It’s safe to say that without Microsoft, society would not be as advanced as it is today. Along with companies such as Google and Apple, Microsoft is just one of the enormous companies that help evolve today’s technology.
Have you ever wondered how Microsoft has retained its successful brand image? Thanks to its rapid development and easily recognizable logo design!
Join us as we examine the history of one of the most famous tech logos over the last few years: the Microsoft logo.
Brief History of Microsoft
Have you ever used Skype or Microsoft Teams for your team meetings? Picked your favorite game logo and play it on XBOX? Or should you constantly check and update your LinkedIn information? If you answered yes to any of these, then you’ve been in the world of Microsoft.
Founded in 1975 by the famous Bill Gates, Microsoft has one of the world's greatest and most influential software company logos. With its enormous worldwide presence and astounding range of products, this software company has massively contributed to the world of technology.
But it wasn’t a smooth ride.
Microsoft started from scratch, like any other tech business logo, and struggled to get its brand known for years. Their branding played a significant role in their success - starting with their iconic logo.
Did you know that the Microsoft logo has undergone eleven considerable evolution in its design?
Microsoft Logo Evolution
Today, we see the universal four-panel, four-color square everywhere! If you’re a Windows user, you have probably associated the Microsoft text logo with that boot-up sound when you turn on your PC.
Let’s look at the past 37 years of the evolution of the windows logo and how it has developed ad changed throughout the years.
1985-1992
The first logo of Microsft was developed in 1985, together with the debut version of the program. Can you guess how the logo looks? Clue: It’s nothing like the windows logo we know today!
The first emblem featured a stylized image of the window, formed by four squares of different sizes and separated by white lines. The squares were in blue, which is perfect for showing that the brand is trustworthy, secure, and responsible.
On the right side of the square, you can see the wordmark “Microsoft Windows” written in a thin, elegant serif typeface representing professionalism and authority.
However, this first logo wasn’t a hit and changed after only a few years.
In 1990, the Microsoft logo took the windows logo literally. The brand’s logo served as the clear metaphor for a house window - with four panes set in a thick border. But again, this design did not last long.
In 1992, the brand’s color palette differed from the previous two versions. From a black and white logo, Microsoft introduced a vibrant logo that retained the window pane idea but turned it into a waving flag with a trail behind it.
1995
On August 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. Unlike the previous versions, the Windows 95 logo comprises a wordmark, a logo, and a shadow.
The emblem was placed diagonally on the left of the wordmark, which is slightly enlarged compared to the recent version. The ‘Microsft’ word is in thin, delicate lines and placed above the bold sans-serif ‘Windows” inscription.
1998
Releasing the Windows 98 logo on June 25th, 1998, you may want to lower your expectations on this one because the geniuses at Microsoft didn’t get very creative with their new logo.
The Windows 98 logo is the Windows 95 logo with a unique number at the end. Well, it’s the most practical thing to do, right?
2000
Did you know that Windows 2000 was released only for business customers in 1999? Yup, but it was eventually revealed and became available for everyone in January 2000.
The logo for Windows 2000 was probably the best color combination among all the versions of the company’s logo. While the design retained the bold black inscription, its location is under a geometric shape and bright graphics formed by square frames.
That’s not all! If you look inside the giant square, you’ll find the iconic Windows flag on a white background.
2001
The Microsoft logo was redesigned entirely in 2001, along with the introduction of Windows XP. The logo omitted the black flag from the flag image, so you can only see the four waving squares with lighter colors.
Tip: If you want your name logo to look clean and attractive, use lighter colors!
Microsoft Windows XP now has a thinner and more elegant sans-serif font for the wordmark. The font and colors of this design perfectly blended well and resulted in a sleek logo.
2006
The brand wanted the Vista Logo to have a glass-like effect. The windows logo is inside a circle with three shades of blue as the background.
If you want your brand to be welcoming, reflect a message of unity, and display positivity and stability, a circle logo might be a good choice for your business.
The Windows Vista logo was not well-received by the customers, but it’s one of the most iconic logos among Microsoft’s versions.
2009
With the launch of Windows 7 in 2009, Microsoft changed its logo. It’s enlarged, and the colors of the squares are intense.
If you want to create the perfect logo for your business, choose logo colors representing your brand values.
If you browse through the Microsoft logos on this list, you’ll notice that the Windows 7 logo was the end of the colorful logo era of Microsoft.
2012
2012 is the year that Windows took the road towards modernism. With their sleek, simple, and one-color logo, there’s no doubt that they have successfully achieved the minimalist style.
Aside from switching from colorful logos to a blue color, they replaced the wave shape with a strict and geometric style.
Use letter logos to represent your brand if you want a minimalist style!
2015
In 2015, a calmer and darker blue tone replaced the sky blue logo, which looks more professional and calming.
When you look at famous logos worldwide, you may notice that most of them are blue. But why? Blue gives off a sense of reliability and protection - two essential elements that customers look for in a brand.
2020
Creating the Windows 11 logo in 2020, it’s the latest version of the Microsoft logo. If you scan the symbols from top to bottom, you won’t even think that this is how it will end up!
This version of the Microsoft logo still uses the shade of blue from the previous version, but the difference is that the emblem is a drawing in gradient tones, which looks brighter and fresher.
Beside the symbol is a simple yet catchy strong inscription written in a traditional sans-serif font. It perfectly balances the bold and bright colors of the emblem, which adds a sense of security and expertise.
Design Your Software Logo Today!
What can you say about the direction Microsoft has taken the Windows logo?
Regardless of how the logo looks, we are sure that we will get a killer operating system!
There you have it! We hope you enjoyed reading this blog and got inspired to start creating your software logo today. Check out our blog daily if you want to stay updated with the design world or read more inspiring stories like this!
You may also visit our website if you need other design services. We have thousands of templates you can customize for various platforms, such as Twitch banners, Instagram stories, LinkedIn banners, and many more!
We have excellent designs that fit your style and budget. What’s the hold-up? Create the best logo today!
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Written by DesignCrowd on Monday, November 14, 2022
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.
