The first major Firefox redesign with version 4 in 2009 was initially met with some resistance, but people have largely gotten used to it by now. Now Mozilla will be introducing another drastic Firefox redesign in the coming months.

TechCrunch reports that Mozilla has introduced its Australis redesign for Firefox into its highly experimental UX release channel. The new version of the browser introduces some design elements that seem ripped straight out of Google Chrome, but Mozilla says it’s all about making the browser simpler and easier to use.

Even if the base UI looks a lot like Chrome, Mozilla will be setting itself apart with its new Australis design. One of the major selling points of Firefox is its strong customization options. That will continue to be a thing in Australis as Mozilla wants to encourage users to make Firefox their own. To that end, users will be able to add and remove anything from the Firefox experience to make their own custom browser.

So, when you will be able to take a test drive in Australis without having to deal with a UX release? Mozilla plans to have the Australis theme ready in time for the Firefox 25 Nightly in the coming week. It may not hit the stable release of Firefox 25, however, if Mozilla deems that the design still needs work. Either way, you’re going to see the new Firefox redesign before the end of the year.

If you want to try out Australis right now, you can download it here. Just be aware that it’s still highly experimental and it’s not exactly stable. The UX channel is intended for developers and those without the requisite knowledge will get nothing out of it.

[Image: Softpedia]