New Google Logo Gets Some Rave Reviews, But Many Think It Looks Childish
Google’s new logo design has some designers and artists praising its sleek look. Other branding gurus are not so impressed with the new Google logo. The huge redesign includes a streamlined sans-serif font and a microphone function with four colorful animated dots.
Users from around the world had varying opinions, calling the new Google design everything from “brilliant” or “cute” to “childish.”
Derreck Johnson, a web designer at Slate, likes the custom sans-serif font and the sleek face of Google. He counters the critics who think the new Google logo is too childish.
“I see six letters that represent a youthful, dynamic creativity—a notion that this company was built on. Without that playful spirit, Google isn’t really Google. But of course, we’re talking about a massive media conglomerate here, so they couldn’t get too crazy. How does Google show us that they aren’t that stiff? A slightly tilted E.”
Mark Sinclair of Creative Review wrote that Google seems to have “smartened itself up somewhat.” But not all of his readers agree. Here’s a sampling of their comments about the new Google logo.
“It looks like a logo for a company that makes toddlers’ toys.”
“The new look is ugly, childish and lacking in personality. Blandification indeed.”
The redesign wasn’t simply a matter of visual esthetics. In addition to esoteric branding concerns, and the positive feelings that the set of logos is designed to evoke in users, there were important technical considerations in the Google design overhaul. Forbes points out that Google has to consider how quickly its images can download onto user’s screens, so a crucial factor was usability on mobile phones. More people are using the internet from their mobile devices now than from laptop or desktop computers.
“One variant of the new logo takes only 305 bytes of data, compared with about 14,000 for the previous version, which had required a clumsy text-based approximation to be used on low-bandwidth connections.”
Independent Online reported that reviews were mixed for Google’s new logo. Their article quoted design critic Stephen Bayley.
“This version of ‘modern’ looks a bit quaint. A new identity using a sans-serif font is a curiously traditional vector for so disruptive a business.”
Some people liked the new Google look and tweeted about what it reminds them of.
The new #Google logo looks the same as the old #Ebay one. I bet someone still got six figures for 'designing' it though.
— BillyTheFish (@_BillyTheFish_) September 2, 2015
New @google logo font looks like fridge magnet letters. Not a bad thing. #GoogleLogo pic.twitter.com/nXXdusC3yH
— Chris Madigan (@BarkingAtTheTV) September 1, 2015
Google released a video called “Google, evolved,” describing the evolution of the Google brand and how they feel the revamped logo designs fit in.
The new Google logos are being met with a mixture of good and bad reviews from designers and non-professionals as well.
[Image: Screenshot of Google’s New Search Box]
