Tech Companies That Rebranded – Examples of MailChimp, Slack, Laravel

A few weeks ago, Laravel announced their new logo, plus a brand new website, which inspired us to take a sentimental tour through last year’s tech rebrands that are worth checking. Hop on and read why:

• Redesigning a tech brand is THE WORST
• We blame Apple
• A rebrand does not equal logo change

Redesigning a tech brand is THE WORST

When it comes to redesigning, there’s nothing harder than refreshing a technological brand. Why it’s different from other industries? Because the one we work in is an e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y demanding one.

Let’s be honest. We have the best designers and digital experts here. We all know they can be double judgy, and they have full right to be this way – remember that it is the group that creates the Internet we know (and love). Of course, not only tech people are picky – everyone is, more
or less.

The reason we all got used to the extraordinary design can be closer than you think.

WE BLAME YOU, APPLE!

Yup, it was Steve Jobs’ company that got us used to a great, futuristic design. And showed us that
the tech brand is perfectly capable of getting thousands of fanboys and fangirls all over the world.
The bar is high – Apple Inc. owns a big part of its success to its appealing design.

Rebrand ≠ logo

If you think that redesigning a brand is just changing the logo, you’re soooo wrong we can’t even… 😉 It is a long process, and creating a logo is just one of its outcomes.

Crafting a fresh visual identity that everyone loves is not only about refreshing the brand’s vibe –
it’s about knowing its users.

The brand is the perception of the company in the eyes of the world, and if you want to make it the proper way, there’s a lot of work before the design itself. So, basically, a rebrand is just EXPRESSING IT in a sexy way.

Wanna a successful redesign? Listen to NWA and XPRESS YOSELF! 

The rebrand’s right outcome should include a fresh communication strategy, website functionalities, and visual language itself. There’s no good redesign without proper UX research, and that’s a fact you can’t deny.

Cause – let’s be reasonable – who needs just a new logo? It’s the fresh, sexy vibe brands are looking for.

Take a look at some tech rebrands you really should appreciate

Laravel

Laravel website in August 2019 / Source: https://laravel-news.com

At first glance, not much has changed, but for us, it’s enough. Laravel’s new approach to design could be a BIBLE for tech companies planning to refresh their brands – it’s minimalistic yet characteristic and bold. Great job!

Current Laravel website (September 2019)

Slack

Slack’s fresh, man! 

The thing about Slack is if you mess up the design, you’ll mess up the whole ecosystem. Slack is a major communicator, used mostly by professionals connected to the tech industry, and we already agreed that’s the most demanding target group you can imagine.

For Slack, the first days after showing their new identity to the world in 2018 were a NIGHTMARE. People got used to the way things were (I mean – come on, peeps, change is the most important factor in a digital reality, if you like it or not) and went crazy, posting their edgy opinions all over Twitter.

Check out some of the hilarious reactions to Slack’s new logo:

pic.twitter.com/HOctwjojKl

— Tadas Labudis (@tadaslab) 16 stycznia 2019

Slack’s reaction was pure gold – they proved that the previous visual identity was too complicated to combine with most of the backgrounds, and they were damn right!

That’s how I feel about the way things were: Eeeeewwwww! / Source: https://slackhq.com

Dropbox

2019’s Dropbox rebrand met with loud applause from its users, which is awesome – we all know people love hating online!

Dropbox has revamped its productivity and business cloud storage services with a whole new look and useful app integrations that people really dig.

And that was the goal of this rebranding process – turning the storage space into a productivity launchpad.

They’re sexy, and they know it!

Mailchimp

Old vs New / Sources:  Wikimedia Commons and COLLINS

MailChimp’s 2018 rebrand was the most honest one. They have updated their logo, wordmark, typeface, colors, and imagery like photography and illustrations. They have also decided their brand’s name could use a minor refreshment – it evolved from “MailChimp” to “Mailchimp” with a lowercase.

To be honest, I’m obsessed with their new illustrations. Just check how awesome these are:

 And that you can read on their website. We feel you, Mailchimp bros!

Mailchimp’s Freddie before and after plastic surgeries / Source: https://www.underconsideration.com

Uber

After 8 years of saving people’s lives when it comes to the fastest and most efficient way to commute, in 2018, Uber also decided to rebrand. The new brand’s vibe is very clear, simple, minimalistic and universal, which is the best approach for brands that target both B2C and B2B clients from all over the world. They also decided to come back to using the ‘U’ in their logo since their fans were very disappointed when it disappeared in 2016, and something weird replaced it.

2017 vs 2019 / Source: https://www.underconsideration.com

After the rebrand, Uber published a very cool case study showing the process, where you can find this statement:

You’re doing it right, Uber!

Google

OK, I could write a book on Google’s redesigns (maybe someday I will!). There were so many changes through the years – some of them were great, some not. I still dig the latest (2015) update since its result turned out to be just as I prefer – minimalistic and classy, yet extremely accessible. And it’s here for 4 years now, so I guess others like it too.

The average person sees the Google logo even 30 times per day, so it’s crucial to keep it not overwhelming and recognizable at the same time for the brand. Throughout the past two decades, the logo has changed a few times, but it has stayed misleadingly simple across all of its evolutions.

In 2015, the company saved its blue-red-orange-blue-green-red pattern but decided to change the typeface from Catull to the custom font called Product Sans. At the same time, they rolled out several variations of the logo, including the rainbow “G” for their smartphone app and the favicon for Google websites, and a microphone for voice search.

In Google’s case, it was essential to create an adaptable design, as their product lines become more diverse every year.

Summary

Tech brand, or not – the reality that surrounds us is way more demanding than just a few years ago. Every company should be aware that having a great and clear visual identity is as important as Marketing, Sales, or even your service itself.

I’m begging you – before doing anything, validate your ideas with real users. Otherwise, you could end up with an identity that people hate. And who’d like that?

And maybe you need to refresh your business idea or give it a new quality? Our amazing team can help you out!

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