#V1 v2 v3 full
#V1 v2 v3 free

#V1 v2 v3 full

Going full circle and coming back to it was a powerful affirmation of our values.”

It was important to go through this process though, as it cemented our respect for and commitment to the Circle of Friends. So in the end, nothing made sense apart from simply updating the Circle of Friends to a more contemporary look and feel.

But our values had not changed back then and neither have they now. And we did have some quite left-field ideas. Bringing in lateral thinking, feedback and creativity from across the business to get to the bottom of what the logo represents to see what comes out.

#V1 v2 v3 free

Together with our CEO Mark Shuttleworth, we had a free for all in our thinking, both times. “Both thirteen years ago, as well as now, it was a long, thorough process to get to the final version. Marcus Haslam, the designer behind the second and third versions, explains more about the process behind the redesign as he describes how they ended up close to where they’d started: There was also a functional element to the facelift, as there were some issues to make it work in any setting, from new online media formats to print and at exhibitions.

Similar practical considerations played into the current change from v2 to v3. It also looked somewhat dated not long after its release, so the revision to v2 made it cleaner, thinned down and reduced from multiple colours to the now-familiar white on orange. The first version of the logo was multi-colored, friendly and fun, but not very practical for a logo. If we look at all three versions alongside each other, you get a feel of the development and the elements that called for such changes. Similar to how Ubuntu continues to evolve and adapt to new uses in technology, its logo should follow suit to encapsulate and reflect such ongoing change. But in the end, a logo should match what it represents. As one can imagine, it is a daunting honour to work on something so many of us have such a strong connection to. Some might wonder why we had to touch the Ubuntu logo at all. Finally, the logo moves from a tiny superscript to a large, dynamic and leading presence. The rectangular orange tag is a break from the conventional square or circle, as it allows for the boldness of the orange to express itself and provides a recognisable colourful mark across media. It also makes a little more sense that the heads are now inside the circle, facing each other and connecting more directly. While it is important to have a respectful continuity with the previous Circle of Friends, the updated version is leaner, more focused, more sophisticated. But the new version sports sleek lines which bind the Circle of Friends even more closely together. As you can see at the top of the post, the classic white-on-orange colour scheme hasn’t changed. The new logo isn’t a revolution rather, it’s an evolution of the Circle of Friends.