Mozilla Wants You to Help Redesign Its Logo

Mozilla’s New Logo – New Visual Identity

Mozilla will be given a new logo this fall and would be getting a completely new visual identity. The open-source software firm is not aware of what it could look like though it would probably take after one of the seven identities that had been developed by London firm Johnson Banks.

These could be viewed online and could also be evaluated. Mozilla’s creative direction and the lead on the project, Tim Murray had stated that instead of conducting a brand refresh behind closed door, they thought of a better or different way to do it. That `way’ meant publishing each repetition of the design process to Mozilla’s blog and request people to weigh in.

Murray does not seem to have a concrete indication of how that input could shape the ultimate look though he states that commenter would in some way inform the final design in making this a most unusual rebranding. Murray comments that in the present world, over 50% of the people tend to say they hate new logos and he thought of giving people an opportunity of participating earlier and getting that feedback early.

Net Neutrality/Open Source Internet

Characteristically this approach seems to make some sense for Mozilla and the non-profit trusts in net neutrality and an open source internet. Hence a transparent rebranding seems ideologically appropriate. Overall, the process is already getting enough attention in helping Mozilla to achieve its goal which is to stand apart from Firefox, the marquee product of the company.

It is difficult to say if the comments would be helpful though a lot of people would certainly say yes. This comprises of the designers behind the Mozilla project. Michael Johnson, the Johnson Banks creative direction in charge of the Mozilla project comments that certain people take the view that brand identity designers like themselves should be like architects and lawyers. An architect of lawyer does not provide you with multiple solutions. With most of their clients they seem to be like that.

Approach of Mozilla Helpful

Jim Bull, the co-founder of Moving Brands studio who had spoken regarding how popular opinion shapes design, commented that `it is definitely a feature of most branding conversations and how are we going to launch it and talk about what it is? He believes that clients started caring about the public’s opinion around ten years back. He further added that he has never been one of these designers to say that, as designers, they know best, or that they know some secret language.

If something is not loved, there could probably be something which is done to make it not loved and that is the guiding philosophy at Mozilla. Its rebranding is among the most inclusive to date apart from crowd-sourced or open-invite design competitions, such as the one held recently by the 2020 Olympic Tokyo Organizing Committee.

The approach of Mozilla could be helpful in taming commenters in the near future. Johnsons states that by offering a window into how complicated it would be to create not just a logo but a complete organized visual program. Meanwhile, the Johnson Banks team together with Mozilla seem to inspect the comments rolling in. Johnson comments that it is a roller coaster ride and occasionally punishing.