In-depth Rebranding Critique + Community Compile

demonspices

So... that rebranding huh?

So far I've found only a few people who are embracing the change with open arms, but everyone else is either "erhhh it seems off" or straight up saying they hate everything about it.

Looking at them side by side, the differences are a lot more clearer. Lots of what people have been saying are varied, but here's what I've seen most being discussed.

  1. The Typeface is Too Inconsistent - The typeface itself looks "unbalanced", or "like comic sans", in comparison to the old logo. The old logo made use of a consistent design language throughout, which gave it a "sleeker" look, while the new one has more variation in the lettering, which gives it a more "playful" look.
  2. The new Blurple is Too Saturated - Lots of people have said this in different ways, but the consensus on critiques is that it is too saturated, and a bit eye-strainey. Others have also expressed that the new very saturated colors in branding are not accessibility-friendly.
  3. The New Logo is Too "Clean" - A few people complained a lot about the actual logo. It is more roundish as a silhouette, but features more a more angular design in its detail, like in its "ears".

[OPINION] Personally, I think that lots of people are right. The purple does offer more contrast, but it being paired in branding and in advertisements with equally a saturated colors is an eyestrain, as well as an accessibility question. The typeface is rather hard to look at because of its inconsistencies in the font, and as a result it's not as distinctive as it used to be. (Also, as someone with some difficulties reading certain things if they look weird, it just. feels unbalanced.)

I get that it's Discord trying to move away from its gaming origin and towards a more universal look, but the efforts here are very much like every other corporate rebranding move gone wrong. Overly saturated colors, unpleasantly balanced font, and a "cleaner" look that kind of falls flat.

I think the new logo could use some readjusting to gain back some of its sleekness, I see how it can work, but the saturated colors and the typeface need reverting for the sake of accessibility.

I hope Discord listens to people outside of these forums, too. Why have a social media account anyway if you don't count the critiques there?

 

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Comments

2 comments

Date Votes
  • kheodan

    old logo was awesome, a new one - aggressive and ugly

    3
  • demonspices

    kheodan yeahhh personally im not a fan of it either. i really loved the simplicity and distinctiveness of the older typeface, and the new colors just kinda hurt my eyes. logo is eh, its still distinctive but kind of weaker.

    it feels less like discord and more like a new cartoon channel yknow? or a hipster kickstarter.

    2

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