankenship (@blankenship) January 16, 2019
Are you a Slack user? Let us know if you like the new logo in the Facebook comments.