Visualizing the cloud

Learn more: msft.it/60015pt5c

How do you reimagine visualizations for the cloud — an intangible concept for many people — and design for brands within one of the most ubiquitous brands on the planet? Cloud Marketing Brand Studio, the group behind creating brand identities for all of Microsoft’s cloud businesses, tackles these kind of unique design challenges. To refresh imagery for the cloud, the team had to go back to the fundamental of metaphors and ideas using geometry and structure. Using various metaphors to come up with visualizations for the cloud, descriptive terms like “adaptive intelligence,” “insight,” “vibrant,” “sophistication,” and “dimensional,” inspired the team’s design journey. 

The studio also focused on the behaviors of the cloud — how it works and grows based on inputs in a beautiful symbiotic relationship. They arrived at a digital ribbon as a visualization of the complexity and flexibility that is the cloud. An intelligent ribbon with different petals connected but distinctive like the solution areas and synergistic relationships found within the Azure cloud platform.     With more than 200 products and cloud services, designing purposeful and beautiful individual visual themes that flow with Microsoft’s core branding presents the studio with perpetual design challenges. How do you build distinct brands that are expandable, adaptable, and cohesive?   

Head over to our blog to learn more about the studio’s design process for reimaging visualizations for the power of cloud and how they build distinctive brands within a brand, like Microsoft Viva. Tell us what you think — as always, all musings are welcome!