Today, WP Engine is thrilled to unveil our new brand and website. We are incredibly excited by the fruits of our labor and we hope that you enjoy our reinvigorated vision.
We are proudly known for being the guys and gals of “the engine cog,” reflecting our engineering roots and sensibilities. With our new brand, we didn’t want to lose our history, but honor it and have some fun with it!
As we envisioned evolving our brand along with the growth of our company, we wanted to lean into what inspired Jason to create WP Engine, building a platform that amplifies the power of WordPress and the web:
“WP Engine is a well-crafted machine that keeps the web running the way it was always meant to—with ease, grace, and strength. It is the engine that drives amazing sites, from start to finish.”
“A machine that just feels good when all its parts are running in sync. Designed for practical efficiency and streamlined operations with each individual piece working in harmony.”
These words guided our vision during the design process.
Our story has been the same since the very beginning. It’s the expression of that story that has evolved. Our technology is advancing and our design and brand sensibilities should be too. We are excited to introduce to you our new look, and we hope it aptly represents our commitment to excellence and innovation.
We’re pumped and look forward to your feedback!
Bharath says
New design is nice, especially the responsive part of it. Keep up the good work!
Austin Gunter says
Thank you so much, Bharath 🙂
-Austin
Slavo says
Honestly, the old one was better. This flat UI thing is the most ridiculous trend in UI history.
Patrick says
Agree on this.
If used correctly, the UI portion could work behind the scenes – but for front end, visible production… I’m still not 100% sold.
But – cheers to WP Engine for moving forward. I love your progress and drive.
Jud Mackrill says
I agree.
I like flat design but you have to make sure it retains and presents personality. This redesign is void of personality.
Hookedonweb says
I agree, it lacks personality, I just passed right over the logo and gave it zero attention. The logo has nothing relatable, meaning it fails to conjure up any mental ‘word pictures.’
Until I read it was a cog or gear in a machine, I would never got that. If that is a machine cog then I have an idea for a new square wheel for race cars.
I think the logo has lots of internal meaning to WP Engine and zero relatable meaning to the target customer and the industry WPE is in.
However, without innovation we wither and die so here’s to successful innovation.
Austin Gunter says
Hey folks, thanks for the feedback. We really value your impressions and ideas about the brand. Obviously, it’s a massive transition from the old brand that brought WP Engine so far.
The new gear represents all the pieces that together make up WP Engine, from the customer experience and support, to the great technology, to the WP Engineers, to the WordPress Community we are fortunate to be a part of. We hope the new brand will be part of WP Engine’s continued growth as part of the WordPress community, and a partner in our customers’ success!
Thanks for being part of the journey with us,
-Austin
Mark Anthony says
As an aesthetic you may not like it, you may also not appreciate it for what it does for the UI and UX. But it serves a functional requirement that you need to consider before calling it a trend. Flat design removes distractions like noise, bells and whistles, and site accessories that overwhelm visitors and drive away peers. It’s downright and fundamentally minimalistic. Removing the shadows, glossy effects and bevelled finishes lends greater visual clarity to the communication, therefore rendering it more functional.
This was the foundation of flat UI – essentially a minimal design without a realistic look or feel, giving more clarity to accessibility rather than aesthetics. It pairs with the branding perfectly and tells a new story which is ZACTLY what WP Engine needs right meow. Meow.
Austin Gunter says
Thanks for the comment, Mark!
Jesse Petersen says
I’m digging it. A vast improvement and leap forward. Good move revealing it for WordCamp EU.
Austin Gunter says
Thanks so much, Jesse. We’re so grateful to have you as a customer, and it means a lot that you like the new brand!
-Austin
Phil Simon says
I’m all about becoming a platform. Great site. Looks very clean.
Austin Gunter says
From Mr. Platform himself 🙂 High praise, Phil.
Scott Wyden Kivowitz says
The new website looks amazing, congrats engines!
Austin Gunter says
Thank you, Scott!
Keith Davis says
I was looking at the WP Engine site a couple of days ago and thinking that it looked a tad dated… and then this!
Love the colours, love the flat design and love the service you guys offer.
Austin Gunter says
Hey Keith, we think the new brand very accurately reflects our customer experience and technology. We work hard to offer you nothing but the best in WordPress hosting.
-Austin
Mark Anthony says
You are the Man Austin!
Austin Gunter says
No, Mark. You are the man.
James Harris says
WOW…Looks good. Very clean. I like the new logo and the new site; Great rebranding efforts. When I grow up, I want to be just like you WP Engine. LOL
Austin Gunter says
Hey James, when I grow up, I want to be like YOU. 🙂 In all seriousness, thank you for the comment. We’re proud of all the work that went into the new brand, and excited about the future of WP Engine. Glad you’re along for the ride!
-Austin
joe rozsa says
Love, love, love the new brand. Wish I would have done it. Hats off to the designers and you!
Austin Gunter says
Hey Joe, thanks for the comment. We love the new brand too.
-Austin
Deborah Edwards-Onoro says
Wow, congrats on the new branding and website. Looks wonderful!
Austin Gunter says
Thank you so much, Deborah.
-Austin
Drew McManus says
Huge improvement; looks great and much improved UX, same goes for the new user control panel!
Austin Gunter says
Thanks so much, Drew!
-Austin
Nick Pierno says
In all honesty it’s going to take me some getting used-to. The old brand/design was a bit obtuse, but also had a certain unique personality.
Overall though it’s the right move I think. Looks clean and trendy!
I don’t completely love the back end, but I’m sure it will grow on me.
Austin Gunter says
Hey Nick, it’s a big change for sure!
-Austin
Jeremiah Easter says
Wow, I was a bit shocked this morning. I understand the need to evolve, but why so different? It’s like the old was completely scrapped. I know the home page is your marketing tool, so I say knock yourself out – do whatever it takes to gain the most customers. I’m sure it will grow on me but could I just ask one favor? Please tone down the contrast on the admin console – it hurts my eyes a bit!
Austin Gunter says
Hey Jeremiah,
Thanks for the comment! The new brand is a huge step forward for us, and a big change from the previous one that has taken us so far. We hope the new logo will light the way forward for us as a company to continue offering the best possible experience for our customers.
-Austin
Justin Robinson says
I like it, its look makes it feel clean & fresh, better than the older style 🙂
Austin Gunter says
Thank you so much, Justin!
Shawn Hesketh says
I’m digging the redesign. The raves and glowing feedback from around the web in response to their new logo and website are evidence that you got it right.
This is what happens when a company’s branding accurately reflects how their core audience already sees them.
To me, the pristine, polished UI better represents the expertise, professionalism, and attention to detail that the WP Engine team possesses. And the bolder, brighter color palette is energizing and refreshing… both words that equally describe my feelings each and every time I’ve interacted with WP Engine.
Well done!
Austin Gunter says
Thank you so much, Shawn! We’re very proud of all the work that has gone into the brand, and are stoked by the positive response. Thanks for being an amazing customer, and part of the WP Engine family.
-Austin
relish27 says
Have to say I’m a little torn: There are a lot of super nice things about the redesign which I appreciate, but in some ways it doesn’t feel as solid and easy to read as the previous one. I am all about responsive design, but the desktop layout (on a 1920px wide monitor there’s a giant empty space between the quote and the buttons on the right) looks odd — like you can tell the design was for mobile. As someone else said, the style (maybe part of it is the font change?) maybe has less personality. And, finally, the quotes on the home page eventually stop, leaving a bit gap to the right — maybe could be a continuing loop?
Sharing my two cents because I really love WP Engine! Want my clients to be as impressed as I already am when I send them to consider you for hosting. Some of the big bullets and the tagline on the previous home page were quick and easy sellers.
Steve Wilkinson says
I agree that I’m torn a bit as well. Yes, the old site was a bit dated (is that a bad thing?) by some standards… but it was distinctive. The new site just seems more like any other corporate or hosting company site to me. Same with the logo. The old was distinctive and grabbed attention. The new one more blends in.
There’s nothing bad about any of it. On it’s own, it’s quite nice. I’m just not sure it’s a branding improvement. IMO, the old was much more distinctive, strong branding. We’ll see if it grows on me.
Austin Gunter says
Hey folks, we really appreciate the comments and the feedback from our customers. It helps us to grow and keep improving!
I’ll have a look at the responsive aspect and make sure we get everything pixel-perfect 🙂
-Ausitn
Jaki Levy says
As the WordPress eco-system evolves, so should the branding. Partnering with R/GA is just another example of WP Engine working with industry leaders. Smart move.
I’m sure other folks will follow suit and continue evolving and developing. Thanks for leading the charge!
Austin Gunter says
Thanks Jaki!
-Austin
Sasha-Shae says
I love this new re-design!! I love the simplicity and that it’s responsive. I do miss the green though! It was a nice touch to the brand. Either way, I really enjoy WPEngine! 🙂
Austin Gunter says
Hey Sasha, we had a moment of silence for the old brand. I’ve got a bunch of stickers I’ve saved that I guess are now “vintage.” If we have any “hipsters of hosting” the old school stickers will be a big deal!
‘
-Austing
Gray MacKenzie says
I wound up on the WP Engine blog and didn’t realize I was on the site at first!
While I liked the old site, parts of it felt old – the new site takes some adjustment, but after checking out a lot of the content and design, I gotta say “well done.”
The service does what you say it’ll do – which rocks. I’d love to see you put up pricing for migrating a website to WP Engine, but obviously everyone builds sites differently which could make it a nightmare.
Keep dominating the upper echelon of managed WordPress hosting!
Austin Gunter says
Hey Gary, thanks so much for the compliment. We’re very glad you’re happy hosting your sites with us, and also like the new brand. A lot of talented people put in a lot of hard work, and we’re very happy about the final result!
-Austin
Heather Brunner says
Thanks everyone for your feedback, both positive and constructive. We are listening intently!
Your thoughts have been very inspiring for all of the folks who worked so tirelessly to launch the site. Thanks for helping us continue to make our new site the best it can be. Keep pushing us to be better!
Alex Vasquez says
Yeah, I guess it’s okay if you like that sort of thing. 😉
Great job!
Austin Gunter says
Always making jokes 🙂
Thanks for everything you do, Alex.
-AG
Brian Jackson says
Love the new look! Scared me for a second because I clicked into your twitter and all the branding was changed… Keep up the great work.
Austin Gunter says
🙂 We’re still here, Brian!!
Thanks for the kind words.
-Austin
Ed Atrero says
I loved the old cog, and at first found the new design a bit confusing but have grown to really like it. After thinking about the logo more, it looks like a multi-tool that cyclist might use. In that regard, the new mark represents something with more flexibility and depth than the humble cog. Well done, guys!
Alison Foxall says
Just wanted to drop a line that I was rather alarmed by the rebranding. I had at first thought I was at the wrong site. I think it’s a great upgrade from what was here previously, but it’s so dramatic of a change that I was slightly turned off. I agree with others that it lacks bit of character and it looks a bit plain, especially compared with the last version of the site. The colors seem pretty generic with the rest of the trends online.
But all that said, it does look nice, and refreshing, and more user friendly (I did wonder where to login though, it took me longer than usual to find it)! Great job!
Larry Keltto says
I’m disappointed in the color palette of the new design. The former was bold, distinctive. The new palette feels like hospital/healthcare branding.
Marcus Tibesar says
Hey, like the new Genesis custom theme.