Rubenerd

The MediaWiki software that powers Wikipedia among thousands of other sites has a new logo. It was announced on the MediaWiki news page on April Fools, so I initially thought it was a well-executed prank.

Erik Möller’s cheerful sunflower logo cleverly incorporated wiki syntax as a frame. Isarra Anthere even did a classy, simplified version in 2018 for smaller sizes and textile prints, while preserving the original pallete and shape.

By comparison, you know how they say the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference? This new logo is inoffensive, indistinct, bland, and forgettable. The worst I can say about its design is meh. For a branding exercise, it doesn’t invoke anything about wiki software whatsoever; it looks like a gas company.

I’m glad the Wikimedia Foundation updated Paul Stansifer’s whimsical spherical puzzle for Wikipedia in 2010, instead of replacing it with a dull mark. The rush to make the web look corporate is, to use a Marie Kondo analogy, not the stuff of joy. 🌻