The MSI logo hints at the eastern roots of the project. The corporation’s success is based on the strength, knowledge, and perseverance that helped it stand on its own feet and protect its technologies from attacks. There is a lot of energy in the emblem, which allows the manufacturer to remain a leader.
MSI: Brand overview
Founded: | 4 August 1986 |
Founder: | Joseph Hsu, Jeans Huang, Frank Lin, Kenny Yu, Henry Lu |
Headquarters: | Zhonghe, New Taipei, Taiwan |
Website: | msi.com |
Meaning and History
During the existence of the company, she had several logos. The latest is minimalistic. All of them are based on an abbreviation derived from the corporation’s extended name – Micro-Star International. The first version appeared in the year of its opening.
What is MSI?
MSI is an abbreviation for the high-tech corporation Micro-Star International, which specializes in computer equipment and related products. Its product range includes PCs, laptops, graphics cards, motherboards, servers, and much more. The company was founded in 1986. Its headquarters are in Taiwan, in the city of New Taipei.
1986 – 2009
The debut emblem consists of a four-pointed star used in compasses. It epitomizes the manufacturer’s geographic diversity, emphasizing that it targets consumers from all parts of the world – another meaning: striving to become a star in the computer industry. The company name sits on top of the star sign.
In 1997, the corporation had its first plant (in Jung-He), so the following version of the brand name was released. In form and structure, it remained the same. The changes affected the color: the logo turned from black and white to blue. This shade, as conceived by the management, epitomizes innovative technology, vitality, and modernity.
The 2004 emblem was transitional and combined both the word and the star symbol.
2009 – today
There is nothing superfluous on this time’s brand name – only a short version of the name. “Msi” is in italic lowercase letters with a beveled dot above the “i.”
2011 – 2019
The year 2011 brought significant changes to the Taiwanese company, which were reflected in the logo design. In addition to the MSI abbreviation from Micro-Star International, it also uses a shield with the national symbol – a dragon. It has a distinctly spiky tail with a double end, stylized wings, a clawed paw, tousled withers, a mouth with sharp teeth.
Moreover, the mythical animal figure consists of four separate fragments: the tail, trunk, paws, and head with withers. The white writhing dragon is evenly located on the red shield and occupies the entire middle part. At the bottom, there is a large inscription “MSI,” which is executed in italic lowercase letters.
2019 – today
In this version, the designers have fully preserved the number of elements, their size, and style. The changes were minimal: the developers moved the shield with the dragon to the left and added brightness. As a result, instead of red and burgundy, scarlet appeared.
2020 – today
The coronavirus pandemic and related restrictions influenced the update of the corporate logo – self-isolation, work remotely. To make users feel like they are in the office, Micro-Star International introduced a new generation of professional notebooks by the end of the year. Moreover, she marked them with a conceptual emblem corresponding to the spirit of modernity.
MSI’s current logo is styled after the Roman numeral III as the line includes three models. For the experiment, the designers chose the letter “M,” which lends itself to a most convenient transformation. The rest of the characters visually coincide with the usual spelling, although they also look progressive. “S” consists of three pointed segments, resembling a narrow rectangle.
MSI: Interesting Facts
Micro-Star International (MSI), based in Taiwan, is well-known for its top-notch computer hardware and electronics. Founded in 1986, MSI has made a big name for itself in gaming, esports, and professional computing.
- Start: Founded in New Taipei City by Joseph Hsu, Jeans Huang, Frank Lin, Kenny Yu, and Henry Lu, MSI first focused on motherboards and add-on cards. It now offers a broad range of computer hardware.
- Gaming Gear: MSI is famous for its gaming laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, and accessories. It is also known for its performance, reliability, and popular aggressive designs.
- Cooling Innovations: The company has led the development of PC cooling technology, creating solutions like Twin Frozr and TORX fans to improve thermal performance. Gamers and professionals must push their systems to the limit.
- Prestige Series: The Prestige series caters to content creators, offering high-performance, color-accurate, and elegantly designed laptops and desktops for tasks like graphic design and video editing.
- Dragon Logo: MSI’s gaming series features a dragon logo, symbolizing strength and agility. This symbol is a hit with gamers and a standout symbol in esports.
- Esports Support: MSI supports esports with sponsorships and events like the MSI Masters Gaming Arena, bolstering its reputation as a competitive gaming advocate.
- Record-Setting Hardware: MSI’s gear has set world records in computer performance, including overclocking, showcasing its commitment to top computing performance.
- Worldwide Presence: Available in over 120 countries, MSI’s global reach confirms its status as a leading IT brand.
- Design Accolades: MSI has won many design and innovation awards, such as the CES Innovation Awards, underlining its commitment to excellence in design and tech.
MSI remains a leading force in technology, consistently meeting the needs of gamers, professionals, and tech enthusiasts with high-performance and reliable products.
Font and Colors
For half of its existence, the logo included a graphic sign in the shape of a four-pointed star. It is located to the left of the word; that is, it stands at the beginning, clearly recalling the geographic compass symbols. But with the development of the gaming industry, this symbolism was abandoned.
Until 2009, developers used a typeface with expressive serifs, and after – a smooth one. Both the first and the second made the emblem recognizable since the work’s specifics do not cause a tendency towards exquisite monograms. Everything should be strict, clear, and understandable in the computer sphere, which is what the logo reflects. Therefore, the company’s corporate colors are black, red, blue, and white.
MSI color codes
Pigment Red | Hex color: | #eb1d24 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 235 29 36 | |
CMYK: | 0 88 85 8 | |
Pantone: | PMS Bright Red C |
Ruby Red | Hex color: | #a4181d |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 164 24 29 | |
CMYK: | 0 85 82 36 | |
Pantone: | PMS 7626 C |
Black | Hex color: | #000000 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 0 0 0 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 0 100 | |
Pantone: | PMS Process Black C |
Light Gray | Hex color: | #d4d3d2 |
---|---|---|
RGB: | 211 211 210 | |
CMYK: | 0 0 1 17 | |
Pantone: | PMS Cool Gray 1 C |