[Xabier Granja]

I was thinking about branding today. Now that Nokia is out of the picture, Microsoft needs to figure out their Lumia branding. Now, I think we can all agree that the black Microsoft on the 535 is kind of terrible design. I really hope they reconsider this, for three main reasons:

1) The vertical alignment clashes with a smartphone's natural vertical position: you read horizontally on the vertical surface, thus making this logo's position unnatural. It should be horizontal.
2) The color. Seriously. It looks painted on with Crayola. This needs to be revised, design aesthetics 101 people.
3) Microsoft. Let's face it, if you're reading WindowsCentral you probably like Microsoft, like me. Guess what, most people DON'T. They think of them as evil dinosaurs of technology that bring them viruses and blue screens of death. Unfair, I know, but this image cannot be shaken at this point - they've tried for a decade with zero success. They went with the Lumia branding, now go all the way.

If you think about it, there's one phone that does branding wonderfully well - the iPhone (though I hate praising that overpriced piece of ludicrous adoration by mostly ignorant masses). It doesn't need to say APPLE, MADE BY APPLE, WE'RE HERE, APPLE, CALIFORNIA, WE DO MACS! No, it doesn't scream. The logo is enough, everybody knows who made it. It simply verbalizes the name of the phone line, the iPhone. Color is a nice gradient - since it's etched with laser - and it only makes a tiny reference to the company who made it. This is how you brand your phone: noticeable logo, subtler actual name, nearly imperceptible company name.

So in light of the terrible 535 design, I thought I'd give it a go:

I paired it with the iPhone 6 to showcase how Microsoft can imitate it's simplicity, while still making their branding effective. Honestly I think this looks miles better than what we've seen on the 535. Microsoft doesn't need - nor should it want - for people to know that MICROSOFT made a specific phone. They shouldn't care in the least. They need people to know it's a LUMIA, a brand they already like. Those who care will be satisfied that it says it's made by Microsoft, but the masses don't care. Make Lumia the show and subtly remind consumers who made it by burning that 4 square logo in their brain. I think this is branding at it's most effective, just like Apple does it with the iPhone. No version numbers, just like there's no iPhone 4, 4s, 5, 5s, 6, 6 Plus... branding. There's just iPhone.

Let there just be Lumia. That's it, period. That's what consumers should remember. They want a Lumia. They'll buy a Lumia. No 620 or 635 or 735 or 830 or 1520 or Icon.

Just Lumia.

Thoughts?

[xandros9]

Meh.
Now this is my personal design taste, so don't take it personal or whatnot, just adding my opinion. I might come across as mean, but I don't mean it. (Just in case)

I like the horizontal text, I feel it fits well with the narrow and tall nature of phones, also with the orientation when taking photos.
I would think maybe replacing the "Microsoft" on the back with "Lumia" (coughSurfacecough) while keeping the square logo would work nicely.
(I think they may want to scrap the text on the front face of the device)

I still think they can try to shake that reputation of theirs, but it's going to need work. Work I'm not exactly seeing at this point.

I feel the mockup is too Apple-y, especially the "Designed by..." text.

[Nicholas Maguire]

That's how I think it should be too.

[TechmeIN64]

I really like your design. I definitely think that the squares are distinctly MS enough. Especially if they have "Microsoft" written on the front. Totally agree. I think they may have their brand extra bold right now because they are trying to clearly show the world that they are officially in the mobile hardware business, but that theory doesn't fit with their surface branding. Regardless, nice job.

[Xabier Granja]

I should mention, I'd forgo the front Microsoft text. It hinders the brand's design reputation more than it helps. I'm basing my design imitating the iPhone because Apple is deservedly respected for good aesthetic designs and if Microsoft wants to be a consumer player they need to be synonymous with good design. Plastering your name all over the product is bad design. The logo is subtle enough that it becomes a powerful symbol.

Don't just think Apple. Think Nike for example. Similar good design case: Simple, subtle, effective. You don't see the letters Nike written everywhere, you just see the symbol. Microsoft should mention its name nearly imperceptibly, emphasize the Lumia brand name and make those 4 squares a social style symbol. That's how a brand transcends, in my opinion.

[Xabier Granja]

I thought I'd have some fun with the concept, so I googled some images and made mockups for a 635, 735, 830, 930 and 1520. Doesn't look half bad! Certainly an improvement over the horrible 535.
PS - I know the 930 looks so bad... I could not get the perspective right. My knowledge of photoshop is quite limited, but it gets the point across :)

[Nicholas Maguire]

They look great. I really hope the way it is on the 535 doesn't continue. It just makes them look bad. Personally, I'd love to have the Microsoft logo on the back of my device. It looks premium. Definitely something Apple is good at, making premium design. Really good Microsoft does it similar to this, at least for the flagships.

[to_be_announced]

I would think maybe replacing the "Microsoft" on the back with "Lumia" (coughSurfacecough) while keeping the square logo would work nicely.

I like this idea.

[hitmid308]

Nokia brand is Rock
Send from Windows Phone

[hitmid308]

I thought I'd have some fun with the concept, so I googled some images and made mockups for a 635, 735, 830, 930 and 1520. Doesn't look half bad! Certainly an improvement over the horrible 535.
PS - I know the 930 looks so bad... I could not get the perspective right. My knowledge of photoshop is quite limited, but it gets the point across :)

wonderful

[wpcontinue]

I think it should not be Microsofts logo, but Windows logo instead, marking its a Windows device runing Windows (and a bit smaller, since the filled squares a bit massive and not so sleek), then the Lumia text, saying that this hardware in particular is a Lumia. Its simple like this:



Make it slim as possible with MAGNESIUM UNIBODY, flat back without camera bumb, EQUAL on top and bottm (where are the red arrows), put W10 with latest tech specs and separate up/down volume rockers and headphone jack at the bottom and im there..

[Xabier Granja]

I like your design idea! What you describe, however, is just a flagship. No 540/640/740 will be made of magnesium :)

[Inkling]

Here's my version of this (sorry for the bump and bad quality of the photo)