New Brand Identity 2011 Alec Helwig December 8, 2010 ENGL-325
Mozilla Firefox
Mozilla Firefox Brand Identity
1.0
Introduction
1.1 1.2 1.2.1 1.2.2
Executive Summary Our Brand Today The Mozilla Manifesto Principles Advancing the Manifesto
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2.0 The New Firefox 2.1 The New Logo 2.2 Logo Types 2.3 Guidelines of Use 2.3.1 Construction 2.3.2 Color 2.3.3 Context
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3.0 Style Elements 3.1 Color Palette 3.2 Text & Typography Conclusion Works Consulted
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Contents
Mozilla Firefox
Executive Summary Companies all over the world have many things in common, but perhaps the most relevant of each is their brand. Each company spends countless amounts of time and money to design a logo that truly exemplifies their goals as a company. The brand in fact becomes their identity, and that identity is carried with them globally. When a brand is successful it stands as a symbol for something positive, a message to the world that the logo itself exemplifies greatness. Mozilla Corporation is one of many who have created a successful brand. Mozilla’s immensely popular web browser, Firefox, has been the most used web browser for the past 3 years. Its logo is one of the most widely recognized in the technology world, and has become a symbol for an easy-to-use Internet experience. It can be hard to imagine the logo being any different, but at the same time it does not fully represent the company’s mission. Changing the Firefox logo drastically would be unorthodox as it is so positively recognized the way it is. But reimagining the logo to be a better representation of Mozilla, Firefox, and user-friendly software is completely logical. With creating a new brand image, however, a set of guidelines must be issued in order to maintain the integrity of the logo. The proper use of the logo itself must be clearly communicated, as well as the proper color palette and typeface must be designated. The best way to clearly communicate these things while providing examples of improper usage is with a brand manual.
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Current Firefox Logo (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
Mozilla Firefox
1.1
Our Logo Today The Firefox logo is one of the most widely recognized in the technology world. It’s a powerful symbol of everything Mozilla stands for. Its bright oranges gradate from red to yellow as the familiar “flaming fox” circles the globe. This logo was introduced in 2004, and it has been a symbol for a positive Internet experience ever since. It’s dimensional, it’s descriptive, and it’s concrete. So how do you take an object that is so concrete and move it in a different direction? How do you start with an already stunning logo and make it better? Before anything can be done, you must first understand Mozilla and their mission. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
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Mozilla Firefox
1.2 The Mozilla Manifesto The Internet is becoming an increasingly important part of our lives. The Mozilla project is a global community of people who believe that openness, innovation, and opportunity are key to the continued health of the Internet. We have worked together since 1998 to ensure that the Internet is developed in a way that benefits everyone. We are best known for creating the Mozilla Firefox web browser. The Mozilla project uses a community-based approach to create world-class open source software and to develop new types of collaborative activities. We create communities of people involved in making the Internet experience better for all of us. As a result of these efforts, we have distilled a set of principles that we believe are critical for the Internet to continue to benefit the public good as well as commercial aspects of life. We set out these principles below. The goals for the Manifesto are to: 1. articulate a vision for the Internet that Mozilla participants want the Mozilla Foundation to pursue; 2. speak to people whether or not they have a technical background; 3. make Mozilla contributors proud of what we’re doing and motivate us to continue; and 4. provide a framework for other people to advance this vision of the Internet. These principles will not come to life on their own. People are needed to make the Internet open and participatory - people acting as individuals, working together in groups, and leading others. The Mozilla Foundation is committed to advancing the principles set out in the Mozilla Manifesto. We invite others to join us and make the Internet an ever better place for everyone. (“The Mozilla Manifesto.�)
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1.2.1 Principles 1. The Internet is an integral part of modern life–a key component in education, communication, collaboration, business, entertainment and society as a whole. 2. The Internet is a global public resource that must remain open and accessible. 3. The Internet should enrich the lives of individual human beings. 4. Individuals’ security on the Internet is fundamental and cannot be treated as optional. 5. Individuals must have the ability to shape their own experiences on the Internet. 6. The effectiveness of the Internet as a public resource depends upon interoperability (protocols, data formats, content), innovation and decentralized participation worldwide. 7. Free and open source software promotes the development of the Internet as a public resource. 8. Transparent community-based processes promote participation, accountability, and trust. 9. Commercial involvement in the development of the Internet brings many benefits; a balance between commercial goals and public benefit is critical. 10. Magnifying the public benefit aspects of the Internet is an important goal, worthy of time, attention and commitment. (“The Mozilla Manifesto.”)
Mozilla Firefox
1.2.2 Advancing The Manifesto There are many different ways of advancing the principles of the Mozilla Manifesto. We welcome a broad range of activities, and anticipate the same creativity that Mozilla participants have shown in other areas of the project. For individuals not deeply involved in the Mozilla project, one basic and very effective way to support the Manifesto is to use Mozilla Firefox and other products that embody the principles of the Manifesto. Mozilla Foundation Pledge The Mozilla Foundation pledges to support the Mozilla Manifesto in its activities. Specifically, we will: • build and enable open-source technologies and communities that support the Manifesto’s principles; • build and deliver great consumer products that support the Manifesto’s principles; • use the Mozilla assets (intellectual property such as copyrights and trademarks, infrastructure, funds, and reputation) to keep the Internet an open platform; • promote models for creating economic value for the public benefit; and • promote the Mozilla Manifesto principles in public discourse and within the Internet industry. Some Foundation activities–currently the creation, delivery and promotion of consumer products–are conducted primarily through the Mozilla Foundation’s wholly owned subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation. Invitation The Mozilla Foundation invites all others who support the principles of the Mozilla Manifesto to join with us, and to find new ways to make this vision of the Internet a reality. (“The Mozilla Manifesto.”)
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Mozilla Firefox
2.1
The New Logo With this knowledge of Mozilla, you should understand that they ultimately have one goal for the Internet: To make it a simple, easy-to-use experience for everyone. And the idea of simplicity is what drives this new logo. It is not a completely different logo, as it retains many of the visual qualities that made the previous logo so great. It is a reimagining based on the principles of simplicity. Just like Mozilla’s mission to make the internet a simple environment, this logo makes the previous more simple. It replaces the three dimensional, shadowed globe with a flat two color gradient across the planet. It removes the detailed shadows and depth from the fox, while also bringing his face into view. It uses calligraphic strokes to indicate simplicity while still retaining the same appeal. This logo better represents the Firefox brand for what it is: simple.
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Mozilla Firefox
2.2
Logo Types 1 Logo only This is the Firefox logo without any text or naming. This is the iconic image that represents the Firefox brand to millions of users around the world. Use it often and use it well.
2 Logo + Wordmark This is the Firefox logo with the Mozilla wordmark. This is meant for more general use, such as a t-shirt or poster. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.�).
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Firefox 3.6 5
Firefox 3.6
Mozilla Firefox
2.2
Logo Types 3 Logo + Wordmark & Version This is the Firefox logo with the Firefox wordmark and version number. This is best for a promotion specific to Firefox 3.6 (such as a download link).
4 Logo + Wordmark (vertical) This is the Firefox logo with the Mozilla wordmark. This vertical version is for use where the horizontal logo and wordmark won’t fit. Otherwise, use the horizontal logo.
5 Logo + Wordmark & Version (vertical) This is the Firefox logo with the Firefox wordmark and version number. This is for use where the horizontal logo won’t fit. Otherwise, use the horizontal logo. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
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Mozilla Firefox
2.3
Guidelines of Use With the introduction of the new logo comes a great deal of excitement, but also a great deal of pride. As a product of our labor, we appreciate that all of our users who wish to use the Firefox brand adhere to these simple rules. As long as you keep the logo in the same state as it was when you download it, there should be no problems. But here are a few examples of what to avoid anyway.
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Mozilla Firefox
2.3.1 Construction 1. Don’t change the orientation of any elements. 2. Don’t modify or omit existing elements. 3. Don’t alter the wordmark. 4. Don’t change the scale of elements. 5. Don’t multiply or enhance elements. 6. Don’t distort the logo by cropping or masking. 7. Don’t break the logo apart. 8. Don’t style or apply filters. 9. Don’t recreate the word mark with a different font. 10. Don’t create new elements to cause confusion. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
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Firefox 3.6 Mozilla Firefox
2.3.2 Color 1. Don’t change colors of the logo. 2. Don’t change the logos shading gradients. 3. Don’t change the colors of the wordmark. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
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Mozilla Firefox
2.3.3 Context 1. Don’t dilute the logo by putting it on a busy background. 2. Don’t deface the logo. 3. Don’t place text on top of the logo. 4. Don’t create confusion with poor spacing. 5. Don’t add surrounding elements that look like part of the logo. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
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Mozilla Firefox
3.0 Style Elements So, you’ve seen the logo and you’ve learned the guidelines for using it. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when bringing a new element to the logo: typography. When displaying text with our logo, it’s important that your color palette and typeface correspond with the style elements that Mozilla itself uses. This will help create a visual identity for your user. When they see the logo or typeface they will see Mozilla.
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RGB: 214, 66, 3 Hex: D64203 CMYK: 11, 87, 100, 2
RGB: 102, 102, 102 Hex: 666666 CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 70
Mozilla Firefox
3.1 Color Palette These are the Mozilla and Firefox wordmark colors for your reference. Be sure to note that the colors displayed here are for guidance only and should not be used for matching purposes. To match each color accurately, please follow the specific color number combinations shown. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.�).
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FF Meta Bold Roman
ABCDEFGHIJKL MNOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijkl mnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 (.,;:?!$&-*@®) [äöüßåøç] {ÄÖÜÅØÇ}
Mozilla Firefox
3.2 Text & Typography The official Mozilla Firefox typeface is from the FF Meta type family and was selected for its clear, concise, modern, strong forms. If you are creating body text along our logo, use a serif typeface like Times New Roman (such as this paragraph). A very important note: do not try to recreate the Mozilla or Firefox wordmarks by simply typing the words using the Meta font. Just use our official logo and wordmark. We’ve included this information about the Meta font for your reference, but its use is not mandatory for community art projects (besides using the proper wordmarks, of course). Also, if you type “Mozilla” or “Firefox” in a sentence it can take on the size, font and coloring of the text around it. But if it’s used as an official wordmark then it must abide by all the requirements detailed in this style guide. (“Your Guide to Firefox Style.”).
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Mozilla Firefox
Conclusion With this new logo, Mozilla and Firefox remain recognized but changed. Change catches attention, and when the users of Firefox see the new logo they will notice one thing: It’s simple. It will further Mozilla’s mission to make the Internet an accessible, easy tool for everyone to use and become an identity for that mission. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
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Mozilla Firefox
Works Consulted “Careers.” Mozilla - Career Site. 19 Oct. 2010 <http://hire.jobvite.com/ CompanyJobs/Job.aspx?c=qpX9Vfwa&v=1&j=oVWsVfwY> Web. “Our Mission.” The Mozilla Mission. 19 Oct. 2010 mozilla.org/about/mission.html> Web.
<http://www.
Skype Limited. How We Look. 19 Oct. 2010 <http://www.docstoc. com/docs/265207/Skype-Brand-Manual> Web. Symantec Corporation. Symantec Brand Identity Standards. 26 Nov. 2010 <http://www.designerstalk.com/uploads/corpid/1_Brand_Guidelines.pdf> Web. “The Mozilla Manifesto.” The Mozilla Manifesto. 19 Oct. 2010 <http:// www.mozilla.org/about/manifesto.en.html> Web. Weinman, Lynda. <Designing Web Graphics.4>. California: New Riders, 2003. Print. “What is Mozilla?” What is Mozilla? 19 Oct. 2010 <http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/about/whatismozilla.html> Web. “Your Guide to Firefox Style.” Logo Guide : Mozilla. 6 Nov. 2010 <http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/about/logo> Web.
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