This new animated YouTube logo is super distracting. How are you supposed to concentrate on a video when there’s this flashing static/rainbow thing in the corner? It’s like the site is trying to force you to go fullscreen mode now. If your branding gives customers a headache, it’s not really such great branding.
Update: Apparently it’s a one-day thing to commemorate the change of TV from analog to digital. But still…
Click “Continued” to see the animation.
Mark W
on 12 Jun 09Is this a permanent change? Or a way to commemorate the change in televisions from analog signal to digital signal?
Dave Goulden
on 12 Jun 09Agree in general, but this is a one-day specialty logo in honor of TV moving from Analog to Digital (a la the custom logos that google does on holiday’s etc)
I love the fact that they are doing this today, it gives more personality/interest to the brand.
Alexander
on 12 Jun 09Firefox pro tip: hit Escape to stop all gif animations.
(One of my favorite Firefox features!)
PierreSmack
on 12 Jun 09Alexander, you are a star. Thanks for the tip.
Vitaly
on 12 Jun 09@Alexander great tip thanks
AnSGri
on 12 Jun 09To continue this offtopic, this ‘esc’ feature also works in IE8.
Sean
on 12 Jun 09@Dave I’m glad you figured that out. I thought they lost their minds until you pointed out it’s just a one-day thing.
felix
on 12 Jun 09Let’s face it the design on youtube in general is pretty awful. It’s typical google programmer art.
Anonymous Coward
on 12 Jun 09I think it’s a temporary tribute to the end of analog TV today.
Christopher J
on 12 Jun 09I think it’s a pretty awesome one-day thing. Similar to updating the google logo on holidays. Not a larger branding initiative.
Ryan Gonzalez
on 12 Jun 09I understand the intent (the digital signal switchover) but I hate the fact that they actually reduced the usability of the most popular video site on the internet to remind people of this. This is like the tag all over again.
Sigh.
Ted
on 12 Jun 09How do you concentrate on doing anything else? Just concentrate on it. I don’t feel distracted like it’s coming out of the monitor and right into my eyes.
mikemike
on 12 Jun 09Microsoft = company that had a secret plan to take over the world.
Bing = just the beginning of that secret plan.
Google = company in a panic.
YouTube = one of the many reasons for that panic.
Stupid animated GIF = company in panic making irrational decisions trying to get some media hype.
James
on 12 Jun 09As a one-off publicity thing, I think the UI tradeoff is probably worth it – they got your attention, after all ;)
Nick
on 12 Jun 09@alexander cool tip!! Thanks!
Google?!
on 12 Jun 09And what’s the deal with Google changing their logo to a tetris-y blob? How are you supposed to concentrate on searching when you can’t even read the name of the site you’re searching from?
;)
@MichaelMCCarter
on 12 Jun 09Yes, thanks @alexander for the Esc key tip in Firefox. Sometimes the simplest thing in life (and IT) give the most pleasure! :)
Really?
on 13 Jun 09Really? You couldn’t concentrate on the video you were watching because they changed their tiny logo for a day?
Seems like SVN has turned into a platform to bitch and complain more than anything else. And over something so inconsequential today…
Grow up.
Berserk
on 13 Jun 09One option might be, especially on longer videos, is to scroll down ever so slightly which magically makes the logo go out of scope..
Jules
on 13 Jun 09Great tip, Alexander! Ah, firefox and its hidden gems of features…
OMG
on 14 Jun 09Thanks for the tip Berserk. I’m glad someone actually thinks about solutions for huge problems like these, but I think I’ll just avoid youtube until this goes away
DOG DOG DOG
on 15 Jun 09Seriously like anything on youtube has any worth anyway, read the comments for fuck sake its just religious nuts and racists.
Hamranhansenhansen
on 16 Jun 09Google needs artists and designers bad. They need to hire 1% at least with criminal records. They are way too heavy on the CS PhDs. Programmer art is embarrassing. How can you index all the world’s info when you are blind to so much of it?
This discussion is closed.