Ubuntu dumps the brown, introduces new theme and branding

Canonical has revealed the style of the new default theme that will be used in Ubuntu 10.04, the next major version of the popular Linux distribution. In a significant departure from tradition, Ubuntu is shedding its signature brown color scheme and is adopting a new look with a palette that includes orange and an aubergine shade of purple.

Ubuntu's distinctive brown look dates back to the very first version of the distribution, which was released in 2004. Although the style has evolved considerably since then and new colors like orange gradually gained a foothold in the desktop palette, brown has been the dominant color of Ubuntu's default themes for the past five years.

Canonical began discussing the possibility of a major visual refresh in 2007 during the development of Ubuntu 8.04, the last major long-term support release. At the time, Canonical's art team was thinking about adopting a darker look with a black and orange color scheme, but the theme concept was abandoned and never implemented. Although the idea of a major visual refresh was resurrected and discussed again during the development process of several subsequent Ubuntu versions, it hasn't happened until now.
The theme change is part of a broader effort to redefine Ubuntu's visual identity, a move that could help make the open source desktop platform seem more professional and attractive to a mainstream audience. According to design documentation in the Ubuntu wiki, the new style was developed last year by Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth and a team of designers. They chose "light" as the thematic concept behind the new brand identity. The new Ubuntu logo, which was also unveiled today, has a thinner font and a smaller icon.