The semiotics/symbolism of Browser logos

I am analysing the logos of the two most popular browsers. They are; Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

I will analyse the names picked for the browsers and the semiotics/symbolism of the logos and how these help their respective marketing campaigns.


Internet Explorer

The logo is designed to look like a planet. The 'E' which we can assume stands for 'Explorer' is blue (like the sea would be on an image of the Earth) and is perfectly circular.

The yellow ring around the 'E' is much like a Planetary Ring like the one around Saturn for example, which makes the logo look like it represents a planet, or rather, the world, as in the World Wide Web. I also think the ring could symbolise the communication that is offered via the Internet travelling around the planet.

The name for the browser, Internet Explorer is self-explanatory, it's a piece of software used to explore the Internet.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is considered to be the most commonly used browser in the world but according to W3Schools, Internet Explorer had the usage share of 35.3% in February 2010 compared to 46.5% using Firefox. However, for most non-technical users, the Internet Explorer logo is recognised unlike Firefox's and many don't realise that there is more than one browser available to surf the Internet.


Firefox

The logo incorporates the globe and a fox with a flame-like tail embracing it. The globe represents the World Wide Web. The fox with the flaming tail is a representation of the browser's name, Firefox.

Analysing the name Firefox, its name doesn't explain what the software is unlike Internet Explorer, which may be detrimental to Mozilla's marketing campaign. However, the symbolism of the name of the browser and the logo is clear. A fox is a small, agile creature and the common red fox is flame coloured which fits in with the 'fire' part of the word Firefox. Fire also symbolises strength and power. Mozilla claims faster (a fox is fast) and more powerful (fire is a powerful element) browsing which I think is both incorporated into its name and logo.


Conclusion

Overall I think Firefox's logo is better than Internet Explorer's. I like what the Firefox's logo represents and Mozilla and its fan base have created many images that reflect the plus points of this popular browser, more of which I will analyse later in this diary.


References

1. Microsoft. (). Internet Explorer logo. Available: http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx. Last accessed 02 March 2010.
2. w3schools. (2010). Browser Statistics. Available: http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp. Last accessed 02 March 2010.
3. Mozilla. (). Firefox logo. Available: http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/firefox/. Last accessed 02 March 2010.