Explore the iconic Skype logo – its design, history, and visual identity.
Key information about Skype: origin, designer, industry, and logo introduction year.
| Website | skype.com |
| Designer | Scott Baker |
| Agency | Pentagram |
| Country | United States |
| Industry | Software |
| Logo Introduced | 2019 |
Explore the Skype brand, discover Skype colors, and download the Skype vector logo in SVG or PNG formats. Browse related logos and logos with similar colors.
The Skype logo features a white cloud-shaped “S” icon paired with a wordmark in shades of blue (#0078d4, #00adee), communicating connectivity, accessibility, and cloud-based communication.
The 2019 redesign by Pentagram partner Scott Baker modernized Skype’s identity after Microsoft ownership. The refreshed mark replaced the heavier bubble-enclosed design with a cleaner, more contemporary cloud glyph that suggests voice and data floating through digital space. The gradient blue palette spans from deep corporate blue to bright cyan, creating visual energy while maintaining Microsoft’s brand ecosystem consistency. The custom sans-serif wordmark uses geometric letterforms with rounded terminals, balancing professionalism with approachability.
This iteration prioritizes scalability and flexibility across Microsoft’s product suite — from Windows taskbars to Xbox interfaces to mobile app icons. The cloud-S works equally well as a standalone app icon or paired with the full wordmark on marketing materials. The design acknowledges Skype’s evolution from disruptive startup to established Microsoft communication platform.
Skype launched in 2003 with a bubble-speech icon that became iconic during its peak years as an eBay property and later under Microsoft ownership (acquired 2011 for $8.5 billion). The original logo featured a puffy cloud-bubble with the Skype wordmark in a friendly typeface, emphasizing the service’s peer-to-peer communication roots.
Microsoft maintained this design language for years but commissioned Pentagram to reimagine Skype’s identity in 2019. Scott Baker led the redesign, stripping away decorative elements and focusing on a cleaner cloud glyph that better integrated with Microsoft’s evolving design system under Fluent Design principles. The refresh coincided with interface updates that repositioned Skype for modern competition against Zoom, Teams, and other video platforms.
Earlier versions used more saturated blues and white; the current gradient approach adds dimension while maintaining clarity at small sizes. The redesign aimed to honor Skype’s heritage while signaling renewed investment and modernization under Microsoft stewardship.
The Skype wordmark employs a custom geometric sans-serif with consistent stroke weights and generous letter spacing. The rounded corners on characters like the lowercase ’e’ and ‘y’ echo the cloud icon’s soft geometry, creating visual harmony between symbol and type. This typography balances contemporary tech aesthetics with the warmth needed for consumer communication tools. The design avoids overly technical or cold typefaces, instead opting for letterforms that feel welcoming and human-centered — appropriate for a platform facilitating family video calls and business conferences alike.
Q: When did Skype change its logo to the current design? A: The current logo was introduced in 2019 as part of a comprehensive rebrand led by Pentagram’s Scott Baker, commissioned by Microsoft to modernize Skype’s visual identity.
Q: What does the cloud shape in the Skype logo represent? A: The cloud form suggests cloud-based communication services, voice and data transmission through the internet, and the intangible nature of digital connectivity that enables global conversations.
Q: Why is Skype’s logo blue? A: Blue communicates trust, reliability, and technology — critical attributes for a communication platform handling personal and professional conversations. The gradient blue palette also aligns with Microsoft’s broader brand color system.
The Skype logo represents a software brand from United States, designed in 2019 by Scott Baker at Pentagram. Learn more on the official Skype website.
