Tech Logos: The Stories Behind the Designs

A lot more goes into designing tech logos than you might think. Silicon Valley graphic designer Steve Yamaguma of Design2Market gives his take on some of today’s familiar tech logos.

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It didn’t take long for designers to mock Twitter’s new blue bird. One of the more creative ones came from Josh Helfferich. He flipped the bird upside down (yes, again, pun intended), changed the color scheme and — bam! — batman emerges from the shadows.

Yamaguma’s take: “The upside-down Batman logo is funny. In this serious-business-oriented Silicon Valley, we do need to pause for laughter. I’m sure there are many logos that you can turn upside down and make something out of it.”

Everyone knows the IBM logo. It’s been around forever. Developed by the famous designer Paul Rand, the logo appeals to engineers. Yet the logo has evolved over time. The original logo used a different font and did not have horizontal lines. Thirteen stripes were added in the mid-1960s, later reduced to eight.

Yamaguma’s take: “Like the stars and stripes, mom and apple pie, Americans need a sense of stability. Even though IBM is not the company it used to be, it still has the sense of strength, foundation and longevity. The logo gave IBM a rock solid look that stands the test of time.”