She Designed Meta’s New AI Logo. Then Came the Hate
Jessica Hische knew working for Meta might upset some people. But she didn’t anticipate just how angry they would get.
Jesscia Hische, a Bay Area lettering artist, was tasked with redesigning Meta's new AI assistant, Muse's logo. Her work on this project, a first for her, came with a fair share of backlash from fellow designers and the public. In her own words, Hische wrote about her motivations and the project's challenges in a newsletter she sent out to her subscribers.
To put things into perspective, Hische explained that her two small businesses, art and stationary shops in Oakland, had a meager profit of around $10,000 last year. With the pressure to keep her businesses afloat, she agreed to take the freelance gig to earn some crucial revenue. She also mentioned investing in her own business, Studioworks, and her art shop for kids, Drawling, which further added to her financial obligations.
When approached by Meta's design team, Hische was handed the task of refining the existing M logo into something fresh and appealing. The team wanted the design to symbolize inspiration and playfulness, rather than appearing rigid or cold. Hische completed the project in just two days, with 32 different variations of the M logo. The final logo took an additional two weeks to finalize.
Despite the reception her project received, Hische didn't shy away from speaking out about her work. She expressed her satisfaction with the fee, considering the two-day sprint for a big company, and shared her thoughts on the logo not looking like a "butthole" like some of Meta's competitors. She also acknowledged the sensitive nature of generative AI and its polarizing opinions, explaining that she wanted to share her work with her audience, who were familiar with her associations with Meta and AI.
Written by urgent.news from Wired's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
