So Now We’re Cool… Right?

So the cool kids at Microsoft have recently released their new logo for Windows 8. On first impression I have mixed feelings about this new mark. Maybe it’s the preconceived notion that I have about what a Windows logo should be, or maybe it’s the complete departure from their multi-colored, dimensional logos that threw me for a loop. Whatever it is that piques my interest, I think there are a lot of negative reviews that are misplaced.

Are there some valid issues with this mark? Definitely. But not like the post-apocalyptic responses that took down the “new” Gap logo (justifiably so). Pentagram’s solution could be construed as Microsoft’s futile attempt to chase Apple’s simplistic style once again. The use of one color and bold, simple typography is definitely all the rage, but does it reflect a space that Apple already lives in? Does the departure from the “waving flag window” represent enough of a change or is it the same dull approach rehashed?

Throughout history, all great logos have these basic attributes in common:

Simple: The best logos are all based on a simple, clever concept.
Durable: They stand up to the test of time.
Intentional: Everything about them is deliberate and consistent.

Microsoft’s attempt to be simple follows their “Metro Style” of design principles, and some Microbots believe the new mark may be too flat or too simple for a Windows logo. Personally, I think they’ve taken a great step in the right direction but wish they would push the envelope more–with a simple, powerful concept that looks forward as opposed to looking back to their past.

What do you think?