The very first tweet
Current CEO Jack Dorsey—who is in the middle of trying to raise the fortunes of a troubled company subjected to stagnant user growth and limitations that other social networks like Facebook and Instagram don’t have—unsurprisingly sent out the first tweet on March 21, 2006. Back then, Twitter was known simply as “twittr.”Unbeknownst to him at the time, Dorsey’s first tweet would launch what would become one of the most popular social networks and websites in the entire world. In spite of the 140-character limit, people from all walks of life have found new ways to use brevity when communicating stream-of-consciousness thoughts to the world.just setting up my twttr
— Jack (@jack) March 21, 2006
Logo changes
One of Twitter’s most iconic aspects it its simple logo: the blue Twitter bird. However, the way it appears today isn’t how it originally was conceived and presented to users. Today’s current logo is really only the latest in a slew of design iterations. At first, the bird was blue with a light-blue underbelly and a white spot where its eye should be. Then, the company made a radical design change by turning the logo into a cartoonish bird, complete with an eyebrow and feet. Deciding that was perhaps too silly, Twitter removed the feet in the next iteration, but made the bird almost aquamarine in color. The next iteration saw the bird lose its eye, go back to a darker blue color, and receive a new wing shape. Today’s version is the most minimal yet: the bird is simply a blue silhouette with no eye, feet or even a tuft of hair.Twitter goes public
Perhaps nothing is more indicative of success for a young tech company than going public on the NYSE, which Twitter did on November 7, 2013. At the time the most hyped tech IPO since Facebook, the company’s stock has since floundered and is currently well below its IPO price of $26 a share—all without ever having stock-split. Time will tell if Dorsey is able to turn around the struggling social network that hasn’t fared as well as Facebook.Homepage design changes
As with all tech companies, Twitter’s homepage has undergone many design changes over the years. It’s interesting to see what the homepage looks like today, with its clean and white-space dominated center column and card-based design, and compare it to previous years. In 2007, the homepage had an aquamarine border and a lengthier service description. By 2008, the company decided to switch over to landscape orientation and eliminate random user feed updates altogether. From 2009 to 2011, it continued to minimize its interface, highlighting the sign-in form more.The future?
What does the next decade hold for Twitter? Chances are that it won’t go the way of MySpace even though it struggles to find its identity in a market dominated by social sites that allow friend-and-family updates galore. Too many people are simply hooked on the microblogging platform, and both companies and celebrities enjoy using the site as a way to break news. Featured image, party image via Shutterstock.Marc Schenker
Marc’s a copywriter who covers design news for Web Designer Depot. Find out more about him at thegloriouscompanyltd.com.
Read Next
3 Essential Design Trends, December 2023
While we love the holidays, too much of a seasonal theme can get overwhelming. Thankfully, these design trends strike a…
10 Easy Ways to Make Money as a Web Designer
When you’re a web designer, the logical way to make money is designing websites; you can apply for a job at an agency,…
By Louise North
The 10 Most Hated Fonts of All Time
Remember when Comic Sans wasn’t the butt of the jokes? Long for the days when we actually enjoyed using the Impact…
15 Best New Fonts, November 2023
2023 is almost over, and the new fonts are still coming thick and fast. This month, we’ve found some awesome variable…
By Ben Moss
Old School Web Techniques Best Forgotten
When the web first entered the public consciousness back in the 90s, it was primarily text-based with minimal design…
By Simon Sterne
20 Best New Websites, November 2023
As the nights draw in for the Northern hemisphere, what better way to brighten your day than by soaking up some design…
30 Amazing Chrome Extensions for Designers and Developers
Searching for a tool to make cross-platform design a breeze? Desperate for an extension that helps you figure out the…
By Robert Reeve
Exciting New Tools for Designers, November 2023
We’ve got a mix of handy image helpers, useful design assets, and clever productivity tools, amongst other treats. Some…
The Dangers of Doomscrolling for Designers and How to Break Free
As a creative professional, navigating the digital realm is second nature to you. It’s normal to follow an endless…
By Louise North
From Image Adjustments to AI: Photoshop Through the Years
Remember when Merriam-Webster added Photoshop to the dictionary back in 2008? Want to learn how AI is changing design…
By Max Walton
3 Essential Design Trends, November 2023
In the season of giving thanks, we often think of comfort and tradition. These are common themes with each of our three…
30 Obsolete Technologies that will Perplex Post-2000s Kids
Remember the screech of dial-up internet? Hold fond memories of arcade machines? In this list, we’re condensing down 30…