Improvements to Onshape - December 10th, 2020

I have no doubt that PTC has the resources and ability to further elevate the Onshape mission but it seems the logo change could be counter productive to this message. PTC is vocal about not disrupting the physicality of Onshape which signals that they get it and understand its uniqueness. The hurdle I am having a hard time getting over is changing a logo from something that stood for the future of CAD into something that is in line with what I view as the old way of doing CAD. Onshape was different, but now it's the same? The resulting takeaway is confusing and contradictory. The homogeneity of the new PTC mark feels to rewind progress. Onshape's best marketing tool is its community word of mouth. Why would you want to make that community confused about the future when the product has so much growth potential to go still?

Is PTC trying to express that Onshape works well with its other products? But isn't a core value of Onshape that you do not need to use Creo, Windchill, or anything else 99% of the time?

I professionally use a PTC product on a daily basis and have zero association with the corporate PTC logo. If shown a lineup of logos and asked to pick out the PTC one I would be shooting in the dark. For me Onshape, and subsequently its logo, grew to stand for a welcomed fresh breath of air, a one stop shop... the future of CAD! I do acknowledge that my unique experiences do not mean that this is a common sentiment with everyone... That is where doing a bit of research comes in.

Did PTC work with branding professionals on this transition? Did PTC do its research by interviewing any current, new, and potential Onshape users? The visual change of a logo may seem trivial but they often have much larger implications beyond personal preference for one over the other. Search "Tropicana brand fail" to see how the company lost tens-of-millions of dollars in sales in two months along with lasting market share to competitors. This is certainly not the same situation or at the same scale as Onshape still has a lot of upward growth to establish. But it serves as food for thought and a textbook example of the importance of understanding your audience.

Change can be good but it should be strategic and transitioned over time after setting a foundation of trust and value. Companies need to understand that a brand is not just a logo... a brand is predominantly defined by how your customers and customers-to-be feel about you. The logo is one element that should be in line with with your core message.

For what it is worth I am not going anywhere and will continue to use the Onshape service because I see the greater possibilities. I was drawn to Onshape for its accessibility, community, available resources, and its distinction in usability from all of the other dinosaur CAD packages from which I have spent countless hours of my life bending and fighting. Who knows, maybe the PTC familiarity will give potential users who are on the fence the nudge they need to make the leap. Rebranding is a surprisingly tough decision to navigate and should be treated with care. I remain hopeful that PTC is able to get Onshape into the hands of more people and companies. I am just scratching my head a little about how they plan to go about it and what its impact will be on existing customers.