Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" really the best choice?

hasasimo

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I realize this topic is highly subjective, but as someone with a design background who values aesthetics and weighs it significantly when deciding on mobile purchases, it's an important one to me.

As a life-long Nokia fan, nothing will beat the "Nokia" branding. But that's dead and buried now, I get it (unless what's left of Nokia decides to make Windows Phones too, not just Android as expected).

To me, nothing beats the design of the Lumia line, and I think Microsoft made the perfect decision in adopting Nokia to lead the hardware side of its foray into the smartphone space. Perhaps the Sony Xperia collection is the only one that comes close.

Which brings me to the point of this thread... I really don't find the "Microsoft" branding we've seen on the newest Lumias appealing at all. I've seen others say the same thing, but I have no idea if we're in the minority or not. It's just too long of a word to look nice on a mobile phone, and isn't presented with any sort of elegance. It's almost like it's being force-fed to us that this is a Microsoft device. We get it, just maximize its aesthetic appeal... lets not ruin the Lumia design language with an ugly stamp.

In my opinion, just "Lumia," or better yet... just the Windows logo would look much, much nicer. Kind of like how it is on the back of the new Surface 3. Heck, even a combination of "Lumia" with the Windows logo would look better.

Microsoft-Surface-3-Back.jpg

My preference is just the Windows logo (it can be glossy, contrasted with a device that's matte or vice versa, it can be embossed, whatever... there's a lot of potential with an elegant, minimalist logo), but any of the options mentioned would be a better alternative to the current "Microsoft" branding IMO.

I'm passionate about Windows Phone and passionate about seeing it succeed. To me, one of its major differentiators within the mobile sphere has been form-factor and design. I do not want to see any part of that ruined, or any part of its aesthetic potential not realized.
 
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gpobernardo

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - "Microsoft" is ugly

Nice poll, but to make it fair and unbiased perhaps the title should be modified a bit - a conclusion is already being drawn even without the poll results.
 

Harrie-S

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - "Microsoft" is ugly

You got my vote
Lumia with windows logo.

I added Lumia so we can get a "Surface" version in the (near) future��.
 

hasasimo

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - "Microsoft" is ugly

Nice poll, but to make it fair and unbiased perhaps the title should be modified a bit - a conclusion is already being drawn even without the poll results.

You're right. I started the thread with the intention of just stating my opinion, then decided "why not make it a poll" halfway through. I've modified the title.
 

gpobernardo

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

Here's something that might be interesting: the GrabTaxi app is quite popular where I live, but it is not available in Windows Phone so I resort to the other taxi app, EasyTaxi. Whenever a taxi driver asks why I didn't use GrabTaxi, I tell them because it's not available for my phone. Then they ask me what phone I have or what brand to that effect.

Back then when I had the L535, I'll tell them, "Microsoft" while showing them the logo and that would either be followed by questions such as "Really?", "Isn't that the computer?", "Is that Android?", "Is that iOS?" or by several moments of silence and distant glances...

But when I've got my L1020, I'll tell them, "Nokia" and that would immediately be followed by comments such as "Really? The Nokia brand is indeed good and reliable." - didn't even have to show them the logo.
 

tanyet

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

Lumia across the top would be much better imho. Feels like it has a richer heritage. Microsoft doesn't really mean much to people I know.
 

Don Geronimo

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I prefer the idea of a Microsoft Mobile phone to just have the Windows logo on the back, but I think having Microsoft on the back looks quite alright, too, in Segoe.

It's a catch-22 of sorts because Microsoft Mobile won't become a phone hardware household name unless they use the name on the phone. At the same time using just the Windows logo doesn't make it Microsoft's own since other manufacturers can use Windows Mobile as an OS.
 

Kodiak12

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

My family thinks we all have "Cricket" phones because I made everyone switch carriers from Verizon. People don't know what the hell they're talking about. I tell my kids they're windows phones but they don't understand.

This is what $300k in college education(s) will get you folks.
 

Spectrum90

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

Microsoft is one of the most powerful brands in the world.
 

xibartx

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

not really enough info to make an informed decision....would have to see final product / design
is there a logo design insiders program?
 

sst154

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

Lumia is just the family product name, as was "Asha", or "Xperia", "Galaxy", etc. IT'S NOT THE BRAND OF THE PHONE, as it was Nokia.
If MS decides to launch another family of smartphones with other name than lumia it would be confusing and won't help to brand identity.

IMO the best option, that is now impossible, would have been to buy the Nokia name, as almost everybody associates it with high quality, experience, etc.
Windows is the OS, IT IS NOT THE BRAND. If for some reason MS decides to produce phones with another OS it would be confusing and won't help for the branding integration.
Unluckily (for me and some of you) the brand is Microsoft, which in my opinion is awful for a phone, as it's long (3 sylable word as opossed to Sony, Samsung, Nokia, etc.) and aesthetically IMO the Microsoft word in the upper front of the phone is not a good decision.

AFAIK Lumia even doesn't have it's own typography and it have never been visibly written on a phone.

My choice would be a clean front (without any branding) and Microsoft name and logo at the back as it's now.
Another option would be to turn Lumia into a REAL BRAND belinging to MS, with it's own typography, identity, etc. (as XBOX)

I find really unconfortable when somebody asks me what phone is that, to say: "a Microsoft lumia". Many people really don't associate Microsoft with phone hardware.

I even would consider not buying a MS phone only because I feel "Microsoft" written over the front is really awful and I don't relate it with a phone's brand...


just the Windows logo would look much, much nicer. Kind of like how it is on the back of the new Surface 3. Heck, even a combination of "Lumia" with the Windows logo would look better.
View attachment 104968

Isn't that the Microsoft logo?
 
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sst154

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

ms.JPG

Another example of the lack of identity of mobile division.
 

hasasimo

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Re: Branding of Windows phones - is "Microsoft" the best choice?

So far - according to the poll - it's quite clear that "Microsoft" is the least attractive branding option. I hope someone with any real say in this can see this thread in time for a decision to be made about branding forthcoming flagships.
 

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