I think any "essence" of a window is too subtle if it must be explained. If you have to explain a logo, it's a failure. I never said that Microsoft knew what they were doing. They're clearly disorganized. Hiring this designer just comes across as desperate.
I disagree. The Coca-cola logo doesn't need explaining, neither does Adidas, or Apple, Twitter, or Nike. These logos don't explain anything about their product. Yet they exist as effective icons. MS's current window is lacking. The slate might not be the ultimate MS icon, but it's IMO it's more visually effective than what they've had. I do agree about MS. I think they are desperate, and if they were serious about improving their situation, they would fire Balmer ASAP.If you have to explain a logo, it's a failure.
>If you have to explain a logo, it's a failure. That couldn't be further from the truth. I can think of more logos that don't explain what the company does, than logos that do. In fact, I'm having trouble thinking of a single logo that "explains" what the company does.