Slack logo - colorful hashtag-like symbol representing team communication and collaboration
Slack
Slack · San Francisco, California, USA
Slack redefined workplace communication with a logo as vibrant and dynamic as its platform. The 2019 redesign replaced the original tilted hashtag with a cleaner, more versatile mark composed of speech bubble-like shapes arranged in a pinwheel pattern, symbolizing conversation, connection, and the coming together of diverse perspectives.
DESIGN INFO
Brand Overview
Slack launched in 2013 as an internal communication tool built by Stewart Butterfield and his team during the development of a video game that was never released. The platform quickly became the fastest-growing business application in history, reaching a $1 billion valuation in just over a year. Acquired by Salesforce in 2021 for $27.7 billion, Slack now serves millions of daily active users across organizations of every size, fundamentally changing how teams communicate and collaborate at work.
Founded
2013
Headquarters
San Francisco, California, USA
Industry
Technology
Logo History
The original Slack logo, designed in 2013, featured a tilted hashtag symbol in multiple colors against an aubergine background. While distinctive and recognizable, the mark presented significant practical challenges: it required 11 different colors to render correctly, and when rotated or placed on different backgrounds, it often appeared distorted or muddy. In January 2019, Slack partnered with Pentagram partner Michael Bierut to create a simplified logo that maintained the brand energy while solving these technical issues.
Design Philosophy
The redesigned Slack logo distills the brand essence into a more refined symbol while preserving its core personality. The four speech bubble shapes, each in a different color and arranged around a central point, create a dynamic pinwheel that suggests both conversation and collaboration. The design is intentionally playful but structured, reflecting Slack messaging platform that makes work feel less like work. Each element is simple on its own but creates something greater when combined, mirroring how teams function.
Color Analysis
Slack palette of four bright colors against the deep aubergine background is central to its brand identity. The blue (#36C5F0) conveys reliability and clarity; green (#2EB67D) suggests growth and productivity; yellow (#ECB22E) brings warmth and optimism; and red/pink (#E01E5A) adds energy and urgency. The aubergine (#4A154B) ground color is unusual in tech branding, deliberately chosen to stand apart from the blues and whites that dominate the enterprise software landscape.
Aubergine
#4A154B
Blue
#36C5F0
Green
#2EB67D
Yellow
#ECB22E
Red
#E01E5A
Public Perception
The Slack logo is widely recognized as one of the most successful rebrands in recent tech history. The 2019 redesign initially sparked debate, with some users mourning the quirky charm of the original hashtag. However, the new mark quickly won over critics with its versatility and clarity at all sizes. The logo has become synonymous with modern workplace culture itself, and the aubergine color has become so closely associated with Slack that it effectively owns that color space in enterprise software.
Design Insights for Small Business
The Slack rebrand offers a masterclass in solving real design problems without losing brand equity. The reduction from 11 colors to 4 was driven by practical reproduction needs, not aesthetic preference. The shift from a hashtag to speech bubbles strengthened the metaphorical connection to communication. Most importantly, the redesign demonstrates that a logo can become simpler and more systematic while still feeling warm and human, proving that discipline and playfulness are not mutually exclusive in brand design.
Technology Related Cases
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