The Dropbox logo is the mark of the cloud storage company founded in 2007 by Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi. Its current version dates from October 2017, when Dropbox replaced a literal blue box with an abstract glyph of five flat diamond shapes and switched the wordmark to Sharp Grotesk.
The redesign was part of what the company called its biggest brand change in ten years, and it drew as much criticism as praise. As of 2026 the 2017 logo is still the one in use.
What Is the Dropbox Logo?
The Dropbox logo is a blue glyph of five flat diamond shapes that reads as an open box, set beside a bold black “Dropbox” wordmark in Sharp Grotesk. It was introduced in October 2017 by Dropbox’s in-house brand team with design studio Collins, and it replaced a more literal box icon.
| Symbol | Five flat diamond (isometric square) shapes forming an abstract open box |
| Designer/agency | Dropbox in-house brand team with Collins; Sharp Type drew the typeface, with Instrument, XXIX, and Animade also involved |
| Current version since | October 2017 |
| Colors (hex) | Blue, approx. #0061FF (also listed as #0061FE by reference sites) with a black wordmark; not confirmed on an official page |
| Typeface | Sharp Grotesk (Sharp Type); Inter or Manrope are free options with a similar feel |
| Previous major version | 2015–2017: a blue box icon with a blue wordmark in rounder lettering |
How Has the Dropbox Logo Evolved Over Time?
Dropbox has had four logos since launch, and each one made the box less literal. The dates below follow common logo-history references; sources disagree on the exact timing of the 2013 and 2015 changes.
Original Dropbox Logo (2008–2013)
The first logo paired a three-dimensional open box in light blue, with visible flaps and soft shading, with a black “Dropbox” wordmark. The company has not publicly credited a designer for this version. Jon Ying, the longtime creative director who left in 2016, is known for Dropbox’s early colored-pencil illustration style, but that is not a credit for the logo.
Flat Blue Dropbox Logo (2013–2015)
Around 2013 the box turned into a flat, solid blue icon, and the wordmark changed from black to the same blue. The shading was gone, in line with the flat design trend of the period.
Refined Dropbox Logo (2015–2017)
The 2015 update kept the blue box and blue wordmark but changed the lettering to a rounder sans-serif. This is a small change, and logo-history sites disagree about the shade of blue, so I describe only what is visible: the box is flat and the type is rounder than the 2013 version.
Current Dropbox Logo (2017–present)
In October 2017 the box became five diamond shapes in an isometric arrangement, and the wordmark was redrawn in Sharp Grotesk. TechCrunch described the mark as reduced to its basic shapes while still reading as a box. The identity also brought a much bolder color system with unexpected pairings, and the logo color was no longer fixed to blue. Nicholas Jitkoff, Dropbox’s VP of design, described the shift as going from a literal box to “a collection of surfaces”, presented as a sign of an open platform and “a place for creation.”
What Do the Design Elements of the Dropbox Logo Mean?
The glyph is built from five flat diamonds. The gap left in the upper middle reads as the open top of the box, which is a visual observation rather than something Dropbox has explained. What Dropbox did say is that the old box was too literal and implied storage, while the new mark of surfaces points to an open platform.
Why Did Dropbox Choose These Specific Colors?
The logo uses a bright blue, approximately #0061FF, with a black wordmark and white backgrounds. Reference sites list the blue as #0061FE or #0061FF and I could not confirm the value on Dropbox’s own brand page, so treat it as approximate.
Blue is the usual choice for storage and security brands, a pattern also seen in other blue logos in tech and covered in color psychology. The 2017 rebrand went the other way in marketing, with bold pairings that ran from standard Dropbox blue to vivid shades plus burgundy, red, pink, and yellow in imagery. The product interface stayed mostly white with blue and gray accents.
What Typography Style Is Used in the Dropbox Logo?
The wordmark is set in Sharp Grotesk, designed by the Sharp Type foundry and, according to design press, inspired by hand-drawn poster lettering and the work of Swiss designer Adrian Frutiger. Dropbox’s team has said the family comes in 259 fonts. TechCrunch noted that the wordmark’s letters, especially the “p” and “b”, have clipped bars and off-kilter counters.
The 2015–2017 logo used a rounder sans-serif that was not Sharp Grotesk, and no typeface name has been confirmed for it.
How Does the Dropbox Logo Compare to Competitor Logos?
Cloud storage logos often rely on blue and on clouds or boxes. Google Drive uses a triangle in green, yellow, and blue, and OneDrive uses a cloud shape in blue, while Box uses a plain blue wordmark. Dropbox’s five-diamond glyph is more abstract than those, and the 2017 identity broke from the safe blue-and-white look of many tech company logos. Among blue logos in tech it sits between IBM’s logo and the Zoom logo in tone.
What Cultural Impact Has the Dropbox Logo Had?
The 2017 rebrand became one of the most discussed identity changes of that year. Dezeen reported criticism of the clashing colors, while TechCrunch’s review liked the new logo and called the wider aesthetic divisive. Much of the talk was about the marketing look, since the product interface changed far less.
How Should the Dropbox Logo Be Used?
The Dropbox name and logo are trademarks of Dropbox, Inc. Editorial use such as reviews and news articles is generally fine. Using the logo on a product, an integration page, or a promotion usually requires permission or compliance with the company’s brand terms, and the logo should not be redrawn or combined with your own mark.
FAQ on The Dropbox Logo
What does the Dropbox logo represent?
The glyph is an abstract open box built from five flat diamond shapes. Dropbox described the move from a literal box to “a collection of surfaces” as a sign of an open platform and a place for creation.
Who designed the current Dropbox logo?
Dropbox’s in-house brand team designed it in 2017 with the New York studio Collins. Sharp Type drew the typeface, and Instrument, XXIX, and Animade also contributed.
What font does the Dropbox logo use?
The wordmark uses Sharp Grotesk from the Sharp Type foundry, introduced in the October 2017 rebrand. Inter is a similar free option for mockups, though it is not the same design.
What are the Dropbox logo colors?
The glyph is a bright blue, approximately #0061FF, with a black wordmark on white. The hex value comes from reference sites, not an official Dropbox page. The 2017 identity also added bolder marketing colors.
What was the old Dropbox logo?
From 2008 to 2013 it was a three-dimensional light-blue open box beside a black wordmark. A flat blue box with a blue wordmark followed around 2013, and a version with rounder lettering ran from 2015 until 2017.
How many times has the Dropbox logo changed?
Four logos in total: 2008, around 2013, 2015, and October 2017. The 2017 change was the biggest, and it is still in use in 2026.
Why did Dropbox change its logo in 2017?
The company wanted to show it was more than file storage and to speak to creative teams. Jitkoff said a blue box implied a good place to store things, while the new mark suggests an open platform.
Is the Dropbox logo a box?
It is an abstraction of one. Five diamond shapes form an open box, which TechCrunch said is still recognizable as a box.
Can I use the Dropbox logo for my project?
Editorial references are generally accepted. For products, integrations, or promotions, check Dropbox’s brand terms or ask the company first, since the logo is a trademark of Dropbox, Inc.
Conclusion
The Dropbox logo follows the company’s move from a file-storage tool to a broader workspace. The literal blue box of 2008 became flat in 2013 and was reduced to five diamond shapes in 2017.
Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi started the company in 2007, and the 2017 identity by Dropbox’s team and Collins is the one still in use in 2026.
Sources
- TechCrunch, Dropbox brand update streamlines its logo and takes aim at creatives – https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/03/dropbox-brand-update-streamlines-its-logo-and-takes-aim-at-creatives/
- Dexigner, COLLINS Designs Monumental Rebrand for Dropbox – https://www.dexigner.com/news/30431
- It’s Nice That, The Dropbox rebrand features a logo update, new typography and vibrant illustration collaborations – https://www.itsnicethat.com/news/dropbox-rebrand-collins-graphic-design-041017
- Logo Designer, Dropbox Reveals New Logo Design – https://www.logo-designer.co/?p=32631
Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.
His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.
He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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Bogdan Sandu is a seasoned designer who has been designing websites since 2008. Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients. His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8. He also wrote in the past years on sites like Design Your Way, WebDesignerDepot, WPDean, Designmodo, Speckyboy, Slider Revolution, and more.
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