Google unveiled a new logo on Tuesday, marking the fifth time the tech company has given its logo an overhaul since 1998.
The new logo retains the old one’s four-color lettering, but features a new sans-serif typeface to give it a modern, minimalist look. The company also unveiled new icons, including a multi-color microphone button for voice searching.
“These days, people interact with Google products across many different platforms, apps and devices — sometimes all in a single day,” the company’s Tamar Yehoshua, VP, Product Management and Bobby Nath, Director of User Experience wrote in a blog post. “This isn’t the first time we’ve changed our look and it probably won’t be the last, but we think today’s update is a great reflection of all the ways Google works for you across Search, Maps, Gmail, Chrome and many others.”
The debut comes after the company announced a corporate restructuring last month, which will see it become a subsidiary of new publicly-traded company Alphabet, run by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Google will be streamlined to focus on core web businesses and be led by Sundar Pichai, currently senior vice president of Products. Alphabet will take responsibility for unrelated initiatives, including: health efforts like Life Sciences (which works on the glucose-sensing contact lens) and Calico (focused on longevity); X lab, which incubates new efforts like Wing, the company’s drone delivery effort; and investment arms, Ventures and Capital.
Reception of the logo is mixed so far, with some finding it a worthy update and others viewing it as a crude regression.
The trend of ultra-sanitized corporate machinery squashing out every atom of creativity. First #Ebay now #GoogleLogo pic.twitter.com/trfPSeQGbY
– Dane Storrusten (@DaneStorrusten) September 1, 2015
Always preferred the classic Google logo. It was one of the best things about their identity. #keepingitreal
– Silent Shout Studios (@SilentSStudios) September 1, 2015
Finally, Google, Finally! A logo for one of the best companies in the world feels more like 2015 rather than 1998…. http://t.co/KPUvwnWlx9
– Matthew Cobrin (@InitialCreative) September 1, 2015
#GoogleLogo looks childish tbh
– Layla (@laylahildebrand) September 1, 2015