Twitter has undergone a dramatic transformation, rebranding as “X” under the vision of Elon Musk. Instead of “killing two birds with one stone,” Musk is killing one bird with an X. This full rebrand introduces a new logo—a white X on a black background—and aims to replace traditional tweets with X’s, as part of their ambitious plan to create a new generation of multifunctional social platforms.
The rebranding initiative has garnered both excitement and skepticism. Justin Urquhart Stewart commented that Twitter had started to appear old-fashioned, losing ground to other apps preferred by younger generations. Musk echoes this sentiment, stating that the replacement should have happened much earlier. Twitter’s new CEO, Linda Yaccarino, sees the rebrand as an exciting opportunity for the company.
As a UX Designer, I can recognize that users nowadays seek multifunctional apps, and successful platforms like Pay™, Gojek, and WeChat have embraced this trend. In comparison, Twitter’s limitations to small text posts have hindered its growth and adaptability over the years.
Drew Benvie, a social media commentator, believes that Musk’s strategy aims to compete with “everything app” pioneers like WeChat and Moj. However, some experts raise concerns about security. Jake Moore, a global cyber adviser, warns that the transition to X could increase phishing risks, as cyber-criminals may exploit the rebrand to trick users into handing over their credentials through fake URLs.
Musk’s fascination with the letter X is evident in his past ventures, such as X.com, an online banking app he founded in 1999 (whose domain now redirects to Twitter), and SpaceX, established in 2002. Additionally, Musk’s AI competitor to Chat GPT, called XAI, further reinforces his attachment to the letter.
I assume Musk’s acquisition of Twitter was driven by the desire to leverage its infrastructure to create a new app, surpassing the limitations of the old platform. Many are curious about the potential benefits such a move could bring to society.
How about you? Are you happy with the blue bird’s death? Tell us in the comments.
Font: bbc.com
Written by Rafael de Rezende Basso
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