Lisa Merriam

A New Logo for E Ink

Congratulations to E Ink on their new logo. The company was a spin-off from the MIT Media Lab back in 1997 and pioneered the concept of electronic paper.

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Old logo
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New logo

A New Logo for a New Strategy

Originally marketed for electronic signs, the company has enjoyed better success as a maker of mobile electronics displays. Paper thin and lightweight, the technology offers high contrast and low power consumption. Best known as the technology behind the Amazon Kindle, other users include Barnes & Noble, Casio, Citizen, Hanvon, Hitachi, Lexar, Motorola, Plastic Logic, Samsung, Skiff and Sony.

With a clear future as an ingredient brand, E Ink was more than ready for an updated logo. While the new logo is an improvement, I am not sure it does what the E Ink press release claims. The new logo is a safe corporate expression, but the company claims “new E Ink logo design emphasizes the cultural legacy passed on by technology. E Ink embraces technological advances while respecting human life, human culture and human nature.” Huh? Can’t say I’m seeing that.

(Full disclosure–I was E Ink’s director of marketing from 1998 to 2000, but the original logo had been chosen before I joined the company.)