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Really lovely redesign. Designer John Hicks post about this: https://mastodon.social/@jonhicks/110424132785208582 https://mastodon.social/@jonhicks/1104241327

Really lovely redesign. Designer John Hicks post about this: https://mastodon.social/@jonhicks/110424132785208582 https://mastodon.social/@jonhicks/110424132785208582 > It's inevitable that throughout my career, I've watched as work gets replaced and updated by others. It's rare to be asked to redesign old work, which is why I leapt at the chance when @thunderbird asked if I could design a contemporary update to the Thunderbird logo. The one I designed 19 years ago! More images here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lRkSA9YyHduCmDe2Fucv2DK2l9aRD7wj/view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lRkSA9YyHduCmDe2Fucv2DK2l9a... Based on that file being "v7" I'm really hoping John does a post detailing the design process. I always love to see how these things evolve.

timetraveller26 3y ago
I liked the old one vibe more and the way it was carrying the envelope. This post makes some very good points about it https://mastodon.social/@KelvinShadewing/110424262996045829 https://mastodon.social/@KelvinShadewing/110424262996045829
- romwell 3y ago
  Good points? Whoever made that post reads too much into things that aren't even true: * Long, sharp beaks are characterestic of nectar feeders, e.g. hummingbird, not "lethal predators". * Hawk's beak is neither large nor particularly sharp; and while hawk is a deadly predator, and the new logo is hawk-like, I can't see the hawk as a bad thing; * Everything else is purely subjective, too. "Dead white eyes convey malice"? OK. Finally, re:"Message is mine, not yours"? Well, that's the entire point of an email client. It keeps the mail, it doesn't live on the server. If that comes through the logo, then it's a job well done. [1] https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/birds/types-beak/ https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/birds/types-...
  - gruez 3y ago
    >* Everything else is purely subjective, too. "Dead white eyes convey malice"? OK. It's a well known trope https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes
    - wiseowise 3y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(mythology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(mythology) > It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes > And sometimes, white eyes simply alert the audience that their owner is supernatural Ok?
  - Biganon 3y ago
    > Finally, re:"Message is mine, not yours"? Well, that's the entire point of an email client. It keeps the mail, it doesn't live on the server. ? Most people use IMAP accounts nowadays
    - StingyJelly 3y ago
      True but thunderbird's local folders are my favorite way to move thebacklog off the server. (Not sure how widespread that usecase is)
    - romwell 3y ago
      Sure, but having an offline copy with IMAP allows one to not depend on the server to work with your email. And if your account goes poof, you still have all your messages.
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    > Everything else is purely subjective, too. Well, sure. Nearly anything anyone has to say about the logo is purely subjective. That's the way of art.
- sodapopcan 3y ago
  Ha, interesting points, but it's all a matter of perspective. I would much rather that the bird delivering my mail is a badass who can protect it at all costs. Perhaps the protective "MINE" body language is aimed at someone trying to intercept my mail, not at me. This is a much better scenario than a fake-ass overly friendly bird. Also, the old logo always made me a little uncomfortable—it looks like the bird is mid flight, but the moment it flaps its wings up it's dropping that letter!!!
  - steve1977 3y ago
    But Thunderbird is just a Mail User Agent, not a Mail Transfer Agent. So it doesn’t have much say in protecting your mail delivery anyway.
    - bayindirh 3y ago
      It can encrypt your mail with the help of his old friend, GPG (or PGP, whichever you prefer).
      - NoGravitas 3y ago
        Or, on Android, OpenKeychain.
    - gowld 3y ago
      The attitude matters, not the reality.
  - amelius 3y ago
    > I would much rather that the bird delivering my mail is a badass who can protect it at all costs Sorry, but the bird in the new logo looks like a baby bird.
    - sodapopcan 3y ago
      It's ok, you don't have to be sorry.
  - deleted 3y ago
- Kiro 3y ago
  Please tell me that post is parody.
  - colourgarden 3y ago
    Wait till he finds out where they culturally misappropriated the name Thunderbird from!
- scarygliders 3y ago
  I always thought the old/current Thunderbird logo looked like an envelope wearing a wig.
  - tsukurimashou 3y ago
    haha I'm glad someone said it, it always bothered me I guess no matter how good the design is, you have to think about how it looks in 16x16 & 32x32 when most people only see the logo when they look at the tiny icon on their desktop
  - korm 3y ago
    I always saw Nicolas Cage with bird hair https://i.imgur.com/tRCXkzp.jpg https://i.imgur.com/tRCXkzp.jpg
    - scarygliders 3y ago
      That too. One of my all-time favourite memes.
- AndrewChamp 3y ago
  Indeed. The new one is nice but at a quick glance it looks like it's carrying a clock, not an envelope.
- soraminazuki 3y ago
  All of the points given seem petty and overly aggressive. Isn't it enough to say that he doesn't like it?
  - detaro 3y ago
    Then they'd be "hating on it with no reason".
    - account42 3y ago
      Or as is the most common response to criticism for these pointless redesigns "just hate change and will get used to it".
    - soraminazuki 3y ago
      Do you really consider "Wings wrapped possesively around message says 'it's mine, not yours'" a well though-out reason? That's not feedback, and more like just being mean. If that post mentioned an actual reason, I sure missed it. I'm saying this as a person who likes the old icon better.
      - detaro 3y ago
        I think giving reasons (even if I disagree with them/don't feel the same way) is better than just saying "I don't like it", yes.
romwell 3y ago
Wow, what a relief. Most of the time I see a logo redesign, it's a mess that makes the product more difficult to recognize, and makes things look more generic. Not so this time! Immediately you feel that the Thunderbird and Firefox belong in the same family, while still immediately recognizing that the new logo is the same Thunderbird you know and love. It stuck so fast, I had to look app the current logo to remember how it looks like!
- behnamoh 3y ago
  But despite their claim, there is no iOS thunderbird. I checked the Appstore right after seeing the new design for macos and iOS, but it’s a hoax.
  - Twisol 3y ago
    From the article: > Yes, we have officially added an iOS version of Thunderbird to our future development roadmap. Expect more concrete news about this toward the end of 2023. So it doesn't exist yet, but they're going to make it, and at least they've got a logo for it.

timetraveller26 3y ago

I liked the old one vibe more and the way it was carrying the envelope. This post makes some very good points about it https://mastodon.social/@KelvinShadewing/110424262996045829 https://mastodon.social/@KelvinShadewing/110424262996045829

romwell 3y ago
Good points? Whoever made that post reads too much into things that aren't even true: * Long, sharp beaks are characterestic of nectar feeders, e.g. hummingbird, not "lethal predators". * Hawk's beak is neither large nor particularly sharp; and while hawk is a deadly predator, and the new logo is hawk-like, I can't see the hawk as a bad thing; * Everything else is purely subjective, too. "Dead white eyes convey malice"? OK. Finally, re:"Message is mine, not yours"? Well, that's the entire point of an email client. It keeps the mail, it doesn't live on the server. If that comes through the logo, then it's a job well done. [1] https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/birds/types-beak/ https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/birds/types-...
- gruez 3y ago
  >* Everything else is purely subjective, too. "Dead white eyes convey malice"? OK. It's a well known trope https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes
  - wiseowise 3y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(mythology) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_(mythology) > It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ProphetEyes > And sometimes, white eyes simply alert the audience that their owner is supernatural Ok?
- Biganon 3y ago
  > Finally, re:"Message is mine, not yours"? Well, that's the entire point of an email client. It keeps the mail, it doesn't live on the server. ? Most people use IMAP accounts nowadays
  - StingyJelly 3y ago
    True but thunderbird's local folders are my favorite way to move thebacklog off the server. (Not sure how widespread that usecase is)
  - romwell 3y ago
    Sure, but having an offline copy with IMAP allows one to not depend on the server to work with your email. And if your account goes poof, you still have all your messages.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  > Everything else is purely subjective, too. Well, sure. Nearly anything anyone has to say about the logo is purely subjective. That's the way of art.
sodapopcan 3y ago
Ha, interesting points, but it's all a matter of perspective. I would much rather that the bird delivering my mail is a badass who can protect it at all costs. Perhaps the protective "MINE" body language is aimed at someone trying to intercept my mail, not at me. This is a much better scenario than a fake-ass overly friendly bird. Also, the old logo always made me a little uncomfortable—it looks like the bird is mid flight, but the moment it flaps its wings up it's dropping that letter!!!
- steve1977 3y ago
  But Thunderbird is just a Mail User Agent, not a Mail Transfer Agent. So it doesn’t have much say in protecting your mail delivery anyway.
  - bayindirh 3y ago
    It can encrypt your mail with the help of his old friend, GPG (or PGP, whichever you prefer).
    - NoGravitas 3y ago
      Or, on Android, OpenKeychain.
  - gowld 3y ago
    The attitude matters, not the reality.
- amelius 3y ago
  > I would much rather that the bird delivering my mail is a badass who can protect it at all costs Sorry, but the bird in the new logo looks like a baby bird.
  - sodapopcan 3y ago
    It's ok, you don't have to be sorry.
- deleted 3y ago
Kiro 3y ago
Please tell me that post is parody.
- colourgarden 3y ago
  Wait till he finds out where they culturally misappropriated the name Thunderbird from!
scarygliders 3y ago
I always thought the old/current Thunderbird logo looked like an envelope wearing a wig.
- tsukurimashou 3y ago
  haha I'm glad someone said it, it always bothered me I guess no matter how good the design is, you have to think about how it looks in 16x16 & 32x32 when most people only see the logo when they look at the tiny icon on their desktop
- korm 3y ago
  I always saw Nicolas Cage with bird hair https://i.imgur.com/tRCXkzp.jpg https://i.imgur.com/tRCXkzp.jpg
  - scarygliders 3y ago
    That too. One of my all-time favourite memes.
AndrewChamp 3y ago
Indeed. The new one is nice but at a quick glance it looks like it's carrying a clock, not an envelope.
soraminazuki 3y ago
All of the points given seem petty and overly aggressive. Isn't it enough to say that he doesn't like it?
- detaro 3y ago
  Then they'd be "hating on it with no reason".
  - account42 3y ago
    Or as is the most common response to criticism for these pointless redesigns "just hate change and will get used to it".
  - soraminazuki 3y ago
    Do you really consider "Wings wrapped possesively around message says 'it's mine, not yours'" a well though-out reason? That's not feedback, and more like just being mean. If that post mentioned an actual reason, I sure missed it. I'm saying this as a person who likes the old icon better.
    - detaro 3y ago
      I think giving reasons (even if I disagree with them/don't feel the same way) is better than just saying "I don't like it", yes.

romwell 3y ago

Wow, what a relief. Most of the time I see a logo redesign, it's a mess that makes the product more difficult to recognize, and makes things look more generic. Not so this time! Immediately you feel that the Thunderbird and Firefox belong in the same family, while still immediately recognizing that the new logo is the same Thunderbird you know and love. It stuck so fast, I had to look app the current logo to remember how it looks like!

behnamoh 3y ago
But despite their claim, there is no iOS thunderbird. I checked the Appstore right after seeing the new design for macos and iOS, but it’s a hoax.
- Twisol 3y ago
  From the article: > Yes, we have officially added an iOS version of Thunderbird to our future development roadmap. Expect more concrete news about this toward the end of 2023. So it doesn't exist yet, but they're going to make it, and at least they've got a logo for it.