How Google Stays Relevant

Posted on Oct. 30, 2015, at 6 p.m.
by Katie Gatti.

Taylor Shelnutt covered the changes in Google’s new logo several weeks ago, but two months after its advent seems an appropriate time to reflect on what this change truly means for the world’s biggest search engine.

As Greg Brooks mentioned in an interview a few months ago, “a brand is the most pivotal thing to a company’s success.” The visual identity should reflect the intangible qualities of the brand, but it is not the brand itself. Brooks explained that a brand is a representation of a promise to deliver an expected value — not just a flashy logo or a memorable tagline.

A company like Google is a fantastic example of a brand shifting its external identity to reflect internal changes. In fact, the amount of cultural discomfort experienced due to the unveiling of the new sans serif logo is proof in itself that Google’s brand means something to society. Would there be a horde of discontented naysayers if an irrelevant company changed its logo?

When Google was founded in Menlo Park, California, in 1998, its brand was quite different. In the 1990s, there were several search engines competing for popularity. Reliability was a primary concern for consumers, and Google wanted to be perceived as an authoritative and professional source of information.

The footed letters fit this theme well. Google used primary colors, with the exception of the green “l”: a color choice designed to convey a quirky sense of unconventional thought. The slightly rotated “e” is further proof that, at its core, Google has always been a little goofy.

Fast-forward to 2015, and Google no longer strives to appear commanding and serious. As the undisputed top search engine in the world, its aesthetic priorities are shifting. Rather than authoritative and staid, Google is curious, modern and streamlined. Its new, bold and simple logo conveys this change in attitude well.