SharePoint Logo PNG
Each SharePoint access plan has different features, but all editions share the same SharePoint logo: a white “S” in a dark teal square, surrounded by three circles. This version of the icon was introduced in 2019, coinciding with notable changes to software products.
SharePoint’s history began in the late 1990s inside Microsoft, when the company was developing tools for corporate document management and web portals. At the time, the market included IBM’s Lotus Notes and Documentum, so Microsoft developed an Office-integrated alternative for business users.
The platform grew out of two internal projects. “Tahoe” focused on document storage, search, and corporate content, while Office Server was built to extend Office in enterprise environments. During the development of Office XP, these projects were combined. In January 2001, Microsoft released SharePoint Portal Server 2001, with Team Sites for storing documents, sharing files, and organizing group work through a web interface.
In 2003, SharePoint Portal Server 2003 was rebuilt almost from scratch. Microsoft also released Windows SharePoint Services as a free component of Windows Server 2003, providing companies with a basic entry point to the platform. In 2007, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, known as MOSS 2007, added enterprise content management, workflows, My Sites, and corporate search. This version helped SharePoint become a common intranet platform in large organizations.
SharePoint 2010 introduced the Office-style Ribbon interface, stronger social tools, and a new service architecture for large deployments. SharePoint 2013 added an app model and closer links with Office 365. In 2011, SharePoint Online launched as part of Office 365, moving the product toward cloud subscriptions and faster updates. SharePoint 2016 and 2019 kept the server line for organizations using local deployments, while Microsoft’s development focus shifted toward the cloud version.
Meaning and History
As features expanded, the platform evolved. She had improved versions, and each time Microsoft rebranded to draw potential customers’ attention to its product. As a result, the SharePoint logo changed frequently. Interestingly, the very first version of the icon has nothing to do with the one currently used. In the identity, there is a transition from the standard design, characteristic of all Microsoft Office 2003 programs, to the individual one.
What is SharePoint?
SharePoint is software that brings people together to work on a common goal. The platform integrates with various Microsoft products, including those included in the Microsoft Office suite. Despite its wide range of functions, it is primarily positioned as a place to store and manage documents. Additionally, it can be used as a service for prototyping business applications, file hosting, an intranet portal, and much more.
2003 – 2007
In 2003, SharePoint was introduced in the Office 2003 suite and became part of Windows Server 2003. Despite the improved personalization and interface, it still needed to be a complete collaboration platform.
The SharePoint logo met the common identity requirements for all Office 2003 programs. On the left were four squares of different sizes: red, blue, yellow, and green. The colors matched the Microsoft palette but had a gradient. The figures were lined up in pairs: two above and two below. At the same time, they did not have fragments closer to the center; for each square, the two sides did not connect, leaving a gap. The corner parts hung freely in space, which is why the “disassembled” quadrangles resembled flower petals.
On the right side were black inscriptions. The top line featured the standard Microsoft Office wordmark, which used a thin, geometric sans-serif typeface. Below it was the name SharePoint. It was written in a similar grotesque but with bold glyphs. The designers aligned both text parts to the left to maintain the visual balance.
2007 – 2010
In 2007, a new version of SharePoint came out with enhanced features. Users can now manage content and work with Team Sites. The changes affected not only the platform’s efficiency but also its appearance: the outdated logo was replaced by a stylish icon without inscriptions. Its base looked like a square, with the upper left corner cut off and rounded. A thin white line ran along the edge of the geometric figure, and behind it was a purple outline. The inner part was also purple, divided into two parts: light and dark.
In the foreground, a white arrow pointed up, slightly slanted to the right. The designers made it very large so that it covers almost the entire backing. The lower part of the arrow was stylized as a document, or rather a page with three lines. Purple rectangles represented the text. That is, there were no real inscriptions: there was not even the platform’s name.
2010 – 2013
In 2010, Microsoft decided to improve SharePoint process automation and provide additional functionality, so they updated the platform. The rebranding resulted in a redesigned logo with an orange “S,” similar to the SharePoint Workspace app. The letter was inside a square with the same rounded corners as the previous version. That is, the form of the base has not changed; only its content has changed.
Behind the “S” were two sheets of blurred rectangles. This is likely how the designers depicted the documents that employees work with. Almost all elements of the logo were sand-orange, but for the letter and frame, the darkest shades were used, transitioning to lighter ones. Because of the gradient, they seemed voluminous.
2013 – 2019
After another redesign, the SharePoint logo has become much simpler. The designers removed the gradient, combining only two colors: dark blue and white. On the left side was a blue trapezoid, turned on its side. It was like an open door or the open cover of a book. It had a big white “S” written on it. The font used was the same as before: bold grotesque in uppercase.
But the right side of the emblem looked unusual: it featured three white circles connected by curved stripes. The geometric elements formed a semicircle, outlined on both sides by thin blue lines. So the designers tried to display the relationships among the system’s components, a kind of closed cycle, and effective teamwork.
2019 – today
Continuing to evolve at a rapid pace, the SharePoint platform has changed its logo again. In 2019, a variant appeared with the same “S” as before but written in the Segoe font. Now it is not in an inverted trapezoid but a square with rounded corners. It is superimposed on three overlapping circles of different sizes. All geometric shapes are turquoise, but each has its own shade. The darkest is a large circle; the lightest is a small one. At the same time, the colors are uneven because the square casts a multi-layered shadow on them.
Font and Colors
The SharePoint logo adheres to Microsoft’s general branding requirements for Microsoft products. It contains a set of circles with no practical meaning, used solely as decorative elements. And the square serves as the basis for the capital letter “S.” The compact shape is needed so the emblem can easily be turned into an application icon.
The logos of all Microsoft brands are written in Segoe font, and the SharePoint icon is no exception. This grotesque was inspired by signs that adorned the Roissy Airport building in Paris in 1975. The author of the plates is the Swiss typographer Adrian Frutiger. Not for nothing, many people criticize Segoe for its similarity to the grotesque typeface Frutiger.
As of 2019, the emblem’s color scheme consists of several shades of turquoise. The darkest ones are used for the square’s shadows. The “S” is white, and thanks to this contrast, it remains visible even when the icon is reduced.