Recently, Google underwent its biggest design change in a decade and a half and used a blockier, serif free update while changing its iconic, rainbow letters. A lot of Google users were quite surprised with this new update when they noticed an animated arm rise from the search bar in order to wipe away the old logo and bring in the new one.
Keep in mind that this is the most visited site on Earth and the brand transformation caused quite a bit of a stir among users and critics. Thankfully, the reception has been much more positive than negative when compared to many high-profile logo changes. According to a Mashable poll, 52% out of 3000 respondents clearly agreed that this new design change was a much needed cleaner option but 24% missed the older serifs.
The remaining 26% were quite indifferent to this change because the new look is nothing more than a font swap followed by a replacement of the older lowercase icon with a new colorful capital G. However, Min Lew, a partner at branding firm Base Design said that this is more than just a logo change. According to him, it created a visual graphic language which connects the dots for users from one product to another.
According to Lew, the newer logo is a great symbolization towards the sleeker minimalist ethos which can be found in most Google products. The old icon looked more like a sticker that was slapped onto the various company sites, applications and tools. The pared down update is more like a universal fit which makes use of animated transitions to seamlessly morph between various forms that depend on the platform being used.
The old logo was not only a bit old but also incompatible with the associations that one would normally have with a huge company like Google. This was declared by Wally Krantz who is the executive creative director at branding firm Landor Associates. According to him, the new sans-serif logo is much better suited in a more dynamic environment.
The company wishes to carry on with its ongoing reinvention through this feeling of continuity. Recently, Google broke off its various divisions into new companies which are destined to be under the umbrella of a holding company known as Alphabet. Google has a huge business structure which extends from self-driving cars to pop-up ads and the new business structure is a better fit for a company like this.
Over the years, Google has managed to strip down the logo in small steps while peeling away the shadowing which was found in 2010. The texture was flattened out in 2013 and they have ultimately taken the step towards a whole new font.
Krantz declared that it makes sense to see a shift from a typeface which appeared a little bit trickier to something which provides the much-needed potential to do a lot more. However, the major point of criticism against the new logo is that it is too infantile. According to most, the logo is more like a kid-friendly statement rather than something more serious.
In the meantime, there is a new $200 router which comes to us as a partnership between Google and hardware-stalwart TP-Link. This is a pricey Wi-Fi machine that tends to work better than most. You have to make use of an app instead of computer software in order to set it up and it comes with new smart features which should help you enhance your connectivity on a daily basis.