Branding Mozilla: Towards Mozilla 2.0 701
sgarrity writes "I've written some recommendations for the branding and visual identity of the Mozilla Foundation's project and product line. I argue that the Mozilla Project should adopt a simple, strong, consistent visual identity for the Mozilla products including consistent icons across applications that mesh with the host operating system. Read Branding Mozilla: Towards Mozilla 2.0 and let us know what you think."
Mozilla needs it (Score:4, Interesting)
Why bother? (Score:2, Interesting)
Unless this is going to be part of a bigger marketing strategy by Netscape or AOL or whoever...?
Spot on. (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, Camino is really the only workalike left around. By workalike I mean is built from the same source code base, customized. I guess my terminology isn't very good here.
Standarize icons and names. Make them visually appealing. Make the default styles blend in with the OS/Window Manager.
I have to laugh, one example was of the two Mozilla apps placed prominently on the Start Menu right where IE and Outlook Express are by default. Is this an option in a full installer? If not, put it there.
Then people like myself, who run an ISP can standardize on Mozilla and when I send my installers out I can have them install the app. Even better, have a custom installer file so I can add in OUR servers and make them default in the Mail application.
Now no matter what platform my installers run into, they can install my Mozilla package and have the right settings. Minimalistic training required.
He makes a lot of good points... (Score:4, Interesting)
The server is getting pounded now, so it's tough to see the examples, but the icons and look for the Mozilla applications have always bugged me.
The Mozilla Thunderbird icon is nice in that it finally represents something related to the purpose of the application, but I find it too subtle in a lot of ways. Especially on a small Windows toolbar, where it looks a lot like a slipcase.
A visual facelift would be wonderful, though. Maybe get the Cute guy to work on it a bit... he's already proven himself competent, and having one person working on all the art wouldn't be a bad thing at all.
Mozilla is a development platform... (Score:4, Interesting)
Shouldn't this kind of efforts be aimed at the consumer projects forked off mozilla and not on mozilla itself? IMHO mozilla should be about robust technology.
Re:uuh... yeah! (Score:1, Interesting)
Maybe a nice comfy chair. Everyone like those.
Branding Works (Score:2, Interesting)
Branding or...bundling? (Score:2, Interesting)
I don't care what it looks like... (Score:2, Interesting)
I have File-Help, the back, forward, stop, and refresh buttons (all with no text & small icons) address bar(no idiotic go button to click), and google way off to the right to stop the popups. One line and the rest of the screen is web page.
Something along those lines is what I want from Mozilla, without having to create my own theme to get it. And since it's so small and inconspicuous it can be in black and white with icons drawn in mspaint freehand with a mouse.
Uhmmm...Themes? (Score:2, Interesting)
Using the word "brand" of course raises my anti-marketing hackles, but that's just me.
Press Kit (Score:5, Interesting)
If Mozilla had a full press kit explaining the project and including press-ready logos I think they'd see more coverage (and more serious coverage) of their package in the mainstream press.
Additionally, it is quite inexpensive to send out a press release over the newswires. When the Thunderbird/Firebird products are 1.0'ed (or 2.0'ed)
It won't make front page headlines, but it would be alot better than the current situation.
Re:Marketspeak (Score:2, Interesting)
They could start with ... (Score:3, Interesting)
I'm shocked and awed that the Raptors haven't filed a suit against them yet.
Re:Why bother? (Score:5, Interesting)
I build systems for various people and there are some things that has prevented mozilla from becoming the default browser on these systems. For mozilla to become mainstream, it needs (but not limited to):
1) Favorites - in Win2K or XP, why can't it just use my IE favorites? It isn't like they are hidden... they are there in plain sight in their own folder under %USERPROFILE%\%USERNAME%\FAVORITES. If people are to "migrate" they might have to occasionally use "that other browser". Consolidated favorites helps that along...
2) Feel - face it - mozilla just doesn't "feel" like a Windows program. I can't drag and drop the toolbars around and then lock them down like I can in IE (there might be a way to do it, but I haven't found it). If someone could just make mozilla "feel" like IE, we'd have infinitely more users out there. Not only because it would be one less thing to learn, but because people simply wouldn't notice that they were using "something different" which is generally a no-no for non-techies. Heck, I'm a techie and I've found that I don't like using mozilla for this reason. I just don't have the time anymore.
Bah... I could go on but mozilla is for geeks right now. The DOJ has blessed system builders with the complete ability to hide IE as an internet browser. If someone could just make something similar to IE but without all the monopoly shit, millions of PCs could be deployed with a real browser. Until then, I'll keep letting IE fly on the systems that I build.
PS - a really cool unrelated idea that I have thought of would be a spyware/adware/scumware blocker for non-techies who don't know when to click yes/no. If mozilla implemented such a feature, a flock of elected geeks could vote on which software/applets could get installed and which ones would not (or which ones make it to a user prompt). Non-techie end-users could have the option to turn on this "geek wall" and prevent their systems from being infiltrated by the world's best scum. Until then, I'm happy to charge $50/hr to remove this stuff.
Re:"potential consumers" (Score:4, Interesting)
Branding goes hand-in-hand with a large marketing strategy designed to get that brand into the mind of the consumer. How does Mozilla accomplish this, exactly?
At the moment, they don't, but this is precisely what needs to be done. Brand the image and increase the word-of-mouth.
But it doesn't have to be. Anyone contributor with some free time can do simple things that would help -- common icons, logos, etc. The entire image doesn't need to be reworked, but small things can be.
But how many people out there, if you were to ask them what a little green chameleon makes them think of, would say Suse?
The same applied to all logos out there at one point. McDonald's? Nike? MS Windows? Obviously, only someone familiar with the company will identify the logo. But make that logo something memorable (or easier to remember, in any case), and more people will want to find out what it is.
I hear what you're saying, but I can't see how this would be a bad idea outright for the Moz team.
Re:IE won already (Score:2, Interesting)
Mozilla has replaced my browser, and the browser of all my friends (all ten of them! woo!) and relatives because of one simple fact: it's faster.
Mozilla will never die because it is not some company that lives off of profits. I believe that even if no donations are made to the MF, the applications shall continue to prosper and thrive in the open-source and practical communities.
Plain and simple: Mozilla roxors.
Re:Great Idea... Some Other Suggestions (Score:1, Interesting)
Popup blocking (you got that one right)
Spam filtering (hoo-yeah!)
Virus protection (due to non-braindead security model)
Keyword searches (if a few were configured by default [like Google and Amazon], people would LOVE this feature)
Unfortunately, most people don't know what CSS is, much less care whether their browser is 100% compliant. Most people think that the standards should conform to the browser-- after all, most people use IE anyway, right?
And tabbed browsing, while a killer feature, isn't going to excite as many people as you might think. People are used to multiple windows. They're used to Alt+Tab. They won't see the advantage of tabs until they actually use it. We're not targeting developers here, we're targeting the home market.
Re:I hate stock "people pictures" (Score:2, Interesting)
Yes, they actually do.
The problem noone is typing about.... (Score:1, Interesting)
How many times have you tried to help someone who isn't a
To the overwhelming majority of the uninitiated, MSIE IS the internet. Outlook Express IS email.
These are the people that do not install programs they just bought from CompUSA, but "I got this disk and I downloaded it and the goddamn thing keeps asking me where to put the thing! I don't care, I just want it to work!"
These are the people that think they need to install the software each and every time they want to use it.
These are the people that wind up with automatic 1-900 dialers in their Start Menu.
These are the people we need to sit down with one at a fucking time and teach them - gently - the difference between their PC and their TV.
The Mozilla organization should first and foremost worry about keeping their product top-notch and let themselves get widespread like theyre doing already.
How did I find out about mozilla? A friend told me about it, showed me where to get it, and I got rid of Opera. I've shown it to a half dozen people over the past year and they all use it as their primary browser.
Interesting side note - 5 of these 6 people were ASTOUNDED at the fact that they could also use the mozilla mail client; that they were ALLOWED to use mozilla as their mail client, and nobody could force them otherwise. Yes, I'll probably create a few more pro-bono tech support calls for myself, but thats time I'm more than willing to donate to educate my "family."
Basically, they sould stop wasting their time with this. Redo the website for the stupids, and get back to writing good software, and let the rest of us evangelize. Its not like they're trying to MAKE ALL THE MONEY or something.
or ARE THEY?!?
[random thoughts]
Branding. What the hell are they going to do, set up a paypal account and use that cash to buy TV spots.
Maybe that just need to call the 2.0 release "Mozilla... Optimized!"
God forbid Mozilla goes for-profit. There will be rioting in the pipes
[/random thoughts]
Re:Spot on. (Score:2, Interesting)
All numbers are for startup only as the amount of memory used increases with use/navigation and the number of tabs open. All versions are the most recent (Camino is 10/22 nightly).
Safari: 13.9M
Camino: 30.5M
iCab: 11.5M
Explorer: 17.5M
Mozilla: 27.9M
Firebird: 27.2M
Draw your own conclusions. Personally I can't see the supposed advantage of Firebird over Mozilla, but then I use Safari 99% of the time.
Re:Why bother? (Score:3, Interesting)
I often have to bookmark a site in both browsers since I know I'll be going back to that site, but I don't know which browser I'll be using when I do.
Importing copies does not cut it. I want Mozilla to use my IE bookmarks. This is an important feature to me.
Panel Icons in Linux (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Mozilla needs it (Score:3, Interesting)
All so far have seemed genuinely pleased that they need not see popups ever again, and most seem impressed with the tabbed browsing feature.
Why we've used it here... (Score:4, Interesting)
This never used to be an issue until XP Home. XP Home can't be joined to the domain - so all these girls that come here get a never-ending request box for authentication whenever they attempt to use their XP Home-installed home computers.
It's not that MS couldn't make this work for us (caching domain authenticated logins) - it's that they don't want to. Proof? Mozilla doesn't have a problem caching this information one time. All a student has to do is fill in the info once, check the 'save password' option, and they're good to go. IE can't do this. If you use anything that includes an MS domain authentication, it will conveniently forget it.
My only wish is that I could get Moz to default to that authentication in 'options' so that the student wouldn't even have to push the 'enter' key.
Again, thanks Moz devs!
Just the point really (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:WTF? (Score:2, Interesting)
Over a month now and he has no idea he's not using IE anymore. I was expecting him to notice within a few hours.
This was supposed to be a prank.
Mozilla 2.0?!?! Firebird is much more important (Score:2, Interesting)
Here's the Mozilla branding road map [mozilla.org]. Lets hope Mozilla sticks to this plan. I really think it is the best route for future development.
I find it highly unlikely that... (Score:3, Interesting)
The red dinosaur design was adopted to satirize the supposed communist nature of open source.
This is the original post by Jamie [mozilla.org] announcing the open-sourcing of Mozilla. Communism joke from the beginning. Hehe. This is the first appearence of the red lizard, which he credits to Shepard Fairey of BLK/MRKT, who has done, among other commercial ventures, the whole wacky Andre the Giant has a posse/OBEY thing.
This one was a freebee. If you think it looks suspiciously like the Raptors logo, then he's to blame. But have you looked at the two side by side? Moz has a more imposing profile with cool scales down his neck, while the Raptors dino is sleeker, with a different profile. Clearly Fairey chose to depict Mozilla the Lizard in that industrial-looking, side profile as is the harsh, contrasting style that he uses in all his works.
Moreover, how is looking like the Raptors logo supposed to somehow make Mozilla better?
Have they ever won a playoff title? (I jest, I jest)
Stop trying to cover your ass.