Google Logo: An Intuitive and Friendly Journey

Posted on August 29, 2022 by badge

Amongst all the search engines, which one are you using today? Your answer would range from Bing, Yahoo, or Google.

It’s most likely the latter, and today, we’re here to talk about it, specifically Google’s famous logo design. Dive with us into the intriguing revision process that the Google logo has gone through over the years.

Google Logo Evolution

The first thought that comes to mind when I ask you about the Google logo will probably be its iconic rainbow color. But before that came to be, the logo went through multiple revisions.

Find out how the iconic logo came into existence below.

Brief History of the Google Logo 

Did you know that Google’s old name was BackRub?

Larry Page and Sergey Brin, creators of Google, chose that name because the search engine’s primary function was to search through backlinks.  They then changed their business name into something more refined – Google, a misspelling of the word “googol,” which means ten, raised to 100.

As the business name, Google shows that the search engine can provide its users with many results they can pick and learn.

1997

The old Google logo design is rough-looking despite the refined name. To be fair, it’s a placeholder logo, so they just went with the early 90s word art style that was popular then.

1998

With the official launch of the site comes a revised logo. This shift marks the start of the logo design we’re familiar with today. The wordmark logo design looks embossed because they used the Baskerville Bold font style.

1999

This design is Google’s first visual that designer Ruth Kedar professionally designed. The color scheme is used today with the added exclamation point in the end to compete with Yahoo!’s branding at the time.

It also had a slight shadow behind the letters, highlighting the embossed-like nature of the wordmark logo design.

2010-2013

Google decided to simplify its design and make it more flat compared to the 3D-like design that it had before. They also switched to a new typeface Catull BQ and changed the second “o” to have more of an orange tint. 

2013-2015

A lighter tint replaced the darker hue, and the embossed/3D effect is completely gone. The flat design replaced the same typeface giving a sleek but professional look.

2015-Today

This year marks the most remarkable change they’ve ever made with the Google logo. The distinctive colors remain the same, but the typeface of Product Sans matches the more modern and minimalist designs trendy nowadays.

Google Logo Branches Out

Just as their logo evolves, the Google brand does as well. Check out the various adaptations the original logo uses with its massive selection of products and services. 

Even if they adapt to match the particular service or product they are offering, the logos usually maintain crucial elements like the iconic color palette or typeface- to make them recognizable under the Google brand. This is why, whether it’s a video conferencing app or an e-wallet, people can still recognize that they come from the same brand.

Google Drive Logo

Did you know why they used a triangle for the logo? The symbol highlights the three main parts of Google Drive: Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Cloud Logo

Cloud service has a literal cloud shape for its visual. It’s easy to see why they chose this logo, right?

Google Play Logo

This one is self-explanatory, as they used the triangular shape to represent a “Play” button.

Google Analytics Logo

This logo shows a bar chart, which is fitting since it’s a service that depicts statistics and data. It reflects Google values of clarity and accessibility, ensuring information is easily understood at a glance. They also used a light yellow-orange color palette, colorful but not overly so, to maintain its professional vibe. 

Google Sheets Logo

For this logo, they used bright green color and added a chart in the middle, which they use to represent the cells in their spreadsheet program. 

Google Pay Logo

Google Pay is one of Google’s latest products. Users use this app to purchase goods and services. Fittingly, the logo depicts a wallet, which signifies its use and the item it’s trying to replace. 

Google Meet Logo

Formerly known as Hangouts, the Google Meet logo is supposed to symbolize a camcorder or a video camera, which is a perfect icon for their video conferencing program. 

Google Reviews Logo

Probably the most simple one on the list, the Google Reviews logo shows the Google text logo with five yellow stars below it. Of course, the stars indicate the review system that we all know. 

Google My Business Logo

Simple and relatively cartoonish, the logo for this application is a building with a striped awning, which is what you would probably visualize when you think of a shop. It makes it easy to recognize, which is why Google used this logo.

Manage your business profiles with Google, and create a business card with us to pair with your profile. You can also use an AI business card generator to surely make you stand out. From there, the next step is building relationships with people in your industry. An ⁠email finder can help you locate professional contact details for personalized outreach.

Google Workspace Logo

Formerly known as G Suite, they rebranded the name to Google Workspace to show their push toward the digital office environment. All app logos underwent redesigning to match the color palette and structured design to unify their brand identity further.

Google Calendar Logo

Google calendar’s logo follows the signature Google color palette as part of their Google Workspace rebrand.

Google Podcast Logo

The logo looks like the audio visualizers we usually associate with mics and podcasts, just with their distinctive color scheme. A simple yet effective logo for sure.

Google Earth Logo

The Google Earth logo has been kept consistent throughout the years, keeping the circle and blue color, but is just updated to look more flat and minimalistic. They also updated the color scheme to be the same bright and light hue they use with their other products.

Google Black and White Logo

Even by removing the colors, the logo is still recognizable mainly because it has been adapted into multiple versions, becoming a pattern that your mind can easily recognize. 

Need A Copy?

Do you need a copy of the logo to download and use? We got you! Check out the links below.

Google Logo Png

Build Your Memorable Logo Today!

The key to creating an effective logo is to not only be memorable but versatile as well. 

With its simple yet distinctive color pattern, Google is a recognizable logo. But they also adapted the logo into their multiple products (whether it’s a search engine or a video conferencing program), while keeping the evolved designs easy to understand and user-friendly.

If you need help creating your logo, we are here for you. Head on to our logo maker or reach out to our community of freelance designers now, and start building your iconic logo today!

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