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Comment by chasing | Hacker News Reader

> Sure, it looks nice on BMW’s bronze-hued electric i4 sedan concept, but what about on a white BMW? Or a letterhead? Or on a sign for a BMW dealership on a highway?

Is the author really concerned that BMW's design team didn't think about how this logo would be used in such fundamental ways? I can guarantee you that they did.

You can personally like or not like it, fine. But if you're going to write a judgey article about it, at least take some basic steps to try to understand why the choices were made. Companies don't just have some intern change their logo up for no reason at all.

And that headline is obnoxious.

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> Companies don't just have some intern change their logo up for no reason at all.

Companies redesign their brand (websites, logos, etc.) all the time and it often correlates with a new hire who wants a "fresh start" with the brand.

Jens Thiemer who is the SVP of Customer and Brand and spearheaded this effort has been at BMW a little over 1 year.

It's a way of staking your claim at a company and putting your literal mark on a project. Unfortunately, it's not always the best move.

I help VPs of Marketing redesign brands and more often than not, about 6-12 months into their new gig I get a call.

Just out of interest are you a freelancer?

I've freelanced and run a digital agency

The new guy can suggest a rebranding, but I'm sure the CEO and board will have something to say about it/final approval.

Sure, but if a VP goes all out on a push to rebrand and is rebuffed they'll probably leave. Basically, the pitch is "you hired me to improve the brand and that means improving our logo".

So CEOs and the board might not push back as hard as you'd imagine, especially if they don't come from a product/design/brand background.

I wonder if he will get fired for this?

These story makes me appreciate Steve Jobs even more.

> It's a way of staking your claim at a company and putting your literal mark on a project.

Much like the dog puts his mark on your new tires. And for the same reason.

Basic steps such as? There is not much available about it.

Also, you think too highly of corporations. Companies literally have an intern change their logo for no reason, i’ve been that intern. There are dozens of levels of people more worried about saving face than anything else.

As an intern you changed the logo for a company with a public-facing brand with the same value and visibility as BMW's? For no reason and with no other oversight?

Basic steps such as reaching out to some people at BMW and asking them about it. Talking to other people who do similar sorts of design work and try to understand why choices would've been made. Ask someone who might actually know the specific constraints involved in this kind of design work and ask them to weigh in.

This article is just whining about something the author doesn't like. Which, it's fine not to like something. But not everything is designed for your eyes and your personal tastes only. So a design journalist should hold themselves to a higher standard and attempt to understand and illuminate rather than just point and sneer. (Which, I know: This article is just click-bait and not intended to be anything more than that. In which case: Why is it on Hacker News?)

Who hurt you?

Other teams of highly recognized brands have messes up before: https://money.cnn.com/2010/10/08/news/companies/gap_logo/ind...

Butthurt much aren't you? It takes a quick look at the logos compared to see that it looks like shit, no contrast. You just do not see it. I was sceptical about the headline as well but if you just have to lie to yourself the go ahead.

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