Yammer was an enterprise social networking service launched in 2008 and acquired by Microsoft in 2012. In 2023, Microsoft rebranded Yammer as Viva Engage, updating the name, logo and app icon across platforms.[1]
Design and History
In November 2018, Microsoft unveiled redesigned icons for all Office 365 applications, including Yammer, marking the first update to the Office icons in five years.[2][3] The redesign was announced by Jon Friedman, head of Microsoft Office design, who explained that the new icons decoupled the letter and symbol into two separate panels that could be paired or separated.[4] Friedman described the new color palette as “bolder, lighter and friendlier,” noting that while each icon has a “unique and identifiable symbol,” all are connected to form a collective suite.[3]
The 2018 redesign also changed the letter-to-symbol ratio to emphasize the symbol rather than the letter in each Office 365 app icon.[3] The new icons were rolled out across platforms over the following months, beginning with mobile and web.[3]
In February 2023, Microsoft announced its intention to rebrand Yammer into Viva Engage, with brand elements including the logo, app icon and name updated in the coming months.[1] By March 2023, Yammer users saw a new logo, app icon and name on mobile, and the app icon was updated to the Viva Engage icon.[5][6]
Meaning and Symbolism
Microsoft’s design approach for the 2018 Office icon refresh emphasized simplicity and familiarity. Friedman stated that the decoupling of letters and symbols “allows us to maintain familiarity while still emphasizing simplicity when inside the app.”[4] The icons were designed to reflect how Office had evolved, with new collaborative features and platform independence across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android.[4]
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