

The ugliest logo ever, but maybe it makes sense - brandonkm
http://mobileopportunity.blogspot.com/2009/04/ugliest-logo-ever-but-maybe-it-makes.html

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aston
In the context of the other imagery they're going to roll out, it's actually
pretty cool. It's a very humanizing illustration style that I think will go a
long way towards making Symbian feel a lot less borg-like to mainstream folks.

Check out the accompanying illustrations at flickr:
[http://www.flickr.com/photos/symbianfoundation/sets/72157616...](http://www.flickr.com/photos/symbianfoundation/sets/72157616422430716/)

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sp0rk
Exactly my thoughts. I followed the link from the article to their blog, where
the logo has more context than their main site: <http://blog.symbian.org/>

It really doesn't look too bad or out of place there.

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buugs
It reminds me of Dr. Seuss as well as another guy who used to do a learn to
draw show on pbs when I was little, I think his name was Mark something. I
really hope more people change from Web 2.0 style images to something more
friendly or minimal looking like they decided to do.

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marcusbooster
It was well received on a popular brand identity site:
[http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/open_sou...](http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/open_source_with_a_heart.php)

Aren't you guys sick of gradients and bubble-buttons yet?

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pavlov
Nice -- I sent Brand New this tip about Symbian's redesign, and in return they
linked to my startup from the tip credit. (I make video effects software that
can be of interest to a design blog's readership, so the exposure is welcome.)

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wheels
They're taking a page out of IBM's "Peace, Love, Linux" campaign. I think
nerds are fairly easily appeased. There's nobody that seemed more borg-like
than IBM a decade or two ago and they've won over the hearts of lots of
geekier folk.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/kino-eye/39036635/>

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jrockway
I don't think this is what won over the geeks. It is more of a mutual
relationship -- IBM needed to take on Microsoft, and Linux was the easiest way
to do that. So, IBM gives the open source developer time, money, and their
patent portfolio, and IBM can compete better with Microsoft.

The Thinkpads are also mighty fine computers. (I know it's not IBM anymore,
but times have changed...)

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wheels
Sure. I didn't mean to imply that said campaign was the crux of the winning-
over, but it was part of IBM's strategy to become cool again in the techie
world. Just embracing Linux as a business strategy wouldn't have done it -- a
lot of vendors have done that and remained uncool -- but what IBM pulled off
was a strategic shift while bringing in the hacker community at the same time,
which is pretty impressive.

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derefr
Somehow it gives me the same impression as this:
<http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_021_happy.htm>

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windsurfer
And I would like to respond with this:
<http://www.boltcity.com/copper/copper_023_waterfall.htm>

I don't think you know it's beautiful, it just is.

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windsurfer
I like it. I guess it's just personal preference.

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cedsav
well, I don't feel too bad for designing my product logos myself now.

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yaj
The London 2012 Olympic logo is better

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numair
What sort of music does Symbian play? Are they going on tour soon?

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pclark
> Really though, it does embody "Symbian" pretty well; amateur, ugly, dated,
> and kind of a joke

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ojbyrne
Nice writing. "a fat, stoned-looking penguin and a drunken ox" made me laugh.

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alexitosrv
Sincerely, I think it deserves the right to be included in this:
<http://www.grupthink.com/topic/7964/Worst_logos_ever>

