Which internet user in the world doesn’t already know the Google logo? You don’t need to name the order of the colors from the logo out loud. However, many acknowledge that Google is among the worldwide digital leaders. It’s a powerful brand, with a logo which speaks by itself. The Google logo evolution includes some milestones which mark new stages from the brand’s life.
Logos make the essential form of visual communication that all brands should include and consider. Customers use smartphones, tablets and laptops to access the Internet. Therefore, logos should now be interactive, and made in a pixel range which fits small and large screens both. All interactive elements which comprise a user’s journey on the brands platform should be considered. Google has ticked these aspects and now has a friendly, interactive and innovative offer. The Google logo evolution to fame includes 7 key milestones brands can learn from.
1997: The Private Beginning
Google began in 1997 as a Stanford University project developed by two PhD students. The project was a basic search engine which no one thought would turn into a worldwide famous multinational.
Google’s first version had a strong and kitschy 1990s vibe. It was colorful had rounded letters. Nowadays, the logo is a memory of how the internet looked before turning into what it is today.
1998: The Start of Google Beta
Google Beta appeared as a search engine in 1998. This is when the first branding elements were established, as this was the first logo to resemble the one we know today. The 1998 Google logo had a similar color scheme to the one we know today and a resembling color order.
Letters had some shades which reminded of its late version and were slimmer. This version of the Google logo was created using a free graphic design online platform called GIMP.
1998: The Common Element
There were two search engines which also offered email services in the online world: Google and Yahoo! Also, for a brief period of a year, they also had in common a visual communication element. This was the exclamation mark that Google removed one year after adding it to its logo.
However, this update also includes an element we know today. The first G changed from green to blue, without interfering with other colors. Every branding mistake also includes a bright side. The exclamation mark was soon removed, and the logo remained as such until 2010.
1998: The First Doodle
Google began to be successful and to develop its branding process. Therefore, brand managers got creative and introduced the first Doodle to the world. The Google logo evolution just passed a new stage.
The first Doodle had the purpose of being an out-of-office message while the Google founders were attending the Burning Man festival, in August 1998. The public enjoyed the personalized logo and the Doodle idea was born two years later.
2010: The First Professional Logo
The first Google professional logo was drawn in 2010 by graphic designer Ruth Kedar. It was a historic moment for the brand which was earning more and more popularity.
Kedar decided to bring new into the old and slightly reduce shadowing and 3D effects. However, the designer kept the color scheme and modified the logo’s typeface to fit to new technology requirements.
2013: Going Flat
This year meant a new peak in the Google logo evolution. It was time for the logo to become friendlier, simpler and even more appealing. It had to lose excessive effects and become even more relevant for its brand name.
Therefore, the Google logo lost its 3D effect by having completely flattened and shadow-free letters. The color hue was smoother now.
2015: The Most Impressive Rebranding Campaign
The Google logo evolution would eventually involve a massive rebranding campaign which would prove the search engine’s innovative character. The logo was reinvented as per the below:
- There was a new logo produced in-house, called Product Sans. The same logo was used for Google’s mother company, Alphabet, to connect the brand to its corporation.
- The logo would be friendlier to smaller screens, such as the smartphones, notebooks and tablets.
- Google would also reveal interactive branding elements such as the G favicon and moving loading dots.
- Google also engaged more into creating Doodles, it developed special celebrating products for specific countries and areas of the world. The brand also made Doodles interactive, by turning them into games for children, such as the Halloween Doodles. It also developed an archive of all the Doodles it has used so far.
- The color scheme remained the famous one – blue – red- yellow – green. However, tones can smoothen from time to time.
Google Logo Evolution to the Future
Google is a brand which also serves as an umbrella to its product and services. Due to a consistent branding process, we all know that Google Maps, Gmail and others serve to the same brand.
The Google logo evolution had 7 significant moments of changes and updates. Some were announced as branding campaigns, while others were simply changed. Complexity of the branding process seems to be the key that makes an entire campaign differ from simple adjustments. However, the Google logo is widely know and nothing can stop it from earning more and more fame.
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