Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company founded by Bill Gates and the late Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. It is known for the Microsoft Windows operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite the Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge web browsers, Xbox video game consoles, and the Microsoft Surface line of tablet computers.
Traf-O-Data
1972–1975
Designer:
Miles Gilbert
Typography:
Clarendon
Launched:
1972
Microsoft started as Traf-O-Data in 1972 as a traffic computer manufacturer for traffic lights for the Washington roads. The company was working for the government at the time (these operations would since be merged into Microsoft). The logo was designed by Miles Gilbert, brother of Paul Gilbert, one of the company's co-founders.[1]
Microsoft
1975–1980
Designer:
Simon Daniels
Typography:
Aki Lines
Launched:
April 4, 1975
1980–1982
Designer:
Simon Daniels
Typography:
New Zelek
Launched:
1980
1982–1987
Designer:
Unknown
Typography:
ITC Avant Garde (modified)
Launched:
1982
Despite having been replaced in early 1987, this would continue to be used by the Microsoft Press for another year.
1987–2012
Designer:
Scott Baker
Typography:
Helvetica Italic Black (modified)
Launched:
February 26, 1987
Microsoft launched its most well-known logo on February 26, 1987,[2] and since then, has been cherished by many. Up until 2012, multiple variations of this logo was on Microsoft's website and was used on the website even after the 2010 variant below was introduced. It was designed by Scott Baker.
It's still used on older products and some portals (most notably the Windows/Microsoft Update website and boot screen in Windows XP, the Microsoft Update site in Windows Vista, the documentation page for Windows XP Professional, the Xbox 360, the vast majority of pre-2011 Microsoft Game Studios games, and some others, to name a few).
“The new logo, in Helvetica italic typeface, has a slash between the o and s to emphasize the "soft" part of the name and convey motion and speed.”
— Scott Baker, designer of the 1987 Microsoft logo.
2010–2012
Designer:
Unknown
Typography:
Helvetica Italic Black (modified)
Launched:
November 7, 2010
On July 22, 2010, a new tagline, "Be What's Next." was revealed at that year's Microsoft Global Exchange (MGX) event.[3] It was officially launched later on November 7 of the same year, when the Microsoft logo was altered slightly, reducing the slant.[4] This logo was the shortest-lived of the company, only being used for 21 months until August 22, 2012. This logo was never used on Microsoft's website, having the previous logo until a completely different logo replaced it temporarily.
2012–present
Designer:
Jason Wells
Typography:
Segoe Semibold
Launched:
August 23, 2012
Microsoft launched its new logo on August 23, 2012, which includes four squares with the colors of Office, Xbox, Windows and Bing. This happened around the time Windows 8 launched, which changed its usual colors to a single blue, so the old Windows colors were brought to the Microsoft logo. This logo was also used on their website. Although this logo cannot be completely current, a similar one has featured in Windows 95 commercials from the mid-90s, as well as the now-defunct physical Microsoft Store's original logo from 2009.
Notes: 1 Became independent 2 Were moved to work on other Microsoft Software departments 3 consolidated 4 Sold to Take-Two Interactive, later being defunct
