Firefox is refreshing its brand and it’s asking users for opinions. Parent company Mozilla has long been known for its focus on securing online privacy, and it’s also known for a comfortable level of end-user engagement. As the company expands its presence and offers a more diverse range of apps and offerings, the brand is consciously aligning its imagery to move forward in a united way.
The new logos on offer strikeout in two directions while honoring the stylistic presentation of the ever-present fox. A geometric style (‘System 1’) sees the fox from head on with plenty of angular, blocky shapes making up the secondary images. System 2 styles capture the movement and speed of the fox’s tail and recreate that lightness and flexibility throughout the series. Both sets are cast from the same palette of bright oranges, pinks, and blues.
While the new logo offerings are not actually up for debate (the company isn’t seeking offers, submissions or votes), it certainly encourages Firefox fans to connect to the brand in a new way. Feedback will be taken into account as the logos are finalized.
Engaging with your client base is a great way to build relationships. This works very well if you’re a very large company with millions of clients (notice that Firefox isn’t promising to act on the feedback, but the users are keen to engage regardless). What happens if you’re a small or medium business and you want to refresh your branding? Who can you reach out to for feedback? Where can you look for advice about effectively communicating the essence of your brand? If you don’t have an audience of millions of invested customers, you may need to seek help elsewhere. What happens if you don’t even know where to start with designing (or redesigning) your logo?
Don’t take advice from the well-meaning people around you, even if they are current clients or in your target market. Individual opinions often carry more weight than they should (especially when they belong to people close to us). Instead, rely on the mastery of a small but experienced branding and design agency that has years of experience with brand identity.
An experienced branding and design team will be able to capture the essence of your brand and reflect that to the market. Smaller teams ensure your brand isn’t lost in a sea of accounts – it’s far more likely that you’ll be connected with a single person who is able to guide you through the process and provide continuity and support. Branding experts also bring fresh eyes and objectivity to the effort.
