MySpace Unveils New Logo | Hacker News Reader

MySpace Unveils New Logo

techcrunch.com

25 pointslimedaring26 comments

Unlike the Gap logo change, this one is actually pretty clever. But it isn't going to make MySpace relevant again.

It feels a lot like they're grasping at straws — last ditch effort to make themselves "cool" again. But if the alternative is dying, probably the best thing they could have done to create buzz.

Doesn't it now seem like the Gap logo change was an intentional ploy to get attention for a drawn-out logo-change process, and thus was really clever?

I agree that the logo is very nice. But unless it is to be accompanied by a complete redesign of the entire site and a general purging of junk ads, spammers, etc it won't be enough.

MySpace's reputation and image is too tarnished for it to become hip again. The new logo looks like the logo of a cool new startup that would attract the hipsters looking for a space to make their own, but unfortunately MySpace isn't new, and it isn't considered cool either.

They are working on a new design: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/technologylive/post/...

I can't imagine there's anything that will fix MySpace.

MySpace is proof that if you allow users to copy-paste in arbitrary CSS, they will use it to rebuild GeoCities.

I can.

Optimize the site for the most active users: musicians. They haven't leaved MySpace yet. Don't know exactly why, maybe it's a chicken and egg thing, since every artist is on MySpace.

Clever to the point of uselessness. It might get you points in a design class, but in the real world, it's a stupid move. Way to help further erase your already disappearing brand.

Is myspace trying to get out of a record contract? This logo is terrible. Most people aren't going to get the symbol is "space".

I have to say that I think the new logo is pretty terrible. It's obvious that they were trying to be clever, but the problem is that, in my opinion, the "space" is too weak of a space.

The litmus test I use for a logo is to imagine that I were to make a batch of stickers of the logo, that I wanted to go around and stick on walls or whatnot. How well would the logo stand out? How would it make use of the space? And to me, a sticker of the word "My" followed by an underscore does not pass that test.

Does the Nike swoosh pass your test? The brand is the logo, not the other way around. So this would stand out, if MySpace was doing something great. If a logo is supposed to make all impact by itself, and not by the content of the brand – a bright cyan logo with sharp objects would be the best logo..

The problem is they're trying to do both. Its half graphic, half wordmark. Nike's graphic and its wordmark can survive on their own or appear together. The same can't be said of this. MySpace can't put ____ somewhere and expect people to immediately associate it with MySpace, no matter how much advertising they do to try to ingrain it. Nor can they use "My" alone and expect people to know they really mean "MySpace".

Its just a jolting experience. It invites you to start reading it, which you do, and then you run into this underline shape.

That's true, and I agree. I just commented on parent posters litmus test.

Wow, that was all they needed. Goodbye Facebook! I'm reactivating my Myspace account today!

I haven't looked at myspace's stats in quite a while and this link prompted me to do so (the alexa one, because it's free and I'm a miser ;) ).

http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/myspace.com

On the one hand I'm surprised to see they're still roughly the #40 website in terms of traffic, on the other it looks like they've entered a phase of accelerating decline.

I doubt a new logo will be enough to turn the tide on that, but wow, they're still big, and what you couldn't do with traffic at that level.

New Logo Changes Everything:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/corporations-new-logo-chang...

I was there and saw Mike from MySpace unveil it today. For those who don't like it, reserve your judgement until the new design is launched. They're about to launch a completely new design which will really give it context, something this type of logo needs.

Based on the other comments, I'm on the other end, where I think this logo is very forgettable. For me I see it as sort of trendy thing that people will think is stupid a year from now. Reminds me of the Yahoo "It's You" campaign.

My serifed underscore?

this is a good way of distancing themselves from the old abandoned site, MySpace.

Only two more characters left and MySpace can forever be gone...

OH SHIT I HOPE THIS DOESN'T MAKE THEM THE LAUGHING STOCK OF THE INDUSTRY!

Why would it make them a laughing stock? The logo is very clean and innovative, and frankly, much better than their old logo.

You shouldn't have to play "Concentration" to figure out what a logo means and how it represents a business.

Exactly. People need to be able to see and identify a logo in a split second. People don't ponder over logos. Like I said up-thread. This isn't a design class.

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