New:
Quark logo (a 'Q' symbol with wordmark), and a signature green
Launched:
September 9, 2005.
Story in brief:
QuarkXPress, the flagship product of this private Denver-based company, still holds the dominant share in publication design software but is threatened by Adobe's InDesign, and handicapped by the dominator's traditional problem of perceived insensitivity to the customer. So this logo change is the signal that “honestly, we've changed!”
As acting president Linda Chase puts it, “Quark has undergone a major transformation to become more open and customer-focused (…) Many people don’t realize how much we’ve evolved. Our new logo and brand will project the significance of this change to our community around the world.”
Quark's new ad agency got the rebranding assignment. Designer Chris Wood emphasizes the importance of “Quark Green” (Pantone 368), saying “I was looking for something that would take Quark in a completely new direction (…) and represent so many things that Quark has gone through: rejuvenation, growth and rebirth.”
Credits:
C.E.O. - Principal owner Fred Ebrahimi; acting president Linda Chase
Identity design - Ad agency SicolaMartin, a Young & Rubicam division
First Impressions:
Granted, the old mark was ripe for refreshment. As a wordmark, however, it had the advantage of capitalizing on the strength of the powerful Quark name (unique, short and appropriately appealing). So what strategic rationale explains the distraction of a symbol? (And then what does this 'Q,' if that indeed is what it is, signify?) When you can brand with your name, you have a big head start; why waste it?
In addition, the design community has quickly noted the pronounced similarity of the Scottish Arts Council's 'A' symbol (compounded by Quark's similar type treatment of its wordmark). The similarity could be completely innocent on the designer's part. But failure to catch it can legitimately be placed at the door of Quark's intellectual property counsel.
Other comments:
I would enjoy hearing the two designers debate how the mark can be an “a” for Arts and a “q” for Quark. Not unlike the floor wax and dessert topping product in that it doesn't achieve either goal very well.
Jerry Kuyper
Quark's new logo just shows how an old company is trying to be something they're not anymore. Their logo is a copy — just like they now copy the features in In Design, in an attempt to regain market share. It's sad…
Dana ODell
The old Quark Logo
…2001, designed by Graven Images
Source:
identityworks
