I’ve not been able to shake the CMF logo, with its peculiar 3 parts standing out to me. A brand’s logo often represents something about the brand as a whole. With everything done by Nothing having shown specific reasoning and choices so far, this logo felt intentional and like there was a deeper meaning.


(Twitter Banner)

Looking back at the first 3 Instagram posts, my thoughts are confirmed, with each of the 3 dots representing “Colour”, “Material” and “Finish” in order. Not only this but together, they form the branding in a specific way without using an obscure initialization of “CMF”. Diving further than this, I believe each of the 3 dots indicates their respective word, without the need for the statement of “Colour, Material and Finish”


(Instagram Post)

Colour - The first dot is a hollow circle.
This could be seen as a colour dial/ring, used to visualise all the colours of the spectrum, but also the complete colour wheel as a whole. Taking into consideration any colour that best suits a product and its purpose, not specifically a white, black or orange.

Additionally, this is the only post of the 3 with a vibrant colour. We now recognize this use of orange as the staple colour to represent CMF or at least this initial phase of the brand and products.


(Instagram Post)

Material - The second dot is a collection of dots in the shape of a circle.
If we choose to interpret these dots as atoms or molecules, we can see the compound structure of the material in question. Materials are a grouping/cluster of compounds coming together to make a greater whole material. This collection of compounds makes up the second dot, which is the representation of a material at a molecular level. We can additionally see this as a collection of materials, with all being taken into consideration to make up the greater whole product.

An added thought now that I’ve had it pointed out to me and some further thinking on it, the dot positionings in this grid structure could also be seen from the perspective of 3 overlapping rings/circles (left collection of 8 dots making a circle, then the next 5 being a layer lower and another layer below that). This again echos the compound grid structure thought process, but also could be seen as how a collection of 3 circles make up a whole. All three elements of the logo come together as a whole as seen here, much like the Colour, Material and Finish making up the whole product.

The background of this post shows 2 differing overlapping shapes (potentially a third in the top left), these shapes also appear to have a leatherette finish. This image evokes the different textures that might be felt, from smooth, supple leather, to the shaded edge in the bottom right, or potentially a pillowy softness in the top left with how the shapes almost blur like overlapping clouds might. Additionally, we see the white colouring, which we now know is offered as part of the product line along with the Orange.


(Instagram Post)

Finish - The third and final dot is a solid dot
This shows a “complete” or “finished” dot, the final product with all things filled in, with the larger scale complete product as a whole. Not only this, but we could interpret this completed dot as a representation of the surface of a product, showing us its surface and how the finishing of the product impacts the experience a user has with a product.

The choice of grey used here again represents part of the product line, but notably, we see a gradient within the grey of the dot. This shading highlights the different parts of the dot, and how it contrasts against the grey background. The smooth transition lifts the dot from the image into 3 dimensionality, showing how the choice of a surface finish can impact the impression that a product has.

Another thought, this collection of 3 dots “. . .” is used to represent an ellipsis in literature. By definition an ellipsis is used to “show an omission of words, represents a pause, or suggests there’s something left unsaid”. We could take this to mean “… by Nothing”, or “What is left unsaid by Nothing”. With the Smart Watch being something that has been sought after by the community for a long time, potentially we will see more of the products that the community show a desire for but aren’t within the scope of the Nothing brand. CMF provided this outlet for a product that could be produced by Nothing’s Team, but would have been passed over for larger projects.

Finally, to me, these 3 dots together as a logo represent all the the little choices and considerations that go into the manufacture of a product, and especially a product with it’s design at heart. In my opinion, this alone shows that while some may see CMF as “budget branding” of Nothing, there’s nothing budget about the approach to the design and decision-making.

I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts on the logo below! Did you interpret the logo differently? Did I skip a logical step that might have been illuminating?

    This is actually awesome. Not only does it makes us appreciate the logo more, it also justifies how a logo can be simple yet carry a heavy metaphorical value at the same time!

      Dylan_B Lovely dissection! I might have to share this with the brand team 🫡

      One thought from me on the ‘M’ or Material section of the logo; I see this grid of dots as a texture or tactile surface - like braille or, consider the dotted texture of the iconic Lenovo ThinkPad nipple.

      Where the material choices for products dictate their physical feel, my interpretation was more in the realm of ‘touch’ - but I think your atomic and molecular assumption has more weight to it!

        AnkitPareek_StlwWTYvcK Thanks! I have a real appreciation for choices and decisions that are made around branding/music/art. I don’t believe I have a knack for it myself, but I love to delve into what other people might be trying to say with things like this!

        Rob ⚡️ glad to hear you enjoyed! I’d love to know more about the decisions around the CMF logo

        Ooo, braille and the ThinkPad are good reference points, especially with your reasoning of how a pattern like that has an inherent “feel”. I think the touch aspect of it is just as reasonable as mine, especially as someone who suffers trypophobia, imagery has a touch element to it!

        Dylan_B A very interesting break down of the CMF Logo - I was looking at this today and wondering what exactly the significense of the images meant. It does make perfect sense thinking about it as you explained and is actually a pretty neat little gem of the design and branding team. 👍

          Dylan_B I don’t think I’ve ever put so much thought behind a logo before, but I am so pleased that you did as this was a really great read. Thanks for dissecting it as much as you did, as it then allowed me to sit back and think about the individual elements too which was refreshing.

          In particular, I resonate with your thoughts:

          Dylan_B these 3 dots together as a logo represent all the the little choices and considerations that go into the manufacture of a product

          It’s nice that each individual element of the “c, m, f” can be displayed independently, but come together as a super group to make complete sense.

            bhanuchandra_95 Thanks! I’m working on my style of writing, hopefully with more practice, it’ll get better!

            Anonymous142 I’d love to hear the thoughts from design/branding and also to know if I’m reading waaay too much into it, or if there’s more to be found 👀

            Louis ☕️ Haha, since listening to some analytical song breakdowns, I often find myself down rabbit holes like this and thinking about how artists/brands/designers utilize what we might see in the small details.

            3 months later