Twitter Takes Flight: Behind Its New Logo

Chances are, if you saw any of the icons above, you’d know immediately they relate to Twitter: The blue, lower-case “t” in social sharing buttons, the name of Twitter spelled out in bubble font and, of course, the iconic bird.

That little guy on the end: He’s getting a facelift and a promotion. And the others: You won’t see much of them anymore. According to Twitter’s blog, the company is getting rid of most of the images that represent its brand, and plans to stick to just the bird.

In a post from earlier this week, Doug Bowman, creative director at Twitter writes the following:

“Starting today you’ll begin to notice a simplified Twitter bird. From now on, this bird will be the universally recognizable symbol of Twitter. (Twitter is the bird, the bird is Twitter.) There’s no longer a need for text, bubbled typefaces, or a lowercase “t” to represent Twitter.”

Instead, you’ll get to know the slightly redesigned Twitter bird, everywhere.

You’ll notice a few differences: Its wings shed a few feathers and a little was taken off the top.

And while the makeover may seem in vain, there is a calculated reason behind it:

“Our new bird grows out of love for ornithology, design within creative constraints and simple geometry. This bird is crafted purely from three sets of overlapping circles—similar to how your networks, interests and ideas connect and intersect with peers and friends,” writes Bowman.

“Whether soaring high above the earth to take in a broad view, or flocking with other birds to achieve a common purpose, a bird in flight is the ultimate representation of freedom, hope and limitless possibility.”

Twitter’s explanation of the new trademark may sound a little corny, but I like it and the idea behind it. You can tell it was redesigned purposefully and with an eye toward the future. (And, it’s probably no coincidence the new Twitter bird is angled more vertically, now…upward and onward!)

Here’s a short clip from Twitter where you can see how this slightly different design orginated.