The graphic designer who was paid tiny amount for iconic Twitter logo

The graphic designer behind the original Twitter bird logo has revealed why he's not angry despite how little he was paid for the image.

Twitter was first created in March 2006 in San Francisco, before properly launching in July later that year.

Simon Oxley - a British freelance graphic designer who graduated from The Bournemouth Poole College of Art and Design, England - is the creative mind behind the original Twitter logo.

However, despite Twitter now being worth $38.86 billion, Oxley only made a measly amount from selling his design to the social networking company.

Look at how much the logo has developed through the years:

Twitter first started off as the working name 'Status'. While Jack Dorsey, alongside Evan Williams, Noah Glass and Biz Stone debated the name 'Twitch,' they eventually settled on 'twtter' - because the domain name 'Twitter' had already been taken.

However, 'Twitter' was later purchased and the service's name updated.

Dorsey told The Los Angeles Times: "We looked in the dictionary for words around it [Twitch], and we came across the word ‘twitter,’ and it was just perfect. The definition was ‘a short burst of inconsequential information,’ and ‘chirps from birds.’ And that’s exactly what the product was.

"The whole bird thing: bird chirps sound meaningless to us, but meaning is applied by other birds. The same is true of Twitter: a lot of messages can be seen as completely useless and meaningless, but it’s entirely dependent on the recipient."

Now all that the team needed to do was find a logo which fit too.

Simon Oxley

This is when Oxley came on the scene. The designer had uploaded some of his work onto stock photo website, iStockphoto - including a picture of white bird perching on a curled branch against a blue background.

He told Envato Tuts Plus how he 'cannot remember exactly' why he decided to draw the bird.

Oxley - who now lives in Japan - said: "I was uploading like a sausage factory to iStockphoto.com, and tended to draw without too much attention on the subject. I like making icons with careful consideration to the curves and how shapes have relating complementary angles, etc. - very prevalent in Japan."

In 2009, Oxley was watching CNN when he suddenly saw his design on TV.

@DNA_RNA_Uni/ Twitter

Oxley was paid a grand sum of less than $15 when Twitter bought the image from the stock photo website and his revenue was subsequently even less, at below $10.

The designer wasn't even credited by Twitter for his design.

However, he noted how he understands 'why they do not wish to do so'.

Oxley said: "Of course it would be great to get a mention on the Twitter site, but [...] they are not obligated. I am happy they chose to use the image, no sour grapes at all.

"I also like what Twitter enables people to do, communicate ideas and emotion. We can all see what effect it's having on global events."

@TakumiHQ/ Twitter

Instead, Oxley views Twitter's decision to use his design as having added 'great promotional value' to his work and having aided his career ever since.

The graphic designer has gone on to launch his own website Idokungfoo.com as well as re-design the logo of iStockphoto where he originally started.

While Oxley's design isn't Twitter's official logo anymore, the image is still used for when there's an error on the site.

Oxley reflected: "I did not know the bird would become so famous, although it did and does sell most days, [it's still] one of my most popular uploads."

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