Bing Logo History: Evaluating Each Redesign
A measured look at how the Bing logo changed from 2009 to the Microsoft Bing era, what each redesign means for vector artwork, and where the record has gaps.
Contents
Bing's logo has gone through four widely recognised stages since the search engine launched in 2009: an original blue lowercase wordmark, a 2013 yellow-gold redesign that introduced a standalone "b" symbol, a 2016 teal refresh with a capitalised wordmark, and the 2020 "Microsoft Bing" identity with a gradient "b" icon. This article reviews each stage, separates the documented timeline from visual interpretation, and explains what each design means for anyone recreating, sourcing or preparing the logo as vector artwork.
The short answer
The broad direction of the redesigns is clear. Bing moved from a text-only mark to a system built around a compact symbol, then folded that system into Microsoft's master brand. Each step added more constraints for vector work. The flat, single-colour marks of 2009 to 2016 are simple to rebuild as clean paths. The 2020 gradient icon depends on how colour transitions are encoded, so it is the version most likely to arrive as an embedded raster or a flattened preview inside a file that looks like a vector.
Timeline at a glance
| Period | Mark | Main visual change | Vector implication |
| 2009–2013 | Lowercase "bing" wordmark | Blue, text-only identity at launch | Flat fills; letterforms are the whole asset |
| 2013–2016 | Yellow-gold "b" symbol plus wordmark | Standalone geometric icon added | Simple flat shapes; easy to rebuild as paths |
| 2016–2020 | Teal "b" symbol plus "Bing" wordmark | Colour shift to teal; capital B in the wordmark | Same construction logic as 2013 with new fills |
| 2020 onward | Gradient "b" icon with "Microsoft Bing" | Master-brand naming; multi-colour gradient symbol | Gradient definitions must survive export; higher risk of raster substitutes |
The years above match widely reported launch and redesign dates. The material supplied for this article doesn't include primary records, though, such as Microsoft brand guidelines, press releases or designer credits. Check exact announcement dates, colour values and typeface names against Microsoft's own brand documentation before relying on them in production or publication.
2009: the launch wordmark
Bing launched with a lowercase wordmark in blue and no separate symbol. A text-only mark puts all of the identity into the letterforms, so their spacing, curve quality and colour carry the brand.
Interpretation: lowercase lettering made a new, short brand name read as approachable rather than corporate, which suited a search engine competing for everyday use. The cost was that the mark had no compact form for app icons or small favicons beyond cropping the letters.
Vector note: a wordmark like this is often supplied as outlined text, meaning the letters have been converted to paths. Live type in a file depends on the original font being installed. Live type and outlines can look identical in a preview, so check which one a file contains before assuming the letters can be edited or resized cleanly.
2013: the yellow-gold redesign and the "b" symbol
In 2013 Bing adopted a yellow-gold colour and introduced a standalone "b" symbol built from flat geometric shapes, shown alongside a new wordmark. The visual style matches the flat, typographic direction Microsoft was using across its products at the time. The supplied material doesn't document which typeface the wordmark was based on or who designed it.
Interpretation: this was the most significant structural change in the logo's history. Adding a symbol gave Bing an asset that works at very small sizes and in square formats such as app tiles. That role became more important as mobile and tile-based interfaces spread.
Vector note: flat, angular or simply curved shapes in a single colour are the easiest kind of logo to rebuild accurately as vector paths. Small differences in a careless tracing, such as corner angles or stroke-versus-fill construction, still show clearly at large sizes. Compare any reconstruction with an authoritative reference rather than a low-resolution screenshot.
2016: the teal refresh
The 2016 update kept the symbol-plus-wordmark structure and moved the colour to teal. The wordmark changed to "Bing" with a capital B.
Interpretation: this was a refinement rather than a reinvention. The capital letter gave the name the treatment of a proper brand name, and teal moved the identity closer to the cooler palette of the wider Microsoft family. Because the construction stayed the same, the brand's recognisability carried through the change.
Vector note: in practice the 2013 and 2016 marks differ mostly in fill colour and the wordmark's first letter. That makes it easy to mix them up. A file that is labelled as current but uses the earlier capitalisation or colour is a common way outdated artwork ends up in new materials.
2020: Microsoft Bing and the gradient icon
In 2020 the product was rebranded as Microsoft Bing. The symbol was redrawn as a "b" filled with a multi-colour gradient in blue and green tones, in line with the gradient-heavy icon style Microsoft was then rolling out across its products. Later product changes, including Bing's integration with Microsoft's AI assistant features, may have brought further icon adjustments. The supplied material doesn't document them, so this article makes no claims about versions after 2020.
Interpretation: putting "Microsoft" in front of the name makes Bing read as part of a product suite rather than a standalone brand. The gradient adds depth and matches sibling app icons, but it also makes the symbol harder to reproduce faithfully in single-colour contexts such as embroidery, engraving or one-colour print.
Vector note: gradients are where vector files most often fail quietly. A true vector version defines the gradient mathematically, with linear or radial gradient definitions in SVG or gradient objects in design software, so it stays smooth at any size. Many downloadable files instead contain a bitmap of the gradient placed inside a vector container, or carry only a raster preview. These can look correct on screen and then show banding, blurring or pixelation when enlarged or sent to print.
Checking whether a Bing logo file is genuinely vector
A file extension such as SVG, EPS, AI or PDF shows which container a file uses. It does not show what the file contains. Any of these formats can hold editable paths, an embedded raster image, or both. Before treating a file as editable artwork, check the following:
- Open the file in a vector editor and use outline or wireframe view; real vector shapes show as paths, while embedded images show as a rectangle or nothing at all.
- Select the gradient area of the 2020 icon and check whether it is a gradient object or a placed image.
- Zoom in well beyond normal size; vector edges stay sharp, while raster content becomes blurry or pixelated.
- Check whether the wordmark is live text, which needs the original font, or outlined paths, which don't.
- Compare colour, capitalisation and symbol shape with the version you intend to use, so you don't pick up an outdated mark by mistake.
Downloading versus using the artwork
Being able to download a Bing logo file, from a press page or anywhere else, doesn't grant the right to modify it, recolour it or use it in a way that implies endorsement. The Bing name and logos are Microsoft trademarks. Any typeface used in the wordmark is subject to its own licence, separate from the logo artwork. For anything beyond basic editorial reference, review Microsoft's published trademark and brand-usage guidance, and treat rebuilt or redrawn versions with the same caution as official files.
Gaps in the record
This review relies on the widely reported sequence of Bing logo versions. The supplied material does not include primary sources for exact announcement dates, official colour values, typeface names, designer or agency credits, or Microsoft's stated reasons for each change. The design-intent comments above are editorial interpretation, not documented statements. Anyone writing a definitive history or producing brand-accurate artwork should confirm those details against Microsoft's official brand and press materials.