Firefox logo gets a refresh

Firefox 3.5 was just released, and with the update came an updated logo.

You can read in detail about the logo refresh process here, but taking a look at the before and after versions (via Brand New) I can't say that I'm all that impressed.

Sure, the fox now has more texture on his fur (when viewed at a large size, anyway), but viewed at the size above, it actually appears that the fox is less defined. The tail has gotten more complex with the addition of additional fur tufts, but the effect is that it actually appears to flatten out the tail, which is the exact opposite of the redesign's intent. What I do like about the tail, and which I wish Mozilla had developed further, are the jagged shapes that are created on the right side of the tail. The create some very interesting energy in the logo and add to the "firey" feel of the tail. Bu it appears to be a mistake - a happy accident - as you can still see the globe behind the tail. Those jagged points could have made for some very interesting shapes and a lot of motion on the right side of the logo.

The globe is puzzling to me. It's glossier now than it was in the previous version, but I really liked the contrast in the before image - both against the fox and in the water and land areas. I think it did need a little more shine to give it some 3D depth. but it looks like a color image that's been copied on a cheap color copier. It feels washed out.

And one of the more puzzling things about the new logo is that despite the fact that they tried to give it more gloss, they still have just a simple drop shadow under the fox, as if it were hovering over an opaque disc. It seems to me that it would have been much more effective to add a dark blue shadow that looked somewhat like the reflection of the underside of the fox - dark and with no detail.

I've done a really quick mockup of what I mean.

Overall, I think the new logo is a step backward. Going more detailed on your logo is very rarely the answer. Simplification is. I think Mozilla made a mistake.