After today when millions try to locate the Uber app on their phones, they no longer will see the stylish ‘U’ icon but a colourful geometric shape — hexagonal if they drive, circular if they’re a rider — surrounding a small, bit-like square.
The new logo is the result of the company’s global rebranding exercise to show its maturity and growth. Uber, which currently operates in 400 cities across 65 countries, has claimed that their logo is connected to bits and atoms. Travis Kalanick, founder and chief executive of the company, had earlier written a blog post in August last year to explain the connection of the company with bits and atoms, which inspired Uber’s new logo (check out the video below, which explains this concept more).
A look 5 years in the making—see how our journey with you shaped who we are. https://t.co/Ff5e6x8XJvhttps://t.co/cWD59Wwm6U
— Uber (@Uber) February 2, 2016
“The early app was an attempt at something luxury,” Kalanick told Wired adding “that’s where we came from, but it’s not where we are today.” The CEO is also waiting in anticipation to know the reception to the logo and just a few days before the launch had said: “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I feel that it’s going to be good.”
He also wrote in a blog post that the old Uber logo was black and white which seemed somewhat distant and cold and “this belied what actually Uber was - a transportation network.’
Also, the company has redesigned the logo in-house with Kalanick at the helm and a team of which a few were designers, Wired reported hinting that it was a wrong decision for the company.
However, the app will now open with a unique colour for all 65 countries with turquoise in India, red in China and dark teal in the United States. As soon as the user opens the app, an animation of a varying geometric shape will welcome the user to the app interface which is still the same.
Uber’s new logo wasn’t well-received on Twitter.
I cannot adequately convey how much I hate the new Uber logo. It looks so ugly on my home screen. #uberlogo #WTF
— thermexperience (@thermexperience) February 3, 2016
Really?! The world wont forget how you cheat the drivers just coz you got a makeover 😒 #uberlogo https://t.co/8oEWTgIhK1
— Umutoni (@DoryKM) February 3, 2016
New Uber logo: top-down view of Cloud City platform where Vader and Skywalker battled? #empire #DarkSide #uberlogo pic.twitter.com/zdmj9iHpVu
— Ryan Batty (@ryanbatty) February 3, 2016
Left: ancient Chinese coins; Right: #uberlogo 😅🤔 Make u think doesn't it pic.twitter.com/LzaN6VmkuJ
— Grace Han (@g_han) February 3, 2016
@mattkoyak absolutely true!!
— Priyanka Parkar (@miss_parkar) February 3, 2016
