First of all, I am not at all against F-Droid getting a ‘logo overhaul’, and I personally quite like the more modern look with smooth lines and simpler design. However, one of the distinguishing features of F-Droid is that every app must make their source available. I’d hate to see the copyleft icon (which represents exactly that distinguishing feature) be replaced by what essentially is a ‘brand logo’.
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Thanks for the feedback
I get your sentiment, specially with the literal replacement of the copyleft symbol by something else, as it can be interpreted pretty symbolically.
With or without it, Fdroid is still what it is, technically and spiritually.
For a fact, it is one of the vary few FOSS projects that has the copyleft symbol present (I don’t see it in the icon of any other FOSS I use or know). And even then, it almost blends with the lighter blue, so it is a subtle reference, and not essential of the graphic identity (imo).
One part of simplifying and updating a logo/brand is getting rid of what is visually and/or conceptually redundant. That of course depends on context (what kind of project, sector,…)
My thoughts are most reflected in my original proposal. The robot seems redundant when you have green + “droid”. And the copyleft icon is a symbolic mention that I think is redundant, and also makes it more complex to work with. I think a more abstract and simple icon is the way to go for such a mature and established project, that I think should go its own route instead of sticking too much to the Android brand. Then the hyphen too.
That is at least my mental process as a designer, user of many years, and FOSS enthusiast.
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Imho there is no reason to make such a drastic redesign.
The existing logo has been around for over ten years and is well-recognised. Throwing it out would hurt the “brand”, would hurt recognisability, more than it helps. You’re throwing out ten years of building logo reputation.
It’s fine to evolve the logo in minor ways, such as flattening it, slightly adjusting the colours, playing with sizing, etc. It has been done before:
These are better ways to modernise the “brand”.
I appreciate your effort, F-Droid lives on voluntary contributions. But this is a bit too drastic.
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I like the idea of making the name easier to type, although this leaves room for different capitalization (Fdroid, FDroid, fdroid). Adding something like a store descriptor seems reasonable to me, after all this change wouldn’t matter much to the current user and helps to reach a wider audience.
But I think the new icon, although modern, lacks the identity and memorability the current one has. Additionally changing the fundamentals of such an old icon can cause lots of confusion.
What I think is a bigger turnoff for new people looking into F-Droid is the look of the website (no dark mode; large sidebar with the same content on every site) and the app (relatively small buttons, the Categories page).
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BTW, do what one must in terms of logo, don’t forget the copyleft icon in it.
Just one point here.
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capitalization is no issue imo, as web search usually doesn’t care about it. “Fdroid” and “fdroid” will be what people use most as they are the least confusing. Officially, I think it should be the capitalized version , “Fdroid” (stands out more, more readable).
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thoughts on these icons based around the original robot?
Logo and Brand Redesign Proposal · (Icon, Name, Badge) - #21 by jaim3 -
yeah, the website and UI is another thing i was hoping we talk about… Through the years I’ve switched to many alt clients just because they had better UI, and have come back just because the official is the most up to date and less buggy. Rebranding is an oportunity to look at all these things imo
Throughout the thread I have been making adjustments and trying less drastic designs
Thoughts on these?
Finally you need to open an admin issue for such changes. Please open it in Issues · F-Droid / admin · GitLab. We can’t do the decision here I guess.
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Also I feel it’s not “just an icon” hence it needs project wise design, client and web, colours at least etc
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Well, IMHO the current F-Droid logo design doesn’t need to be changed at all. It looks modern, is widely known and the copyleft logo inside is a must. Please, don’t do a Twitter X for no reason.
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I quite like the top line, row 5 icon from the 2nd set. I agree that the copyleft must be incorporated. It’s not a terrible idea to have at least an alt official icon that’s close to the main official for recognition, but reflects a new aesthetic. We’ve already done such for the official apps’ UI; why not a logo choice?
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Any updates on this?
I found this in Jaim3’s website, not sure why it wasn’t posted here but I really like it
- no drastic changes, still instantly recognizable as F-Droid
- clean and modern, yet still has personality (it even looks adorable imo)
- more vibrant colors
- copyleft icon is still there
- antennas no longer look like shrek ears (sorry)
What do you think?
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It’s just change for the sake of change, and therefore wasted time and effort.
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I see your point. I legitimately hate it when a project does a rebrand for no reason at all. But I believe this is different. The current logo hasn’t been touched in like a decade, and it does look outdated. To new users, that can make the project itself seem outdated or even unmaintained.
Making a drastic redesign (like the first proposal) is a bad idea, I totally agree with that. But I think refining the existing and well-recognized logo can make the project feel fresh and even attract new users without losing its identity.
The app’s UI already got a Material 3 makeover, so this feels like a good moment to give the logo some love too.
Two years have passed and I still think changing the logo or brand image is unnecessary.
Anyways, I think this latest logo is so similar to the current one that many users probably wouldn’t even notice the change, which means it would serve no purpose at all (If there is a purpose).
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I already explained why I think “changing” the logo matters, but just to be clear, it’s not about changing F-Droid’s identity. It’s just about giving it a fresher look, making a better first impression, and showing that the project is still active and maintained.
To me, the change in the latest logo is easily noticeable and I don’t see how users would miss it. It’s more polished and modern, yet it keeps its identity. That’s what made me love this logo.
Kinda funny how the thread shifted from “too different” to “too similar.” If the devs decide to stick with the current logo, that’s totally understandable. Just thought this one hit the sweet spot.