The illustrator behind the original Twitter “blue bird” icon, Simon Oxley, has died aged 56.
Simon Oxley was a British designer best known for creating the early bird logo that became synonymous with Twitter.
It was first designed in 2006 as a stock illustration before being purchased and adopted during the platform’s early days.
A statement shared on Oxley’s portfolio page revealed that he died on April 4, 2026, and reflected on a career that spanned more than three decades in illustration and design.
OG Twitter logo designer has died
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Simon John Oxley aged 56, on 4th April 2026. He spent over 30 years doing what he loved most, from designing mascots and logos for all sorts of companies, to creating small models to decorate the house,” the post reads.
“Starting from a young age drawing every night in his room, to then producing creative and unique designs for characters and logos known and loved by all. Although Simon has passed, all his designs and ideas produced will live on. A huge thank you to all that worked with him, left a like on his Dribble images – he enjoyed and valued every minute interacting and creating these designs.”
Oxley’s work reached a global audience through his stock illustrations, with his 2006 bird design forming the foundation of Twitter’s branding as it rapidly grew into one of the world’s biggest social platforms. While the company would later refine and redesign the logo, the original bird played a key role in shaping its identity.
Beyond social media, Oxley was also known for stock illustrations that went on to shape major tech mascots, including early versions of GitHub’s Octocat and DigitalOcean’s shark mascot.
