Slack is a popular US-based workplace communication platform. Developed by Slack Technologies and presently owned by Salesforce, this cloud-based flagship product is designed for both employers and employees to connect with each other within the same enterprise. The evolution of the Slack logo reflects changes in design trends as well as the company’s growth, branding needs, and desire for a more versatile and consistent image. The article explores the history and evolution of the Slack logo, among other details, since the inception of the company.
The Genesis of the Slack Logo (2013 – 2019)
Slack was launched in 2013 with a logo centred around the octothorpe (commonly known as the hashtag symbol, #). It dealt with the core feature of the platform, that is, organising conversations into channels. The original logo was distinctive and playful. It featured an 11-colour palette and was set at a precise 18-degree angle. This vibrant and complex design was intended to make the brand stand out and symbolise energy, creativity, and collaboration.
The hashtag symbol itself was chosen because it represented the beginning of channels, which was the primary way teams organise discussions in Slack. The wordmark accompanying the symbol was set in a thin, contemporary sans-serif font in black, which reinforced a sense of modernity and approachability.
(2019 – Present)
In January 2019, Slack unveiled a new logo, which was designed in partnership with renowned design firm Pentagram and Michael Bierut. The redesign was motivated by the need for a simpler, more versatile, and consistent visual identity that could scale across various platforms and backgrounds. The new logo retained the octothorpe concept but reimagined it using two basic geometric shapes – a speech bubble and a lozenge. These elements could be extracted and used as graphic motifs throughout Slack’s branding. The brand name accompanying the emblem was written in Helix Bold.
The colour palette was reduced to four primary colours – red, gold, green, and blue. These colours made it easier for the logo to be reproduced with different backgrounds. The new symbol is upright (no tilt), scalable, and designed to evoke communication (speech bubble) and connectivity (lozenge). It aligned with Slack’s mission as a collaboration platform.
The Elements of the Slack Logo
Font
The latest Slack wordmark uses a bold Helix Bold typeface. Previously, it used to be a modified Avenir.
Colour
The original logo emblem contained a multiplicity of colours, which made the logo look cluttered. However, the present logo emblem uses a simple colour palette of four colours – red, green, yellow, and blue. Besides, the wordmark is written in black against a white background.
The History of Slack
The history of Slack is a saga of a failed gaming project becoming one of the world’s leading business communication platforms. The origins of Slack can be traced back to 2009, when Stewart Butterfield founded Tiny Speck. It was a company initially focused on developing an online multiplayer game called Glitch. While working on Glitch, the Tiny Speck team built an internal communication tool to streamline their collaboration. It did so by relying on protocols like IRC and custom scripts. Although Glitch was well-received, it proved financially unsustainable and was shut down in 2012. It left the team with a robust internal messaging system but no product.
Recognising the potential of their internal tool, Butterfield and his team decided to change course. So, in 2012, they began developing this tool into a standalone product called “Slack”, which is an acronym for “Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge”. After months of refinement and beta testing, Slack’s preview release was launched in August 2013. Surprisingly, it quickly attracted attention, with over 8,000 customers signing up in the first 24 hours. The app was officially launched to the public in February 2014, and its user base grew rapidly thanks to its intuitive interface, robust search capabilities, and seamless integrations with other productivity tools.
Slack’s impact on workplace communication was immediate and profound. By early 2015, it had reached 500,000 daily active users. It went about doubling that number within just four months, and by October 2015, it had 1.7 million daily active users. Its meteoric growth continued, with the platform being adopted by major companies and praised for fostering transparency and collaboration. Slack’s success was also marked by significant financial milestones. For instance, it raised over $120 million in 2014 and was valued at nearly $3 billion by April 2015. It reached a market value of $19.5 billion when it went public via direct listing in June 2019.
Along the way, Slack made strategic acquisitions, such as buying HipChat and Stride from Atlassian in 2018 and Rimeto in 2020, to enhance its platform and expand its features. The company continued to innovate by introducing integrations with services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. It launched Slack Connect for intercompany collaboration in 2020 and rolled out new features like Slack Huddles for informal audio discussions in 2021.
A major turning point came in July 2021, when Salesforce acquired Slack for $27.7 billion. It recognised its value as a central hub for digital-first workplaces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, Slack has continued to evolve under Salesforce’s ownership. It has expanded its capabilities and partnerships, such as the introduction of secure AI features with Box in 2024.
Interesting Facts About Slack
- Slack originated as an internal communication tool developed by the gaming company Tiny Speck while working on their multiplayer game Glitch. When the game was discontinued due to financial challenges, the team changed course to focus on their communication tool, which became Slack.
- The name “Slack” is an acronym for “Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge”. It highlights its core function as a searchable archive of workplace communication.
- The public launch of Slack in August 2013 was met with immediate demand. In fact, thousands of users signed up within the first day, often without IT approval. This showed the platform’s viral appeal among workers.
- One of the key early innovations of Slack was threaded messaging, introduced in January 2017. It helped organise conversations and significantly boosted user adoption.
- Slack experienced rapid growth and funding success. Between 2014 and 2017, it raised hundreds of millions of dollars in multiple rounds. The valuations of the money raised soared from $3.8 billion to $5 billion in just a few months in 2017 alone.
- In 2018, Slack acquired competitors HipChat and Stride from Atlassian. This consolidated its position in the team communication market and migrated their users to Slack.
- Slack went public in June 2019 through a direct listing. In doing so, it achieved a market valuation of about $19.5 billion on its first day of trading.
- In 2020, Slack was acquired by Salesforce for approximately $27.7 billion. It marked one of the largest tech acquisitions of the time and positioned Slack as a central hub in the digital-first workplace.
- Slack has continuously innovated its platform with features like “Huddles” (informal audio calls) launched in 2021. It also entered partnerships to integrate secure AI capabilities, such as the 2024 collaboration with Box.
- The original Slack design aimed to be fun and engaging, with bright colours and heavy emoticon use. It reflected a playful personality that helped differentiate it from traditional business tools.
- Slack’s success is often attributed to its user-friendly design, extensive integrations with other business tools, and its ability to transform workplace communication into a more collaborative and transparent experience.
Finally
The history of the Slack logo is a story of balancing creativity with functionality. The original logo captured the brand’s playful spirit and focus on collaboration but struggled with practical application. The 2019 redesign delivered a more adaptable and unified identity. It ensured Slack’s brand to grow with its expanding global user base.