Fairphone

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The fairphone star-logo

Discuss The Industry
#6

Yes you are! :sunglasses:
…

I like the star-part in the square you see in the front (top left corner) of the phone - I guess there won’t be the new logo / lettering substituting it, also I like the star in the circle (from the back cover) and also the star as the i-dot on Fairphone.
With FP2 and without the star-logo you won’t see fairphone on the front right away, not even an F or sth like that.

I actually heard it was for political reasons / similarities - not because of congstar - that the star will be dropped, so it would be nice to hear from Fairphone-people.

2 Likes
#7

There are so many logos with stars everywhere (not only in Germany - http://www.stern.de/2) but to say that the logos resemble each other or one gets confused would be an exaggeration.

Stern isn’t in the smartphone industry, so there’s no problem there. The problems arise when 2 companies in similar sectors have similar brands.

For example, Sky TV recently took Microsoft to court over the SkyDrive name. Microsoft was ordered to change the name because they both provide online services (even though the nature of those services are very different).

So, because the Fairphone star logo is similar to that of a company in a similar industry, there is sufficient need for change. For an organisation the size of Fairphone, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

That said, I don’t think the current logo is distinctive or modern enough, nor does it communicate fairphone ethics in any way.

6 Likes
#8

True, but did the star?

#9

True, but did the star?[/quote]

Not really. I too think that Fairphone could have been more creative with their new logo (e.g. use the symbols of their 5 main sections Mining, Manufacturing, etc.).

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#10

I like the star-in-square logo, but the FairPhone lettering with the star not so much. I think it’s better without.

1 Like
#11

To everyone, who liked the old logo: You can still have it by accessing the mobile Fairphone forum… :wink:

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FP2 Printed Cases : 3D models
#12

You’re right, it didn’t. I’d have liked to have seen a more modern logo that better communicates what is it that makes Fairphone Fairphone. Right now, the logo style could represent anything from a oil giant to a budget 99p store.

1 Like
#13

What I like about the star: with it you see directly that it’s a fairphone, from both sides.
Having just the lettering (in grey) on both sides is not as distinct.
(of course the silver / black-back was also quite unique. I recognized other fairphone users with this on a couple of occasions)

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#14

Or if the star clash with congstar really is the reason find a new non-lettering logo (in addition to the FAIRPHONE lettering)

Actually, is there still time?
How about a logo-competition?
I am sure there are many creatives / design students willing to participate, even without prize money (or give the winner a FP2 :sunglasses:)

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#15

I think it’s the other way around: With the FP2 saying “Fairphone” on both sides more people that didn’t know it before will know a Fairphone when they see it.

It’s probably to late, but I like the idea.

PS:

Like so?

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#16

[quote=“paulakreuzer, post:15, topic:9979, full:true”]

I think it’s the other way around: With the FP2 saying “Fairphone” on both sides more people that didn’t know it before will know a Fairphone when they see it. [/quote]
First of all, the “when” should be an “if” :wink: - did you actually see “Fairphone” on the photos I posted?
And no I don’t think it’s the other way around.
If you know the Fairphone you recognize the star right away.
If you don’t know what a Fairphone is the lettering won’t help either - as I have often found out in conversations with people who have never heard of it before. They don’t assume the word “Fairphone” refers to one specific phone.
So basically the logo - as probably most / all logos - is to re-cognize sth. (Wiedererkennungswert).

Now can we have a competition please? :sunglasses:

(I PMed Joe of Fairphone to get some official input here)

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#17

If you look at the animation you’ll see that the logo can be seen very well from nearly every angle.

Of course the word alone won’t tell anyone what the Fairphone is all about, but if they are interested in “fairness” then they will want to find out. Seeing some phone with some logo on it will only wake the interest of people interested in phones. :wink:

#19

Actually we hit the topic of a new Fairphone logo in late March, when @Chris_R and I were invited to the opening of Fairphone’s new Amsterdam office. When I returned home, I even created a forum thread, but made it invisible shortly later because @Chris_R made me aware that a lot of people would have thought that it was official, which it wasn’t.

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#20

@Ruth_FP1 Yesterday a friend of mine, who is a graphics designer, said she liked the Fairphone star on the back of my FP1 and when I told her that they abandoned the star, she was quite disappointed… :frowning:

(It seems that also from a professional point of view, the star should have been kept.)

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#21

I am still hoping that some Fairphone officials will drop by and comment :sunglasses:

no matter how cool and modern and whatever the new Fairphone ,logo’ is (and if it is just the written long name it’s not so much of a logo in a way is it) - a small picto-logo is more distinct. Why not have both?
When you see someone telephoning and you only see the back of the mobile, you won’t even see the new FP-logo, because it is covered by the hand.

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#22

Your “Fairphone official” is here @Ruth_FP1 :sunglasses:

It’s interesting to read everyone’s comments and opinions. I’m surprised this discussion hasn’t happened sooner! The new logo was launched around June without much attention, which I took as a good sign - people were generally OK with it or the new logo was so subtly new that people may not have even noticed. But I can understand people’s personal opinions that they miss the star because they have fond feelings for it or other reasons stated above.

But to speak to Ruth’s point (and some others) - you want the product to have

  1. a distinct quality that lets people know it’s immediately a Fairphone
  2. if you have never heard of Fairphone, the product should have something characteristic in its product or logo design that represents what Fairphone does

I believe these two aspects were considered with the visual identity and branding of the Fairphone. But let’s remember, a company’s (visual) identity is always changing. In particular, a startup that is growing as quickly as we are has to stay flexible. And an identity or brand is not just a logo. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future to let the brand and story show through.

But for now, sorry to disappoint some of you, the logo is going to stay as it is. No star. (except for the occasional social media star avatars, or old logo on the mobile forum version ;)) Thanks for the discussion!

7 Likes
#23

[quote=“joe, post:22, topic:9979, full:true”]
Your “Fairphone official” is here @Ruth_FP1 :sunglasses:[/quote]
Thanks for dropping by!

:cry: :disappointed_relieved: :worried: :sob: :disappointed:

Thanks for the suggestion, I just uploaded a starry profile pic :sunglasses:

Or it was launched in secret :wink:
Was it announced in any way? I probably missed that. Also I missed any “we are thinking of changing the logo” posts beforehand. You know how it is, the mind adds things. If you see Farphone most probably you will read it as Fairphone. So indeed I for one never noticed on the Forum that there was a new logo w/o star. The writing is not really so much different from the old lettering. And also I see the Fairphone star far more often than I see see new logo without it, as I use my FP1 a lot. And there I see the star on both sides.

[quote=“joe, post:22, topic:9979, full:true”]But to speak to Ruth’s point (and some others) - you want the product to have

  1. a distinct quality that lets people know it’s immediately a Fairphone [/quote]
    Yes, the recognition value (for those who know it already). When the FP1 is lying on a table the star is very distinct (much more so than the lettering on the FP2 from the photo), and when someone is using it / phoning, then the lettering of FP1 and FP2 is covered with the hand, but the star of FP1 is always visible.
    So we can maybe agree to call it a missed opportunity to have the lettering AND an icon logo.

:no_mouth: :cry: :worried:

:sob: :sob: :cry: :sob: :broken_heart:

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#24

No, I’d rather say it’s the metal back cover, which is distinctive, as well as the white rim (which is turning yellowish as I just saw).

#25

I meant of course: when it’s lying on its back.
And indeed, the white rim is distinct as well (but is it really only FP with that? I thought i’d recently seen another phone with it).
My FP’s rim is still very white, are you possibly a smoker? :wink:

#26

Since the FP1 is not an original design by fairphone there at least one other phone that has this: the original chinese phone.