Fishtales

A merit to Slack for their stellar rebrand

Posted: 29/05/2019

Author: Fishtank

If you’re an avid reader of the Computer Arts Magazine, you might have noticed the Fishtank MD, Damien Fisher give his thoughts on Slack’s new branding.

In order to stay relevant in an ever changing market, tech companies have to be at the forefront of design, ensuring the branding works across a multitude of platforms, constantly reinforcing the brand message.

Read on to learn Damien’s thoughts on Slack’s new branding.

Previously, I found the direct representation of the hashtag too literal, complicated and insipid. The brand mark is now symmetrical, playful and vibrant in colour.
Less is often more, and the use of a grid system and simplifying the mark into two distinctive geometric shapes with rounded corners is brilliantly effective, especially on smaller devices. The octothorp retains a large screen presence against neighbouring applications and evokes the core values of communication and connectivity. Doing away with the angle of the previous mark conveys the perfect form. I love the new colour palette, so I’d like to know why this hasn’t been applied to the typography.

The use of black is severe, fighting with the colour scheme of the icon and lacks a real synergy.
I would have liked to see a version of the font in the aubergine purple used in the platform’s communication channel as it would help build up its equity. Together they should work in unison and currently they are two separate items. Successful global brands are distinctively recognisable via their mark and the typography is predominately secondary, maybe this is where Slack sees itself on the big stage.
Ultimately, I see this rebrand as a solid update and aligned with modern day trends, making it agile and functional. I predict it will be around for the foreseeable future.
– Damien Fisher, Fishtank MD

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