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With an ever growing library of more than 62,000 typefaces from more than 400 foundries and designers, MyFonts has been one of the most comprehensive shopping spots on the web since its launch in 1999. It’s also been one of the easiest, friendliest and most accessible for designers and non-designers alike with its simple and ample tag references and categories. But for all its usability features, the design, well, sucked. With vast apologies to the original designer, but the look and feel of the web site (original here), the logo and all the related typography and visuals felt more appropriate to Chuck E. Cheese than a type reseller. First introduced in print materials at TypeCon this past July, MyFonts unveiled a new logo, and this past month launched a beta version of its web site.
Designed by Underware in the Netherlands, the new logo (or wordmark to be more specific) tackles a rather challenging task: Which typeface do you use for a company that represents thousands of them? Simply, you don’t. The custom lettering approach is just exactly what MyFonts needed, as it stands for a representation of the craft of creating letters and who better to do it than the crafty folks of Underware.
The new MyFonts logotype is made with a broom instead of a brush. It has a secret bonus for those who get it, but still functions as a contemporary hand-painted logo for those who don’t. As any detailed explanation would ruin the magic, we’ll leave it at that.
After working most of last night into the wee hours I can’t really figure out what this “secret bonus” is, so anyone that wants to entertain the challenge, go ahead. The logo also serves as a handsome punctuation mark in a remarkably amazing upgrade of the web site, which is simple, useful and pretty to look at. This is a great redesign to satisfy some of the most stringent users online: Us.
Thanks to all who sent in the tip. And thank you for your patience with the low content this week. We are back in business and content should flow regularly now.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
ejpeg’s comment is:
The 'my' also doubles as a hand. Is that it?
On Jan.09.2009 at 08:41 AM
adam’s comment is:
I was initially drawn to the white space created under 'My' part of the logo. It appears to be a hand. Now I can't stop seeing it. Could be the 'secret' bonus?
On Jan.09.2009 at 08:42 AM
Markus Varha’s comment is:
Maybe the secret bonus is the hand shape that is created by the letters MY?
On Jan.09.2009 at 08:42 AM
Rainer’s comment is:
Yepp, the »My«-part looks also like a hand. »Get a hand on these fonts«, so to speak.
On Jan.09.2009 at 08:43 AM
takio’s comment is:
pushing it a bit, you can also read "mmmmm...fonts!", as the M kind of replicates forward in a drooling motion
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:15 AM
Liam Kelly’s comment is:
When you turn the logo upside down the "my" becomes a DINOSAUR!
So much better than a hand...
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:16 AM
Pamela’s comment is:
"ejpeg’s comment is:
"The 'my' also doubles as a hand. Is that it?
"On Jan.09.2009 at 08:41 AM "
Yeah, that's what I saw right off the bat...although, I didn't see it until after I read the "has a secret bonus" part of the article. After a second glance, I saw a hand.
I guess the bonus is kind of cute...as far as "hand-made"or "get a hand on them" goes.
Andrew Sabatier’s comment is:
My first reading was ambivalent, leaning towards dissappointment. A relatively well drawn scripty, handwritten-type font in the same ignorable category as Comic Sans, I thought. The new website looks good and performs well but the new brandmark seemed like a missed opportunity and a bit of a cop-out.
I consider myself visually literate but I would have missed the hand if the blurb above didn't mention a bonus. I love visual ideas that read on additional viewings. Despite the category of typeface and the cartoony hand the idea and execution is superb.
In the context of the overall brand transformation this identity gets a big thumbs up from me.
A.
Andrew Meyer’s comment is:
I am not sure if I love the new word mark, BUT I like it a lot more than the old one. Additionally, I, for one, am very pleased to see they dropped the gradient. Made my stomach churn.
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:37 AM
Craig’s comment is:
If you honestly think a custom lettering job is in the same category as Comic Sans, you've got some reading to do :)
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:55 AM
Doug Bartow’s comment is:
The new site is a vast improvement, but it looks like it's filled with even *more* fonts that I would never consider using.
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:55 AM
Joen’s comment is:
Very nice redesign. The hand shape in the "My" gives a number of design opportunities and the cleanliness of the vectors means the logo should work with most designs, even tight ones.
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:56 AM
LB’s comment is:
You know what it looks a lot like? The wordmark for Speak Up. Just happened to see one right after the other on this page.
The logo is an improvement over the old one. And when I was using their site the other day, I noticed the hand without prompting. It's one of those things you notice when you see it out of the corner of your eye.
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:02 AM
Jeffry Pilcher’s comment is:
Big improvement. The old look, old website looked like something from 1998 (i.e., ugly).
I like that they didn't beat the "hidden" hand to death in the rationale. It must take a lot of self control for experienced designer to not over-rationalize a logo.
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:08 AM
Pat’s comment is:
"If you honestly think a custom lettering job is in the same category as Comic Sans, you've got some reading to do :)"
Technically, Comic Sans was the result of a custom lettering job. See http://www.connare.com/whycomic.htm
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:08 AM
Dave Klonke’s comment is:
Yup...a hand. Looks great. I love it. It works so amazingly well. One of the best I've seen in a really long time. Love the new site too.
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:09 AM
Andrew Klein’s comment is:
Well done, approachable, appropriate, makes me feel good about buying typefaces.
I'm not sure if it's MyFonts or the foundry's decision, but offering one or a few weights of some popular fonts for free is a great way to get me to buy the other weights.
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:34 AM
Darrel’s comment is:
The hand is cute, albeit cryptic.
Either way, the MyFonts redesign was long overdue and a definite improvement.
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:38 AM
Rico’s comment is:
I think it's a hand....
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:38 AM
Kim Siever’s comment is:
Why use a dinosaur?
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:56 AM
Josh’s comment is:
Because dinosaurs are awesome?
I liked the hand at first because it was subtle enough not to get noticed with regular use. Now that I know it's there, however, I can't NOT read "handfonts"
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:06 AM
Jeff’s comment is:
I thought the "My" looked terrible until I saw the hand. Now it just kinda looks weird.
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:08 AM
2fs’s comment is:
The hand is kinda cute...but the wordmark as a whole looks rather cheesy - like Hallmark Cards' wordmark. Do not like.
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:23 AM
felix sockwell’s comment is:
looks great. dig the hand.
Arm, you should hire them to redesign Speak Up's weird cap S, you know for "Us", the "most stringent users".
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:29 AM
Austin’s comment is:
It kinda reminds me of the Veer logo (and both sell fonts).
It is nice though, and an improvement over the previous logo. Although, that hand is all I see now!
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:39 AM
Drew Pickard’s comment is:
Hint: there's a hidden arrow . . .
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:44 AM
Rodrok’s comment is:
I think the secret bonus is that the "My" is pointing "itslef". I like the logo, looks friendly, professional and "easy to use" although it kinda reminds me other logos.
7.331111 of 10
On Jan.09.2009 at 11:54 AM
designscene’s comment is:
I like it more than the old logo for sure. But I feel the handwritten feel is seen in several other logos too, like Veer. It is still good because it serves the purpose well for a company that deals in thousands of fonts, and it wouldn't make sense for them to choose another font to represent them. the secret hand is fun too,though I didn't get it at the first shot.
On Jan.09.2009 at 12:35 PM
Sal’s comment is:
Works well as a favicon, too
On Jan.09.2009 at 12:44 PM
cardeo’s comment is:
ohhhhh, much better, very nice.
On Jan.09.2009 at 12:54 PM
Bruce’s comment is:
Beautiful. And I'm so glad they had it custom drawn. I love fonts, but also love a nice hand-drawn mark. Saw the hand right away.
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:05 PM
BJN’s comment is:
Don't like it. Too cutesy and it's not a logo that speaks to typography. It reminds me of the new Michael's craft stores logo. But maybe MyFonts is selling more to scrapbookers than designers these days.
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:07 PM
AL’s comment is:
Hey, isn't it a hand? ;)
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:12 PM
cole’s comment is:
after the "secret bonus" comment, the hand definitely popped. now, that's all i see and it kind of drives me crazy.
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:14 PM
Jonathan’s comment is:
The secret is the "F" guys... It makes a shinto with the "t"
Don't you guys get it! Its not a hand! GEEZ.
Seriously tho, decent mark. WAY improved, and hidden meanings are always a plus in my book.
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:47 PM
Neil’s comment is:
It's great to finally see MyFonts get a facelift. Both the logo and the site look much better. However, I'm not sure if the logo is as good as it could be. I like the hidden hand, but I don't believe a hand truly relates to fonts, other than hand-drawing them.
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:53 PM
Lauren ’s comment is:
Oh dear god finally MyFonts has done something, anything, to improve their identity.
I have never bought type from them before and wouldn't get caught dead on their site with their old crap style. Can't be sending people there either as a designer, lest they get any bad ideas. I will have to revisit now.
Just think, in 10 years (and maybe 1-2 identity tweaks later?) we'll all think back on the old MYFONTS and have a good laugh.
On Jan.09.2009 at 01:57 PM
JoeNotCharles’s comment is:
I actually think the hand gimmick detracts from the mark - there's not enough height difference between the M and the y, making the first part of the wordmark look scribbly and hard to focus on. Moving the leading peak of the y down slightly would do a lot to distinguish the two letters, but that would leave the hand with two freakishly long fingers.
On Jan.09.2009 at 02:09 PM
damon’s comment is:
"I thought the "My" looked terrible until I saw the hand. Now it just kinda looks weird."
me too. I love the word fonts, but the my, hand aside looks odd.
I'm not convinced the bonus of having it be a hand is worth the compromise of making the actual name of the company slightly odd.
generally speaking I like it though
On Jan.09.2009 at 02:38 PM
Sal’s comment is:
I don't think it detracts from the mark because for most of us, we didn't see the hand at first glance. It's meant to be casual and scribbly. Because we read word shapes more so than letter shapes, and because this is a casual script, critiquing the individual letters isn't as important. Just think of the ubiquity and transparency of the Sunkist ligature. It's a given that there's a sacrifice of legibility made if we compare it to formal typography. But remember, this is a fun logotype that works as illustration. To me, the sacrifice is of legibility barely evident- mainly because the stroke modulation works so well to identify the shapes as a word.
On Jan.09.2009 at 02:51 PM
beth’s comment is:
thank god! after using myfonts since they started i have been waiting for this moment. the old logo somehow reminded me of some sort of mail service. guess the M in the box looked like an envelope out of the corner of my eye. anything, anything! is an improvement. the web layout is much better now as well, much more leaning towards UX.
On Jan.09.2009 at 02:54 PM
John McCollum’s comment is:
Am I the only one who sees marmots copulating? Secret bonus indeed!
On Jan.09.2009 at 03:57 PM
chris d’s comment is:
That bottom-left ending curl of the M seems to be pointing at itself, re-inforcing the idea of (font) possession that the word 'My' implies.
Like a little kid, gesturing and pointing at themselves, screaming loudly: "It's mine... all mine!"
Cute wordmark.
On Jan.09.2009 at 04:40 PM
Kodie’s comment is:
I dislike the clause they used: "for people who get it". I did notice the hand. I don't know how distinguishable the font is from another likely font - my first impression was that it seemed a little too bold. Maybe that was the secret hidden puzzle "for people who get it." As different from the old mark as this is, I wonder what they would lose to keep it calm like their old font. The new font is super-gregarious. They desperately want to get on your good side. As bland as the old mark obviously is, the new mark looks eager to hump your leg for attention if that's what it takes. That's not a hand, it's a paw.
On Jan.09.2009 at 05:36 PM
jRod’s comment is:
i like the hand thing (saw it before comments... proud of self) and i second the resemblance to Veer. beat the ever-loving snot out of the old one... but why get rid of the nice gradient? that's the next big thing, right? left to right gradients?
On Jan.09.2009 at 06:51 PM
Matt Earley’s comment is:
It is the hand formed by the characters "M" and "y." Neat idea.
On Jan.09.2009 at 08:39 PM
John Mindiola III’s comment is:
Didn't see the hand at first, but now that I do, damn, that's clever. Can't we all just sit back in our chairs and smile when a company pulls off a logo like this?
On Jan.09.2009 at 09:05 PM
Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:
Handsome (pun intended)!
On Jan.09.2009 at 10:15 PM
Joseph Maguire’s comment is:
It's a drastic improvement. I think they did a great job, everything except color is introduced which I think veer does a great job using an inverted mark.
On Jan.10.2009 at 01:17 AM
Mongoose’s comment is:
I rather liked the old one, even if it did have a bit of Home Depot feel about it. Fonts here for your use, aisles and aisle of fonts!
Still, this is an improvement; the 'secret hand' is really really clever. Dare I bring up the FedEx hidden arrow to compare? It's almost that good, only lacking in that it's a tiny bit tough to unsee the hand and snap back to 'my'. Overall, it's a crisp lettering as well, the 'F' reminding me of the lettering from DC's 50's-60's throwback, The New Frontier.
I give them an A; they took a good, representative logo, threw it out the window, and dug deep for something that's astonishingly creative and better still. Bravo.
--Mongoose
On Jan.10.2009 at 02:50 AM
Sal’s comment is:
If it's strictly typographic appreciation we're talking, I'm gonna say it's better than the FedEx logo! Props to FedEx, but that arrow is natural. It was waiting to be discovered. The MyFonts one is cooler because it requires more finesse to pull it off subversively. Feels like more of a creation process than an exploitation of a clever discovery.
On Jan.10.2009 at 05:34 AM
DG3’s comment is:
Very nice and most appropriate.
On Jan.10.2009 at 06:07 AM
Christopher Monnier’s comment is:
I agree about the hand. I'm not crazy about the appearance of the wordmark (I can't help but be reminded of the Lifetime wordmark), but the new one is better than the old one.
On Jan.10.2009 at 09:43 AM
Jerry Kuyper’s comment is:
I recently read a description of the aha moment discussed here.
"But if you think about it, there is almost always a gap in time – however infinitesimal it may seem – between seeing and comprehending. That moment just before we file a perception away into a conventional category, when our senses and minds are fully alert to what lies before us – that is the sweet spot of art."
Ken Johnson
In Photography, What Puzzles the Eye May Please the Mind
New York Times, 1.1.09
Here's to more "sweet spots" in logo design.
On Jan.10.2009 at 12:00 PM
jacob’s comment is:
maybe the hand is actually a broom
On Jan.10.2009 at 01:09 PM
Emily Brackett’s comment is:
The logo is clearly better than the old (but it would be hard not to be). But it seems without the "secret bonus" none of us would be talking about anything with this logo. I find the hand distracting and makes the My somewhat unreadable. I'm not really sold on what it brings to the logo. I think it would far better to have tweaked the type forms more.
Also, I went to the site and their first headline has an error with the HTML code and special characters. It says Today’s Features. [the apostrophe has defaulted to & r s q u o ;]
I had to type that out because when I put it in the post it's working right on BrandNew.
On Jan.10.2009 at 03:05 PM
Jay’s comment is:
An improvment, but it sure does remind me of Veer.
And Speak Up...
Not to mention House Industries...
And Michaels to a lesser extent...
Mark’s comment is:
agh. I don't like it.
On Jan.11.2009 at 07:38 PM
Mark’s comment is:
On a second look I think it's ok, like the hidden hand idea.
On Jan.11.2009 at 07:51 PM
Nate’s comment is:
Nice type work from the Underware folks. Not sure if the cryptic hand was necessary, but we could all use more surprises in life I guess.
On Jan.12.2009 at 02:08 AM
Oscar’s comment is:
Maybe the bonus is that the word "my" in the logo looks like a hand (haven't read all the post so if somebody found it before then well I just state it again :p)
On Jan.12.2009 at 05:56 AM
Kevin’s comment is:
I think it gives the site a much better identity than the old logo (kinda obvious). Also reminds me of the work at House Industries (not a bad thing) and Veer (as previously mentioned).
Another nice piece of work by Underware.
On Jan.12.2009 at 10:18 AM
George - LogoDesign.org’s comment is:
I like the hand, although I always have mixed feelings about logos like this as I feel that the designer probably gets way more out of it then the average user using the company that the logo is for. I mean, seriously, how many people would see the hand without knowing to look for it? It's nice and all but a little overkill, IMHO.
On Jan.12.2009 at 02:38 PM
Wünderwoman’s comment is:
Very nice job.
On Jan.12.2009 at 03:35 PM
fonzie’s comment is:
Here's to more "sweet spots" in logo design.
Well said. The sweet spots are what people (not designers) point out to each other and grin over.
On Jan.12.2009 at 05:06 PM
pk’s comment is:
ultimately, my reaction is relief. myfonts' design has been an embarrassment to its community of typographers for so long now that pretty much anything would be better. and underware's typography is very pretty.
unfortunately it makes no sense. sticking a hand into the logo is a boring, expected attempt at making a wordmark into a pictorial logo, and for no apparent reason. it smacks of the same ambiguous intent apparent in those logos containing stick figures desperately waving to us about their human presence, for those of us apparently stupid enough to think that companies are run my automatronic marketroids.
stylistically, i'm really bored with this kitschy advertising-age sampling. nobody ever really explores the array of voices that era's wonderful calligraphy held; it's all the same perky tone. (this flickr set has some great examples of the range of voices that era actually held.) veer looks like that, house, speak up (sorry, armin and bryony), there are several others.
so my question is: is the goal here to make beautiful typography in earnest, or is the goal to make a pop reference to a period in which we saw a lot of fantastic hand-drawn typography?
it reminds me of cases in pop music in which an okay track gains further credibility with the addition of a reference to a highly-regarded original.
On Jan.12.2009 at 07:23 PM
Joel’s comment is:
I can't stop seeing the hand. I want to turn my screen over and only see a dinosaur.
On Jan.12.2009 at 08:07 PM
TobiasMik’s comment is:
Yep, I welcome the redesign. It was highly needed, and about time.
On Jan.13.2009 at 04:15 AM
Char’s comment is:
ummm I like it simply because it says more about fonts than their tired old logotype. I do not see a hand and I see the dinosaur and that's cute, but I dint think they intended to have a hand, why would they?
On Jan.13.2009 at 10:41 AM
Pelsoh’s comment is:
That's Gotham Rounded in the web interface, right?
If so, it seems inappropriate since you can't buy it on their site, only from HF&J
On Jan.13.2009 at 03:15 PM
James B.’s comment is:
Beautiful Work!
On Jan.14.2009 at 05:33 AM
Kelly Hobkirk’s comment is:
I saw this a couple of weeks back, and instantly loved it. Got the hand, the custom wordmark, and the site redesign is great. Simple, easy on the eyes, useful tools. I did not know that Underware designed it, but that fits. They do great work.
On Jan.15.2009 at 09:34 PM
Jono’s comment is:
Who's fonts are these?
"Mine," I say, as I raise my hand in a crowded room.
Brilliant!
On Jan.17.2009 at 08:25 PM
Marcin’s comment is:
That's just GREAT!
One of my favourites.
Love IT!
My=hand... great idea.
Good job done.
On Jan.19.2009 at 06:22 AM
Gregor’s comment is:
I think the left hand side of the M swings round and points to the whole logo as in to say "my" and like your pointing at yourself type idea.
On Jan.26.2009 at 06:50 AM
James C.’s comment is:
No, it does not look like Veer or Speak Up, it looks like Kleenex.
On Feb.24.2009 at 04:29 PM
Comments in Brand New, V1.0 have been closed.
