Introduction
Once a leader in video calling, Skype gradually lost its competitive edge as more modern, user-friendly platforms like Zoom and FaceTime took over. Its outdated visual identity and lack of clear brand direction caused it to fade into the background. But what if we had the chance to bring it back: refreshed, reimagined, and ready for today?
In this WebQuest, you will take on the challenge of reviving Skype for a new generation of users: digital nomads and Gen Z creators (our generation). Your task is to rebuild its visual identity and brand voice, including logo, color palette, typography, and social media presence, so it fits the fast, creative, and mobile world we live in today.
This is more than a redesign. It’s a case study in brand revival. And it’s our turn to make it matter again.
Task
You will:
- redesign the logo
- choose a modern and aesthetic color palette and typography system
- create mockups:
- social media: show how the new brand looks on instagram posts for example, you can use Canva(free) or photoshop.
- app UI: how the app's screen would look like such as login page, call screen etc.. , you can use Canva also
- packaging (optional): show the product if skype wanted to launch one
- design explanation
- a guide (if someone is new to this and doesn't know how to use it)
Process
To redesign Skype you have to:
- Choose skype and learn about it
- Think about the audience ( students, workers..)
- Draw some logo ideas (to choose the best one)
- Choose the colors and fonts
- Make the designs on your computer (Adobe: illustrator, photoshop or Canva(free))
- Make a style guides
- Explain your choices
- Show your work ( present your NEW skype)
this is a video about the logo's evolution:
most used color palet:
apps to use for the new logo:
https://www.canva.com/learn/how-to-canva-beginners-guide/
the presentation should be on powerpoint or google slides:
Evaluation
| criteria | needs work (1-2) | satisfied (3) | good (4) | excellent (5) |
| logo redesign | not it, needs lots of editing | basic, needs more work | ooks good but very small issues | clear, modern and easy to use |
| design unity | messy / all over the place | some parts don't fit well | mostly matches | everything matches and fits well |
| mockups | hard to understand /boring | simple, not very engaging | good but could be better | eye catching and easy to understand |
| style guide | incomplete and confusing | missing some infos | mostly clear | clear, complete and easy to follow |
| design explanation | no explanation at all / unclear | very basic explanation | mostly clear | explains everything in a very clear way |
| final presentation | messy / unclear | okay but not the best | good but a bit messy | neat, organized and confident |
Conclusion
We looked at how design may revive an old brand like Skype in this WebQuest. We developed a new and modern design that complements the current digital environment by concentrating on Gen Z users. We were able to practice crucial design abilities like layout, visual consistency, and branding thanks to this project. It also demonstrated how a product's design can significantly impact how consumers perceive and utilize it.
Credits
http://skype.com this site isn't available anymore now it's https://teams.live.com/free
Free online meetings & video calls | Microsoft Teams. (n.d.). Free Online Meetings & Video Calls | Microsoft Teams. https://teams.live.com/free
YouTube. (n.d.). https://youtube.com/
Google. (n.d.). https://google.com/
Redirect notice. (n.d.). https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcolorswall.com%2Fpale…
Adobe Photoshop — Wikipédia. (n.d.). www.google.com. https://www.google.com/imgres?q=photoshop&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.w…
Adobe Illustrator — Wikipédia. (n.d.). www.google.com. https://www.google.com/imgres?q=illustrator&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload…
Canva - YouTube. (n.d.). www.google.com. https://www.google.com/imgres?q=canva&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fyt3.googleus…
Microsoft PowerPoint — Wikipédia. (n.d.). www.google.com. https://www.google.com/imgres?q=powerpoint&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload…
Google Slides - apps on Google Play. (n.d.). www.google.com. https://www.google.com/imgres?q=google%20slides&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fpl…