Why Uber Keeps Changing Its Branding

And 4 Lessons on Startup Branding.

You have probably seen the latest Uber logo this morning on your phone

Uber was founded in 2009. In 9 years, they have already changed their branding 5 times.

That’s a lot.

Of course, it’s not for the love of design. Branding changes, especially at scale, are expensive and time-consuming.

But if you look at these changes and why they were made, we can learn some valuable lessons.

Every stage of company growth requires a new identity and the faster you grow, the faster you need to redesign it.

Uber’s growth was fast.

A $65b valuation, in only 9 years, is unbelievable.

Here are 4 valuable lessons from Uber’s branding changes.

Lesson 1: When your first and second brandings don’t matter.

The first and second brandings usually have little value. They are not meant to stay.

This is Uber’s first logo. Back then, it was UberCab. Garrett Camp spent a few hours designing it on Photoshop.