The Mozilla Foundation recently presented its new visual identity. According to the organization’s president, Mark Surman, the rebranding is more than just a facelift, as the foundation is laying the groundwork for the next 25 years.
Launched in 2003, the Mozilla Foundation is a nonprofit responsible, among other things, for the development of the Mozilla Firefox browser. The organization claims to be committed to building an open, accessible, and secure Internet. Their goal is to use technology opportunities for the common good, ensuring the Internet remains a resource accessible to everyone.
The Motto: “Reclaim the Internet”
The foundation’s new visual identity comes to life under the motto “Reclaim the Internet,” originally conceived by the London-based DesignStudio in 2023. As an official press release states, the overhauled brand provides people with an opportunity to express their opinions, gather together, and build a happier and healthier Internet. This latest iteration was created by Jones Knowles Ritchie.
While unveiling their new image, Mozilla emphasized that it is a “crew of activists, technologists, and builders” who work to make their ideals about the Internet true. Dating back to 1998, when the Netscape company created the Mozilla Organization, the foundation has devoted more than 25 years to advocating the idea that the Internet has to belong to everyone, regardless of who you are and where you are from. The new identity is marked as a kind of announcement of the next 25 years to develop new tools that will allow people to form their own online experiences.
According to Mozilla’s global brand director, Amy Bebbington, the new brand design tells a comprehensive story that supports the Mozilla mission. A visual system entitled “Grassroots to Government” was purposely developed to ensure the brand will be supported by a wide audience – from ordinary users to developers. It also appeals to grassroots programmers who develop tools to increase users’ opportunities, state officials trying to improve laws for online security, and customers who want to regain control over their digital lives.
Evolution of the Mozilla Logo
Mozilla’s previous design appeared in 2017 as part of an open rebranding process involving a vast community from around the world. The Tyrannosaurus, the organization’s original mascot, was then removed from the brand identity, while Mozilla introduced a wordmark featuring a colon and a double slash instead of “ill.”
For the new logo, the foundation has reintroduced its old mascot as a simplified icon in an ASCII style, which also resembles a flag. The flag-like symbol emphasizes Mozilla’s activity, expressing the main idea of “Reclaiming the Internet.” According to the designers, it’s a “symbol of believing, peace, unity, and team spirit.”
A Distinctive Typography and a Refrshed Color Palette
Typography is another interesting part of Mozilla’s new branding. With Mozilla Headline as the primary font, the foundation gets its own distinctive typographic face. The typeface is essentially a remastered version of the ZillaSlab font, which has been used until now, distinguished by clear slab serifs. The distinctive feature of Mozilla Headline itself is semi-slab serifs which are, however, not as glaring as those in ZillaSlab. According to the foundation, the new font allows for more flexible use across versatile products and platforms.
Apart from the logo and typography, the update includes changes to the color palette, a set of icons, as well as sound branding. While Mozilla’s old identity featured a multicolored design, the new look, dominated by black and green, offers a stricter gamma.
Conclusion
The return of the Tyrannosaur, albeit as a flag, may be a questionable choice for some professional designers. However, this solution has a purpose, as the icon combines multiple meanings directly connected with Mozilla. It recalls ASCII images that were the predecessors of emojis at the dawn of the Internet. Moreover, the design subtly incorporates an “M” rotated 90 degrees to the right. Similarly, the Mozilla wordmark refers to early fonts in DOS or Windows.
Overall, this design serves as a starting point for the entire brand system, offering a sufficient basis to establish a historical link within the brand. It’s a good reminder that Mozilla was among the pioneers who built the Internet as we know it today.
