Or, they were getting the community involved in something? The very thing that many on here say Monzo don’t do enough of now?
If they wanted to make a huge thing out of the poll, it’d be on Twitter and Insta too.
5 Likes
Not purely because of the above remark but I think they may regret that they did 
1 Like
I saw this as an opportunity for me to choose between 1 of 2 presented options (in this day and age, a refreshing ratio) based on purely what I thought - my personal approach to design. A couple of striking visual designs using relationship of colours with a tie to a relevant and vital cultural consideration. Both were good. One won.
Did any of the other banking institutions I’m involved with do anything similar? No. None (that I’m aware of)
I’m not against this - the chance to have a say - any say, based on any personal/racial/religious outlooks in this environment is another breath of fresh air.
Well done Monzo 
5 Likes
You can do a partial switch away from Monzo
Were they?
Feels kind of pointless if the community involvement wasn’t going to carry much weighting if they didn’t vote for the one Monzo wanted them to. It’s not just about feeling more involved, it’s about feeling like our feedback and input matters too. To me, this would suggest it does not, or at least matters less than whatever their internal echo chamber decides.
Personally, I would have preferred they didn’t ask at all than pull a stunt like this. Because I now find myself asking, had the community voted for the option Monzo wanted them to, what would Monzo’s statement have been then?
Maybe I’m too cynical, but I strongly suspect they would have told us they listened to us. Which would be a lie, knowing what we know now. If the community never really had a choice, why else give them the illusion of one? This feels like it was purely a stunt to make the community feel involved and generate good will. Deplorable. In hindsight, it was an obvious outcome.
This may seem like a harsh view and I’m somewhat reluctant to share it here, I’m just incredibly frustrated and disappointed in their approach. It’s insensitive, it makes their intentions feel false, and it’s a real shame. Please do better, Monzo.
14 Likes
I hate that you asked me
I hate that you didn’t ask me
I hate that you said you would consider my opinion and then did
What does that actually entail? Marking the start of the season for shooting animals?
2 Likes
Fish and chips icon please 
4 Likes
I don’t understand why it’s only black culture that’s ‘popular’ now. Every other culture is just as important and should be equally celebrated.
1 Like
They are all important, some are just a little bit more urgent right now
What celebrations do you want to see marked? You’ve been shorter on suggestions than condemnation
5 Likes
In my view all these things like black icons will split community soon…
Black or White we are equal
1 Like
I think it would be better if instead of black culture months or celebrations there was an international cultural celebration month or something similar where there’s various cultures all celebrated at the same time. Not such heavy emphasis on one specific thing.
I think many people would object to such a thing and it’d be nice if say restaurants got on board and offered international menu themed items (probably right now isn’t the best time but in the future) etc. It could be a nice thing.
1 Like
I get the sentiment here of “why ask and then not do anything with it” - but I think I prefer that they’ve let the voices the app represents within Monzo lead the change.
Maybe I’m not cynical enough, for once, but people change their mind about stuff - and I can see on reflection the team deciding that maybe Community Opinion isn’t the best place for that type of update. I don’t personally see it as a cynical exercise in false choice.
I do hope this means Monzo will spend more time and energy on other Icons in future - cultures, times of years, just generic design changes - so many apps do a nice job of that so I’d love to see more of them come in time.
But even if this specific change is for a very specific audience of Monzo Staff, that’s OK too.
4 Likes
We’re getting extremely close to “All Lives Matter” territory here…
5 Likes
Is that a bad thing?
Yes.
12 Likes
Genuinely, why?
Because it’s something spouted by racists in most cases.
2 Likes
9 Likes
As a genuine response to “why?”, if not baiting - the analogy I like is:
Imagine you’re having dinner, the host serves everyone, but gives you an empty plate.
You say: “I didn’t get any food, I’m hungry”.
The host replies: “We’re all hungry” - and then continues to ignore your plea for food, because “we are all hungry”.
The comment of “All lives matter” on the face of it may seem a logical statement - yes, it is true, all lives do matter. But what is being said actually goes to ignore the pleas of the affected party, who are going without their fair share (of food, or systemic discriminaton, Edit: or are suffering the effects of systemic discrimination - (no one wants “a fair share of systemic discrimination”))
Imagine that there is a hypotethical “,too” on the end of the statement: “I am hungry, too”, or “black lives matter, too”
5 Likes
Is that a joke? I’ll pretend it’s not. You can’t say All Lives Matter until they actually do. That’s the point of Black Lives Matter, it’s pointing out that quite clearly. It’s not Only Black Lives Matter, it’s asking for Black Lives to Matter.
When a white teenager can wander around with an assault rifle, after killing people, without being shot dead by the police whilst a sleeping black woman can be shot by the police, it’s clear that not all lives matter.
13 Likes