The social media giant previously known as Twitter has undergone a radical transformation, adopting the moniker ‘X’ after its proprietor, Elon Musk, made the bold move to do away with the platform’s well-known blue bird insignia.
Elon Musk’s tenure at the helm has been marked by a series of contentious decisions, yet the retirement of the blue bird, affectionately termed Larry, which has served as the site’s emblem since 2010, came as an unexpected turn. This development is one of the most striking alterations since Musk acquired the helm in the previous month.
On a foreseen Sunday, the 23rd of July, Musk reached out via Twitter for his audience’s input on fresh emblem designs. In a mere 50 minutes, he finalized the new imagery and shared a dynamic clip showcasing the ‘X’ logo accompanied by vibrant animations and audio elements. Musk conveyed that the emblem switch aimed to “represent the flawfulness inherent in each of us, reflecting our distinctive character.”
A brief glimpse of the fresh ‘X’ insignia was shared with Musk’s social media followers.
In a notion that the redesign echoes Art Deco stylistics, some speculate it’s more indicative of Musk’s fondness for ‘X’-centric logos. This branding upheaval on Twitter trails the recent unveiling of Musk’s novel artificial intelligence enterprise, xAI, whose emblem also provoked vibrant discussions within the design community just days before.
Twitter’s transition from the avian symbol closes a chapter on one of the most instantly recognized entities in the realm of social media. The effects of the rebranding efforts on the site remain to be seen. Musk has not shied away from his vision of propelling Twitter forward, envisaging it as an ‘everything app,’ akin to China’s WeChat platform.
