Mackey Saturday is an American designer and typographer whose work includes logos for Instagram, Oculus and Luxe. He runs his own design firm and was formerly a principal at New York City design firm Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv.
Mackey Saturday | |
|---|---|
 Saturday in 2016 | |
| Born | 1985 (age 38–39) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University of Northern Colorado (BFA, 2007) |
| Occupation(s) | Owner, Mackey Saturday (2008-present) Principal, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv (2016-19) |
| Years active | 2007-present |
| Spouse | Trisha Saturday |
| Website | mackeysaturday.com |
Early life and education edit
Saturday was born in Chico, California.[1] He attended Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming,[1] and studied design at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado.[2]
Career edit
Mackey Saturday design firm (2008–present) edit
After first discussing a potential redesign of Instagram's logo with Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom in 2011, Saturday began work on the redesign the following year. While he was in the middle of working on the design, Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion.[3] Saturday redrew the app's previous Billabong webfont by hand to create a cleaner, more elegant and fluid design. His subtle redesign maintained the style of the original while cleaning up the script-style font. It was noted in particular for making the "I" look more like an I, as it formerly resembled a J or a g. Saturday's intent was to create a logotype that would stand the test of time, like Kellogg's, Campbell's and Coca-Cola.[4][5][6][7] The new logo was released in May 2013 alongside the app's new photo tagging feature.[5]
Saturday worked with fellow designers Cory Schmitz and Nicolaus Taylor to create a sleek, minimalist new logo for virtual reality company Oculus, following its 2014 acquisition by Facebook. They dropped the eye design of the previous logo in favor of a sideways O shaped like the company's headsets. The logotype was updated as well, with a rounded look to complement the new logo.[8][9][10]
Saturday created the logo for on-demand parking service Luxe.[11] The new, simpler look was launched in July 2015.[12] He also designed the logo for technology company Hello.[2]
In 2015, Saturday redesigned the logo for event ticket marketplace SeatGeek, with a simple theater seat and the company name in a clean sans-serif custom font. The arms and curve of the seat resemble eyes and a smiling mouth. The new logo launched in February 2016.[11]
In 2017, Saturday designed a new logotype for Silk, a brand of dairy-alternative products.[13] In 2018, he created new logos for Unsplash, a stock photography website;[14] and for financial technology company Affirm.[15]
Saturday is a founder of Brooklyn-based family planning company Dadi, which focuses on male fertility and reproductive health and was launched in April 2019.[16]
Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv (2016-19) edit
In 2016, Saturday joined Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv as a principal.[2] The New York-based branding and graphic design firm was founded by Ivan Chermayeff and Tom Geismar in 1957,[17] and has designed iconic logos for companies including NBC, Mobil and Chase Bank.[18] Saturday left the firm in 2019.
Personal life edit
After a decade living in Denver, Colorado,[19] in 2016 Saturday and his wife relocated to Brooklyn, New York.[19][20] Saturday is an avid skateboarder and surfer.[21][22]
References edit
- ^ a b "Mackey Saturday," GD USA, 2016.
- ^ a b c Amanda Aszman, "Designer of the Week: Mackey Saturday," Print, April 28, 2016.
- ^ Michael Sacca, "Mackey Saturday on designing for longevity," Crew, March 10, 2016.
- ^ Tim Nudd, "Instagram Refreshes Logo, Becoming Instagram Instead of gnstagram," Adweek, May 3, 2013.
- ^ a b Amar Toor, "Instagram filters out the noise with redesigned logo," The Verge, May 6, 2013.
- ^ Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan, "Inspired By Coca-Cola, Instagram Reveals a Subtle Logotype Revamp," Gizmodo, May 2, 2013.
- ^ Jam Kotenko, "Here's an Inside Look at How the New Instagram Logo Was Hand-Crafted," Digital Trends, May 6, 2013.
- ^ Victor Luckerson, "Top 10 Logo Changes," Time, December 1, 2015.
- ^ Dale North, "New Oculus branding ditches the creepy eye for something more… abstract," VentureBeat, June 9, 2015.
- ^ Jamie Harris, "Oculus drops the eye in its new look logo and branding ahead of E3," Digital Spy, June 9, 2015.
- ^ a b Christine Lagorio-Chafkin, "Instagram Logo Designer: How to Make Brand Magic," Inc., February 29, 2016.
- ^ "Valet User Experience," Brand New, July 20, 2015.
- ^ "Keep Creating: Finding Creative Inspiration With Mackey Saturday". realthread.com. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Open to Unterpretation". underconsideration.com. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Fintech Company Affirm Unveils Updated Brand, New Logo and Shopping Features in Time for the Holidays". apnews.com. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ Clark, Kate. "Dadi brings in $2M to democratize sperm storage". TechCrunch. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ Richard Poulin, Graphic Design + Architecture: A 20th-Century History, "Chermayeff & Geismar and Chase Manhattan Bank," Beverly, MA: Rockort Publishers, 2012, p. 144.
- ^ Steven Heller, "From Mobil to Chase Bank, 6 Iconic Logos and How They Came to Be," The Atlantic, December 8, 2011.
- ^ a b "One Minute With… Mackey Saturday," One Minute With, January 9, 2012.
- ^ "Mackey Saturday," Dumb Questions for Smart Designers, 2016.
- ^ "#005 - Intentional Design with Mackey Saturday". The Keys Podcast. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
- ^ "Reshaping the world one logo at a time with identity design legend Mackey Saturday". dribble.com. Retrieved 9 May 2019.