Google launched a new logo yesterday, and it looks pretty good. With the removal of the double-stacked lowercase “g” and an update to a minimalist sans serif font, the new logo is smooth, modern, and an overdue change for Google. We didn’t even think Google needed a new logo until we compared the new to the old one, which let’s be honest, was a little outdated.
This change comes shortly after Google announced big changes to its management structure, and the introduction of their new parent company Alphabet. It’s easy to chalk the new logo down to being an expression of Google being a new company now, set to move in a new direction, but is that really it? If Google wanted to make a show of declaring themselves as a new company, why was the new logo released so unspectacularly? There were no big announcements. There was no build-up to the release. Nobody even knew there was going to be new logo. Instead, similarly to the Alphabet announcement, the new logo was announced through a short blog post, along with an accompanying video and charming little Google Doodle.
In part, this could be because the new logo is so overdue. Google haven’t had a proper update of their logo in 16 years, which is a long time in the ever-evolving world of the Internet. Google is a company that encourages other companies to adapt to the ever-changing trends of web design and content marketing, so it makes sense that they should show this progression too. This new logo doesn’t represent a new Google; it represents Google as it is today.
The new logo represents a Google that spans across multiple platforms and devices. The new sans serif font makes it easier to read on smaller screens, meaning that this logo can be used anywhere, from the smallest smart watch screen to the largest widescreen TV. Even when presented with an even smaller space, Google have created a colorful variation of the capital “G”. This has been chosen to illustrate that all of Google’s services can be shrunk down to work perfectly on mobile devices.
So, to conclude, whilst being far from groundbreaking, the new Google logo has brought with it a much-needed refresh for what was gradually becoming an outdated brand. This is the first big change we’ve seen since the new infrastructure, and we’re excited to see more.