ProtonMail, now branded simply as Proton, is the encrypted email service founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN. The service’s visual identity underwent a major transformation in May 2022, when the company unified its growing ecosystem of products under the Proton name and introduced a new logo system.
Design and History
When Proton Mail launched in 2014, its logo featured a padlock combined with an envelope, paired with the “ProtonMail” wordmark. The original branding used a darker, muted purple that evolved over the years. In May 2022, Proton introduced a new brand design that replaced the padlock-envelope icon and “ProtonMail” wordmark with a new Proton logo and product icon system. The company positioned “Proton” as the master brand, with Proton Mail, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and Proton VPN as product sub-brands.[1]
The new Proton Mail icon is based on the bottom half of the original Proton Mail padlock, creating a visual continuity with the service’s earlier identity.[2] The redesigned product icons share a unified visual language, featuring semi-transparent graphic overlays and bright gradient tones, giving each icon similar design, size, and weight.[1]
The new Proton logo itself is a stylized “P” mark with depth and dimensionality that alludes to the depth found in the Proton product logos.[2] The rebrand was accompanied by a new domain (proton.me), updated product naming conventions, and a unified subscription ecosystem.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
Proton’s visual system is built around “Proton purple,” which the company describes as representing its privacy-focused universe. Each product icon starts with Proton purple and fades into its own service color: green for Proton VPN, blue for Proton Calendar, and red for Proton Drive.[4] Proton Mail’s icon remains fully purple, consistent with its position as the flagship product.[4]
The Proton VPN icon retains its triangular shape, whose corners originally represented the three countries hosting Proton VPN’s Secure Core servers when viewed on a map.[5] This detail illustrates how the 2022 redesign preserved meaningful elements from earlier product identities while creating a cohesive family resemblance across the Proton ecosystem.
Typography and Design
Alongside the new icons and logos, Proton updated how product names are written. Historically, product names were written as single words such as “ProtonMail” and “ProtonVPN.” The rebrand changed these to two-word forms like “Proton Mail” and “Proton VPN,” aligning all product names under the unified Proton master brand.[2] The Proton logo and product icons are available in purple, white, and greyscale versions through Proton’s official media kit.[4]
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