eBay releases a completely redesigned logo on its seventeenth anniversary

After seventeen years, eBay has finally redesigned its logo. The company is moving away from its rather experimental, overlaid logotype in favor a much more straight-forward design.

eBay says the new logo reflects who it is today, “a global online marketplace that offers a cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience.” Below you can see the original logo, followed by the new one (see full-size here), which will go live in mid-October.

This redesign is certainly an improvement — at least if eBay wants to come across as a modern, trustworthy company. The difference between the two designs is clear, but the similar coloring will prevent users from being confused.

The colors have been muted, however, giving off a calmer feeling, and the tightly-kerned letters almost nod to the original overlapping design. Additionally, the logo still does not accurately reflect the way eBay prefers to have its name written out, with a lowercase “e” and an uppercase “B.” The original logo never did this, either.

Below you can see the new logo in action:

eBay explained the reasoning behind its redesign on its announcement page:

Our refreshed logo is rooted in our proud history and reflects a dynamic future. It’s eBay today: a global online marketplace that offers a cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience, with innovation that makes buying and selling easier and more enjoyable. We retained core elements of our logo, including our iconic color palette. Our vibrant eBay colors and touching letters represent our connected and diverse eBay community – more than 100 million active users and 25 million sellers globally and growing.

Simplicity was undoubtedly a central goal in eBay’s redesign, but is the company achieving it at the cost of its original Web 1.0 quirkiness? Which design do you prefer?

➤ eBay’s logo redesign

eBay isn’t the only major tech company to receive a logo redesign recently. Microsoft recently unveiled a new logo for both Microsoft itself, Windows Phone and Windows 8.