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eBay's new visual looks familiar...
eBay redesigned within the past few weeks and has begun using this visual as a major branding element on the homepage:
My Gel conference has used this visual as a major element on its homepage for almost three years:
Am I imagining things, or do these look strikingly similar?
Update: Tango makes a good point in the comments... another similar design predates both eBay and Gel... the MIT Media Lab, where I spent some time in the mid-90s:
P.S. Here's eBay's vertical strip, running in their banner ads now:
Does look similar. The colours are obviously just the colours of the "ebay" logo, though, including the points where they overlap. I think it may just be coincidence
Strikingly similar, but probably overthinking it. I consulted with a non-profit years ago with a similar aesthetic:
http://www.womensedge.org/
Site has been completely redesigned since I touched it, but they kept the logo and the colorband across the top of the page that we designed for them.
Mark,
I think you're crazy! Anyone can see that the indigo and yellow bars in the eBay version are WAY longer!
I think that's meant to reflect the "sense of flexibility and sense of freedom that the eBay Brand represents" to their users. ;-)
Sorry - I think multi-coloured lines are not an uncommon design idea.
Right: a set of colors in a thin line isn't exactly innovative graphic design. Another example: Dopplr (http://www.dopplr.com)
You're imagining.
once upon a time Apple used to have a rainbow-patterned apple logo... and I remember to have spotted more than a car with a similar rainbow stripe in the Cupertino area.
anyway as other said a coloured stripe isn't such an innovative design, and moreover the two stripes are quite different (and eBay's one looks better by far since their colours are more brilliant)
I don't think the similarity is any greater that yours is to a slice through to old Apple rainbow logo. That's the first thing I thought of, with the green stripe leading things off.
when i see that color combonation strip, first thing I think is the MIT Media lab....it's allover their buidling and webpage, id cards, etc... perhaps GEL was influenced by this...mark, you went to mit didnt ya ;)
Make your own:
http://kuler.adobe.com/
This is such a common design element. One of the worst things designers can do is to start thinking too highly of themselves and giving themselves too much credit ...
Great minds think alike and whatnot.
I'm reminded of Peter Saville's work for Factory records circa '83, in particular some of New Order's graphic design.
http://cdn.last.fm/coverart/300x300/1421191.jpg
I think British designer Paul Smith has got this one all over you guys.